My wife and I have been using Zipcar a few times a month for the last two and a half years. Our usage is almost entirely on weekends and holidays - the only times we aren't at work. Up until the last few months, we could always reserve a car when we needed as long as we were willing to be a little flexible with hours or locations. It has allowed us to avoid needing to buy a car. Lately though, we seem to have a problem ever finding a car on weekends no matter how flexible we are - the closest available car on a couple occasions was in Princeton, NJ more than an hour away! We've had to cancel our plans and even use Avis! Others must share the same complaint since there are NO cars in the five boroughs most weekends, particularly for a full day rental. I am curious to hear from you - if only to help convince Zipcar that we need more cars. I am sure the problem must be related to the fact that those same cars sit empty during the week. What can we do? Can we bring in extras for the peak periods like the big companies? We love the zipcar concept and don't want to give it up.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2004

Answers

I second the comment wholeheartedly - lack of cars is making zipcar unusable for us.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2004

Hear Hear! I agree. We've been stumped more than a few times with no cars on the weekend. Can we get some more cars please?

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2004

I have had the same issue and I have emailed and called Zipcar several times and they seem not to care. In their eyes they are happy that the cars are reserved at such high capacity. What they need to learn is that bad customer satisifcation will undermine their product to a point where no one will want to use it. Or better yet, another company will come into the mix and better address our needs. Funny, is that not the role Zipcar was supposed to play when compared to the major rental car companies?

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2004

I've been a Zipcar member for more than two years and have barely used it because I, too, need a cars on the weekends.

Today I looked yet again and there's nothing. So even though I'm only paying the cheap annual rate, I'm ready to quit. And I doubt there will ever be enough cars in this town.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2004

Here's my take on why the "sudden" car shortage for weekends. Before a few months ago, if you wanted a car on the weekend, you would look and see if a car near you is available on the weekend. If it wasn't, oh well. More recently, zipcar instituted a search-by-time feature on the web site--a VERY useful feature, I might add. So now, someone who wants a car on the weekend can book one that's not SO close to home, but available nonetheless.

I have to admit that I've done that. I needed a car for a weekend a while ago, and the closest one was 40 blocks away, so I booked it. Then a closer one became available, so I booked that and canceled the farther one. Then the one next to my building became available, so I booked it and canceled the distant ones.

The consequence: there's the APPEARANCE of cars being less available, when it's just a reflection of more people reserving those cars.

In the end, I chalk all of it up to Zipcar's growing pains. It's a victim of its own success (did I hear correctly that they've stopped giving referral bonuses?) but, if it has good management in place, the fleet size will catch up to the demand eventually. Yes, some customers will get frustrated, but I'm sure Zipcar is buying cars as fast as they can without putting themselves too deep into a financial hole.

One fatal flaw: The big car companies rent principally to businesses during the week and to private individuals on weekends--never mind the fact that their size endows them to a larger fleet and better ability to withstand peak demand periods. Since the zipcar model is far more attractive to individuals, they're going to have an imbalance of cars available until they can ramp up their commercial business. The short term solution, of course, is to raise the prices on weekends, but in the long term, the company's viability will depend on their ability to attract more weekday business.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2004

Every single time I have wanted to use a Zipcar it seems cars are not avaible. Sometime cars are available further away, but a lot of times I have to try and adjust my schedule to try and fit the availablity if the car. So far I have only successfully rented a car once and I got a traffic ticket for a broken tail light that time! I joined last Spring because it seemed like a great idea, but I have found the service mostly unusable and NOT so convienant. So much for my member fee!

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2004

There is no substitute for your own car. You either have one or you don't, no matter how steep the price.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2004

What is so frustrating, is that people book cars months in advance. Last summer a particular car was booked every weekend for months. This seems to go against the spirit of ZipCar. Assuming it was the same person booking the car every weekend, wouldn't it make sence just to buy your own car?

-- Anonymous, December 22, 2004

It is only getting worse too. I have looked a MONTH in advanced for a car on the weekends, and they are ALL booked. I do not have a luandromat near me, and have to use a zip car to do laundy, and now I have to plan to wash clothes for 3 weeks! They really have to add more cars in NYC, all 5 bouroughs, and NJ.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2005