Special Report: Inside Zipcar’s Empty, Expensive, Confusing Bitchslap
It was all over the news yesterday: Philadelphia “born and raised” nonprofit PhillyCarShare is facing competition from Cambridge, Mass. based ZipCar, which has put in a bid to replace PhillyCarShare as the city government’s car-share provider — and your go-to source for last-minute car needs. Oh no they didn’t! We did a little compare and contrast to help you decide which might be the better choice for helping you haul that Ikea Ramberg bed back to your apartment (both company’s sites specifically mention trips to Ikea), or getting your ass to Avalon the first day the weather breaks 80 degrees. After the jump, we crunch.
GAS + PARTICULARS: Both offer free gas, parking and insurance on all plans.
Advantage: Even.
WE CAN HAS APPLICATIONS FEE? ZipCar charges a 25.00 application fee for all members on all plans, including members in the same household or business. PhillyCarShare has no application fee.
Advantage: PhillyCarShare.
LET’S MAKE SOME PLANS: PhillyCarShare offers a “Basic Freedom” plan which includes no monthly fee, hourly rates of 5.90 for Monday-Friday, and 7.90 on Saturday and Sunday. Daily rates are 49.00 during the week and 59.00 on the weekend. ZipCar offers an “Occasional Driver” plan that charges a 50.00 annual fee and has rates of 7.25 a day and 55.00 daily for all days of the week.
Advantage: PhillyCarShare.
BIG PIMPIN’: For the more frequent driver, PhillyCarShare offers the “Advantage” plan which for a 15.00 monthly fee offers lower hourly rates of 3.90 Monday-Friday, and 4.90 on the weekends. The daily rates are also reduced to 39.00 during the week and 49.00 on the weekends. ZipCar offers “Extra Value Plans” which require a 50.00, 75.00, 125.00, or 250.00 monthly commitment, and you are able to rollover unused dollars for 1 month at the 75.00 level and 2 months at 125.00 and up. The hourly rates for all days are 6.53 but reduced to 6.16 with a 250.00 monthly commitment. Daily rates 49.50 and reduced to 46.75 with a 250.00 monthly commitment.
Advantage: PhillyCarShare.
MILES: ZipCar offers 180 free miles with each reservation, whereas PhillyCarShare does not offer any free miles.
Advantage: Zipcar.
PERKS: There are some extra perks for members of PhillyCarShare and ZipCar, like discounts at retailers and restaurants. PhillyCarShare lists offers at several local restaurants and retailers that you probably already go to. ZipCar listed a few offers at national retailers, but the only Philly specific offer listed was a discount for something called Urban Dare- something that’s described as a team race that’s part photo hunt, part trivia and part dares. Um… yeah.. no.
Advantage: Are you kidding me? Philly Car Share.
THE WHOLE FOODS FACTOR: PhillyCarShare also participates in some local do-gooder stuff, like providing small grants for improvement in local communities. As of yet, ZipCar doesn’t even have a Philadelphia version of their monthly newsletter.
Advantage: Philly Car Share.
IN SUMMARY: Wow. And while regular users will tell you that PCS is by no means perfect, it looks like ZipCar’s not even trying. Until they sign your band, lower their rates, remove all the hidden fuckery and take 10% off your drink tab, “ZipCar” shall be your new word for “No thank you!”
