zipcar.com an interesting new concept of car rental

I was watching the news just now when they talked about a company called Zipcar. It's a rental car company, but different than the regular rental kind of company. For a one time fee you join as a member. When you need a car you rent the car by the hour. Gas and insurance is paid in the fee of the hourly fee. They just said they have been around for 10 years.

I couldn't use this service, but it's an interesting concept. I looked on the website and found that it seems this is a popular idea near colleges or major businesses. If I lived on a college campus and only occasionally needed a car, this would be a cool way to go. You could drive a car for errands and not have to worry about gas because the cost of gas is included.

This is not the right service for me, but I just wanted to share it with you. Maybe it is the perfect option for some of you?

Comments: 9

May Xue Sep 25, 2011, 1:33pm UTC

I wonder if it is better.

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Nora D. Sep 25, 2011, 2:13pm UTC

It sounds like a good concept, for some people, but not for those (like us) who would need a rental car for vacations, emergencies, etc........charging by the hour, wow, that could get very pricey! There may be situations that something like this would be ideal!
I hadn't heard of this, so thanks for sharing!

Debbie T. Sep 25, 2011, 7:51pm UTC

I think if I was a college student living at the dorms this would be a great idea for me. I looked into the rates in CA and it was $8 an hour, but you don't have to pay for gas or car insurance, so it doesn't seem that expensive if you don't need a car all the time. I couldn't use this service though as I rely on my car all the time.

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Ryan Reid Sep 25, 2011, 7:16pm UTC

interesting. we couldnt get by without 2 cars in our household. we both work pretty far from home and usually around the same times. Also, no mass transit in the area...kinda stinks, but it is what it is i suppose

Debbie T. Sep 25, 2011, 7:49pm UTC

This program wouldn't work for me as well, but it sounds like a cool concept for college students who live at the dorms and only sometimes need a car to leave the campus.

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