Originally Posted by
hughc99
With Uber and Lyft on the scene I seriously question the sustainability of these services. I've personally replaced some trips I would have previously made in a Zipcar with Uber or Lyft. For trips longer than a few hours I just use a regular rental car. Because you have to pay for the time you reserved you wind up overpaying most of the time with car sharing and the rates are not especially cheap.
The problem with these companies fundamentally is that their customers don't respect each other. I've cleaned some previous renter's disgusting fast food garbage out of a car. I've gotten in a car that reeked of cigarette. I've driven a car covered in dog fur. These things are all explicitly banned but people don't care and the car sharing companies are probably terrified of going after people and alienating even more customers.
To answer your question, I don't think either is inherently better than the other, but in some places Zipcar has much better coverage than Enterprise so the convenience factor may win.
Cannot speak from experience by going by reviews and comments at least Enterprise car share *does* give major concern to condition of vehicle when returned. They have an exhaustive and extensive list of fees/surcharges (everything from smoking to pet hair) and apparently if the next renter complains you *will* be charged. Good luck afterwards trying to get a reversal or fee refunded.
That was Hertz on Demand's huge weakness. They didn't give a flying *** it seemed and did little to hold feet to the fire. For instance technically there was a fee for returning a vehicle without proper amount of fuel. But Hertz would often waive the fee if someone yelled loud enough.
Vehicles would be returned reeking of smoke (tobacco and or pot), filthy (everything from used diapers to fast food) and smelling like a cheap motel room after a hot encounter, but Hertz would seemingly not want to ding the previous renter. Then there was the damage...
Actually had one of the last reservations for HOD in Manhattan last weekend (UES). It was cancelled as vehicle had to go out on maintenance. Know the garage well so stopped by earlier to "say goodbye" and get the inside story.
Ironically it turned out HOD ended the way it pretty much began; the last two renters abused the only remaining working Mazda so Hertz took it out of service and that that. One customer (described as an "old man" by the garage attendant) brought the vehicle back with a crack along the lower windshield. The other (a younger guy) allowed his dog to ride uncrated and it shat all over the back seat.
Only ever used HOD for quick trips within Manhattan or perhaps just across the water into Brooklyn. Anything more than say three hours would rent from National or Enterprise for the day. Never understood why persons would do a car share for daily rentals even when you factor in the "free" gas. It just didn't make sense.
However when you consider how many car share customers abuse the vehicles and that they *never* would get away with such stunts if they rented from a *counter*, that could explain why. If you brought back a National, Hertz, or Enterprise regular rental car damaged, filthy or whatever chances are high there would be charges. Certainly if you returned it without the required fuel.
The car share model at least here in NYC appeals to me because if done properly you aren't paying for time you don't need. If I want to run down to Battery Park City at say 11PM from the UES could do so in one hour with HOD and only pay less than ten dollars which is cheaper than taking a taxi there and back. A normal car rental rate would be around $40 and I would have to get to the counter before 630PM (weekdays) to pick up the vehicle.
Beauty also of car sharing for me is not having to bother finding overnight parking in order to return the next day during business hours.