August 25, 2008
Zipcar vs. City CarShare: The Rematch
Why can't we all just get along?
Not long ago, Leanne asked readers to weigh in on Zipcar vs. City CarShare. The subsequent brand-identification debate was not quite as acrimonious as the typical Mac vs. PC debate, or even the heated Wrangler's vs. Levi's debate we once overheard in the Houston airport.
We're not sure what the above photo means in the context of the car-sharing debate. Are we seeing, as with SF Weekly and the Bay Guardian, a national chain using unfair tactics to crush the local competition? Or does this photo simply show that, again as with SF Weekly and the Bay Guardian, most people don't distinguish between the two companies and even their customers can't always remember which is which?
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I had heard from a friend in Philly who said Zipcar was very aggressive with trying to crush the local city car share there.
But in SF it seems like healthy competition. (Zipcar won't be lowering their prices any time soon, a la SF Weekly's ad structure.)
Additionally, I'm a big nonprofit supporter -- I am a Working Assets wireless customer, a Greencine member, shop locally, and have worked in the nonprofit sector most of my career. But in this case, it's not enough to make me switch from Zipcar.
The photo just confirms that zipsters can't park properly ;)
CCS Forever!
[I'm actually a member of both]
Hmm.... maybe the Zipcar space was occupied by some person's vehicle with no clue what Zipcar is, and the person returning the Zipcar just shrugged their shoulders and parked it in the City Carshare slot as a 'next best thing' substitute destination for the vehicle. I do admit to surprise (and a happy feeling) that City Carshare actually has more than one vehicle in some locations - my context is that I walk by about 15 of the Zip Cars at two different parking lots on Main Street every day while only passing 1 City Carshare vehicle..
ya for free parking!
CCS does have some larger pods - I live a block away from two with five and four vehicles. They've been swapping cars around a bit lately too.
This weekend as I returned a car I found that one of the other CCS cars at the lot had the drivers window smashed in. I called it in to CCS, who said that a bunch of their cars had been broken into recently. Which seems pointless, as there's nothing in the car to steal and the car itself is immobilized. You'd think whichever retards are smashing the windows would work that out pretty quickly.
Windows get smashed for the gas cards- at least that is what I've heard....jokes on them! Those freakin cards never work!
All I know is that the people that drive these cars are hands down the WORST drivers in the city. Thank god they are so clearly labeled so everyone else knows to give them a wide berth.
Insurance is a big difference. If you belong to Zip Car tney'll only cover up to $10k in damage and injury costs. CCS covers you for $1 million.