Absolutely disgusting, first they scam you , overcharge with the highest price , never return your deposit , after 1 week of renting they will issue you penalty without you getting in , and they will sell all you information details to big international scammers,so don’t rent from them absolutely shocking how government lets them to run business like that
CO
Consumer
Zipcar informed me about the parking…
Zipcar informed me about the parking penalties almost one month later.
By the time I was notified, Zipcar had already paid the fines early and closed the cases, without giving me any chance to pay them myself at a discounted rate.
I already paid the £40 towing charge, yet I was still billed £160 + £30 twice.
Even though I ended my trip properly, Zipcar refused to take responsibility.
This practice feels unfair and misleading, and results in unnecessary financial loss for customers.
I strongly recommend checking all charges carefully when using ZipCar
AT
Anthony T.
Shocking customer service.
I’ve been a Zipcar member for a few months now, and the whole “share the road” promise quickly turned into a nightmare of rogue parking. The biggest gripe? Zipcar lets its cars be left in private parking spots, and there’s virtually no enforcement.
From the moment I booked a vehicle, I was told I could park in any “public” space, but the app never clarifies what counts as public. As a result, I’ve come back to find a Zipcar blocking my private parking space. Each time I’ve called customer service, the response is the same bland script: “We’ll look into it, but it may take up to 48 hours.” By the time they get back, the car is long gone and the damage—my inconvenience, my wasted time—remains.
What makes it worse is the lack of any real penalty for the driver who parks illegally. Zipcar’s terms of service say you’re responsible for any fines, yet the company does nothing to track or prevent repeat offenders. It feels like they’re happy to collect membership fees while turning a blind eye to the chaos their cars create on private property.
If you value your parking space, your peace of mind, and your time, think twice before signing up. Zipcar’s laissez‑faire approach to where its fleet ends up is a glaring flaw that makes the service more of a liability than a convenience.
GG
Ggg
Never approved your application for no…
Never approved your application for no reason and stealing application fees
JJ
Julia J.
The car started smoking and had to be towed away - I was fined for smoking?!?
The van I booked started profusly smoking 25 minutes into the journey, in the middle of Hammersmith roundabout. The gear pedal got stuck and I just about managed to pull the car to the side to safety through the thick smoke before it completely stopped moving. Had to wait over 2 hours for a rescue vechicle to show up to tow the car away. This was obviously dangerous an unconvenient. But Zipcar, instead of apologising and refunding me the journey or compensating me for my trouble CHARGED ME £50 FOR 'SMOKING IN THE CAR'. I wish this was a joke.
MJ
Michael J.
Signed up to Zipcar only to find out…
Signed up to Zipcar only to find out they dont operate in my area (which you cant check before you sign up). Asked for a refund but was told because its a subscription that it cant be refunded. Total scam.
CD
Cédric
Multiple reasons you should not go for zipcar
There are multiple reasons you don't want to rent at all with Zipcar despite being available next door:
- Small prints, minutes lates, and other tricks will make you be charged fees very often,
- Prices are far over the market,
- Km charged over the distance allowance is far too expensive compared to rental/fuel price,
- Cars are always dirty and smelly - not because of people, but because Zipcar do not maintain/clean their car often enough,
- The app keeps failing at locking, unlocking the car, also for ending the trip, stressful and annoying,
- You have to take photos from outside and inside the car do document, that does not make sense at night or when it rains,
- Your phone runs out of battery, and you are lost..
on a single positive note in my experience, the chat is responsive, and you can talk to a real person if you ask (often useless but at least responsive).
My experiences with zip car ranges from June to October 2025 through 4 rentals.
MH
Montiz H.
Dirty cars,unregistered vehicles, and terrible customer service
I have rented zipcars for both personal use and for use with Uber. The cars are always dirty and require a car wash and an internal detail before use. The fuel or electric charge for these vehicles are often low. When you experience a difficulty or problem with the vehicle their customer service team will do little to help. I once rented a vehicle from them to do Uber as they have a program specifically for Uber drivers. I discovered that the car I originally rented was switched to a different car this car that I was switched to had an expired registration on it. When I called about the problem they instructed me to return the car, but the lot was closed. There wasn't free parking available for 24 hours near the parking lot and I was instructed to take it to a paid lot and pay for a 24-hour parking and they will refund $30. The average 24-hour parking lots in this city cost over $60. Another time I rented a vehicle and went to pick it up but the vehicle wasn't there because the previous renter still had the vehicle. They were unable to put me in another vehicle resulting in them providing me a refund which takes days to receive. They don't compensate you for the inconvenience of any time lost or any money spent on car fare to pick up the vehicle or cleaning the often dirty cars. I've rented the vehicle for personal use one day and the price for two and a half hours was one price and then when I try to use the same car for the next day the price was double. My advice is don't waste your time or your money if you don't have to.