Just got this email in my inbox:
Greetings!
Saying bye is never easy, but sometimes it has to be done just the same.
Unfortunately, Ohio State University has decided to end its partnership with Zipcar, so we will be removing our cars from campus as of January 5, 2009. Please note, however, that your membership is still good in all cities where Zipcar provides service if you are 21+ (see zipcar.com for a full list of cities).
All reservations made for dates after 1/4/2009 have been canceled and fully credited. Further, we have decided to refund any and all annual membership fees, net of any free driving credit used, for members who have paid an annual fee since September 1, 2008.
If you signed up after September 1, 2008, your refund will appear in your account automatically (if you would like to cancel, you will still need to follow the instructions below). If you have questions about your refund, please contact us at info@zipcar.com.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. To cancel your membership, you MUST login to your account, go to My Stuff and select “Close Account”.
2. If you want to hold on to your membership, no action is required and we’re happy to keep you in the family.If you have further questions, or are having problems canceling your account, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@zipcar.com.
Warm regards,
The team at Zipcar
zipcar | wheels when you want them (TM)
Bummer.
From OSU T&P Director Sarah Blouch via an e-mail to a Columbus Underground poster, it looks like Hertz will be replacing ZipCar with a similar service called Hertz Connect. Hertz’ location map currently only shows Connect cars available in Manhattan. I guess they’re expanding and providing some competition for ZipCar.
is that what’s happening? did Hertz muscle in?
I’m not happy with the pricing for Hertz though. I believe Zip Car was 8/9 hr. here, while Hertz has 3 rates, dependent on the rate plan.
I still wonder why end ZipCar for a new competitor? Maybe ZipCar can mind a new partner in the Columbus Metro. Competition is always healthy, right?
Competition would be nice, but I don’t see one institution (OSU) partnering with two different providers. The car rental company is going to want to be the exclusive partner of OSU. It might not be surprising to see ZipCar find other partners though. I see a lot of ZipCar spaces in Chicago in private parking lots or garages, especially supermarkets.
I was pretty devestated by the ZipCar partnership being terminated. However, I hope these comments are true, because I have come to rely on ZipCar.
I must say, Hertz doesn’t look all that bad. I’m sure there will be an OSU discount. In addition to that the $50/month plan isn’t too bad because that money is credited to your months rentals. I came pretty close to spending that much with ZipCar every month, perhaps even exceeded that amount.
later,
-Mitchell
I was thinking more along the lines like CCAD or Capital, two fairly central colleges that have some amount of residential.
This might be a good project for DRAC: work with CCAD, local developers and private businesses to locate potential parking spaces.
From the Dispatch:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/30/nozip.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101&title=Hertz+replacing+Zipcar+at+OSU
“But the concept didn’t catch on as quickly as Zipcar and OSU would have liked. Zipcar cut the vehicle fleet to seven, and that reduced usage, Blouch said, because OSU employees didn’t want to walk several blocks to a rental car. They’re used to having state cars right outside their doors, she said.”
My favorite quote from that article…
Some national coverage:
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0472539.htm
ConnectbyHertz is up and running. (Which is what the article John just posted says.) They have these cars: Prius, Camry, and a Ford Escape. I look forward to trying it out!
Weird thing is… the other day I got OSU as a location on my iPhone, but I only see NYC on my macbook. So, I’m unclear why that is. DNS changes maybe not propgating?
But, Hertz, please have a truck handy. Cars are of some value, but as a painter/artist if there is not a single truck in the fleet it is next to useless for work.