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With parking availability tight on campuses, college students often find themselves without cars as a means of transportation. With this in mind, Zipcar, a car rental service founded in 1999, has brought its service to Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. in hopes of providing a unique option to students.
"It's simple, convenient access to cars that are strategically placed all around town at a great price," said Matt Malloy, Zipcar's vice president of marketing. "When you think about it, it's having all the luxuries of owning a car without having to deal with the problems associated with owning a car."
The first step to using this service is registration, which college students may obtain for a discounted price of $25 per year, with no security deposit or application fee. Each member is then given a "Zipcard," which is the size of a standard credit card. The Zipcard contains computer chips which send signals back to Zipcar's service, enabling members to unlock cars after rental.
When one wishes to rent a car, they simply make a reservation at www.zipcar.com and then use the Zipcard to gain access to cars which are placed at various locations in the Boston area. For Boston College students, there is one Zipcar located conveniently on campus, with others in areas such as Sutherland Road and Strathmore Road. The cars can be driven anywhere - even into Canada - for as long as the renter would like. There are hourly and daily rates attached to the rentals, which vary depending on which kind of vehicle one rents.
An added perk for students is that Zipcar - unlike many car rental dealerships - does not require the renter to be 25 years old. The age requirement for Zipcar is 21 years old. "People say that they don't rent to people under the age of 25 because they are more prone to accidents. We've been in business for five years, and we have not seen a difference in accident rates, and so I don't know if other dealerships are trying to gouge people, but we don't see a difference," said Malloy.
"Our goal is to provide students with freedom, convenience, and transportation. We want to be seen as a utility in the area, so that's why we're doing this for students," he continued.
Zipcar also is responsible for gas, parking, and insurance costs. A gas card is available in the car visor and may be used at any gas station which uses the card, which is just about "99.9 percent," of them, according to Malloy, in many different locations.
Twenty different types of vehicles are available, including pickup trucks, luxury cars such as BMWs and Volvos, SUVs, electric cars, hybrids, and utility cars such as Gulfs, Jettas, or Honda Elements.
"You get to choose the car based on your mood or need," stated Malloy.
He further noted that Zipcar changes the way people transport themselves, thus making it an environmentally friendly service.
"People are using the cars less, and we maintain them very well. When they are well maintained, they end up using less gas," he said.
Malloy notes that thousands of Zipcar members are college students, and that a number of area universities have several thousands members within their student bodies.
Should a driver obtain a ticket while driving a Zipcar, the sole responsibility falls on the driver. In terms of accidents, Zipcar does have special programs.
"There is a deductible that you would have to pay if you got in an accident," said Malloy. "It's a $1,000 deductible, but we split it with members, so you only have to pay $500."
He also notes that most credit cards have deductible waivers associated with them, so in some cases, a deductible may not need to be paid.
"Zipcar is one of the many ways people can get around town. We're not saying you shouldn't take the T or ride a bike or walk. What we're saying is this is a transportation option, and students should take it when they need to go places where they can't ride a bike, walk, or take the T," stated Malloy.
"You can list 30 or 40 things that we know students use Zipcar for - going home for the weekend, seeing a friend across town, or going to pick up supplies," he added. Malloy encouraged students to visit the Web site for more information.
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