Zipcar Replaces Flexcar Around Decatur
February 11, 2008Last year, Zipcar and Flexcar announced they were merging into one national super-giant hourly car rental company that parks hip/trendy cars around metro areas for your convenience (look for the BMW 5 series in coming months). As the merger comes to fruition this spring, Zipcar signs are beginning to pop up in the old Flexcar spots around Decatur.
We spotted one Saturday in the Raging Burrito parking lot.
What does this mean to you MARTA-riding car-less types?
Well, from what I can deduce, rates will go up a bit with Zipcar. Standard hourly rates with no membership fee started at $6 with Flexcar and start at $7.65 with Zipcar. Decatur rates seem to range between $9-$11 an hour with Zipcar.
It’s yet to be proven that companies like Zipcar can last in highway-dependent Atlanta.
Just to clarify: the $5/hr rate was only available to “Frequent Flexers” who paid a $30/mo fee for a minimum for six months. That plan is still available under a different name for those who wanted to remain on the former plan. Flexcar never had “no membership fee” but there were various promotions where the fee was waived or offered in driving credit.
The rates in the Atlanta market are currently either $9 or $11/hr; I know the marketing materials suggest otherwise but I’ve not seen anything available at the advertised price. The signs were replaced everywhere in the metro area last week with the exception of the on-street polls in Decatur, which require special hardware for the new signs to fit. That’s why you see the new logo only in places like the lot on Church St (which is not currently home for an actual Zipcar) and at East Lake MARTA.
For those driving the $11/hr vehicles like the Toyota Solara convertible on Sycamore, you’ll notice that there’s very little signage on (or in) the vehicles themselves compared to Flexcar. BMWs and Volvos should be arriving in the summer.
Zipcar is currently offering $50 in driving credit for new members (or $25 for Flexcar members upon Zipcard activation).
[...] all about passing on the good news reported on other notable blogs such as Decatur Metro, even if we’re a little late in the game. If you’re already a member of Flexcar, the [...]
I could be wrong, but when I checked this last week, the rates for Zipcar were closer to $15/hr in Decatur. More than double the Flexcar rates.
As a former Flexcar member on the “membership plan” the hourly rates are $4.50 across the board. The daily rates have gone up over Flexcar however. Overall, Zipcar promises to be more expensive than Flexcar ever was. It’s not even close to the middle of the month and I am already over $120 in the hole after two rentals.