This morning I decided to try out the promotion, $6 for 20 minutes, it was suggested to use it to go to McDonalds or any other ungodly fastfood venue, being that I don't patronize those types, I went to Starbucks. At my apartment complex, there were 3 Mercedes to chose from. I chose the CLA. Somehow, an unsightly red Ford zipcar got into the photo. If I would have taken Lyft or Uber, it would have cost $10 plus tax and tip. read more

car2go Austin - Car Rental Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I used car2go during my 4 day trip to Austin. It was super convenient and easy to get a car rental. All I had to do was download the app, submit my drivers license, and wait about a day for approval. I got to try out their smartcar and Mercedes GLA. I had trouble figuring out how to start the ignition on the smartcar, so I contacted their support line and was able to get help from a customer representative immediately. The daily rental can get a little expensive. The daily rental for the smartcar cost $69. I believe it's advertised as $59 on the Austin car2go site, but that price doesn't include taxes and fees. The daily rental for the GLA came out to $92. It's advertised as $79 on the site. Over all, car2go made my trip to Austin more enjoyable. I was able to drive out of the city to hike and zipline. However, I'm docking a star off because of their lack of transparency about prices. read more

car2go Austin - Smartcar - Car Rental Near Me - Austin, Texas

Car2Go... we've been through a lot together. I'm a car-less resident of Austin who uses a combination of the bus, my bike, friends, and these little Smart Cars to get around the city. After a long and complicated relationship with the service over a two-year period, I've settled on three stars. Here's why. The concept is genius. Pick up a car whenever you'd like, leave it wherever, and pay 35¢ per minute. It's great. By my calculations, you can use the car for 37 minutes and max out the $12.99 per hour maximum, at which point you may as well keep it for the full hour. The car drives well, too -- just remember that the seat reclines with a lever on the right side, the paddles on the steering wheel are gear shifters and NOT volume control, and you're good to go. My company has even hooked my account into theirs, so I can choose to charge them directly for work-related trips. No receipts necessary. Bonus points for truly excellent, human-centered customer service and stellar phone support. So why only three stars? The major service failures in the summer of 2011, compounded with Austin's record-breaking heat, is definitely a factor. But the real problem is this: *you can never completely rely on getting a car when and where you need one.* If you're downtown, your chances are good. In Hyde Park, where I live, your chances are probably about 60%. If it's a Saturday night, your chances are very poor unless you're already downtown. Using the Car2Go app WITH the ability to reserve vehicles significantly increases your chances of the car still being available when you get there. I highly recommend it. It's important not to think of Car2Go as a critical transportation option, but more of a "nice to have" service. I've been happy using it as a backup for when my other transportation options fall through. The more you start to rely on Car2Go as your only option for getting you places, the more often you'll be stranded and angry. Adjust your thinking accordingly, and happy driving. read more

I have used this service since it started. They have gone so down hill that I cannot do it anymore. My research shows that car share, Lyft or Uber is cheaper in the long run and less hassle and has all the features of car to go, but better cause you don't have to drive and don't have to park as you do with a car2go. They have consolidated their calls to a call center with people from other countries that are so nice, but have never seen or used a car2go. They are not trained, they cannot help, and they have no power to do anything but put you on hold. I have ask twice for manager to help me and since a call center, they don't have one so you are stuck with nothing. The cars don't work in hot climates and the 3 digit code to enter the car will not work in hot climates. I have to say goodbye to them after all these years as they don't serve my needs and don't work like they use to. read more

This company has such a great idea but it lacks in execution. I never got to use the service because their app wouldn't allow me to upload my drivers license. I tried using various iPhones, and was told that an android would do the trick...which no one in my family owns. I reached out to customer service several times and was told different reasons by different CS reps. When elevated to a higher member services desk, their instructions were similar to the website. Thanks...for nothing. And the response time promised vs the one I received was quite different - maybe if the program worked better, less people would call in for help, so your CS reps can respond quicker. I rarely post negative reviews, but if for some reason, this one and other bad ones get the company to get it together, I would love to use their service in the future. read more

I've been using this service since 2014 and while it has some issues I generally really like it. I love the new Mercedes. They are so nice to drive, sometimes I just do it for fun. I do miss having the option of smart cars because of the price and the parking ease. It would be better if they kept both. As someone who does not own a car this has been a godsend and allowed me to have a much more convenient lifestyle without the annoyances and expenses of car ownership. I used to use Zipcar and now I haven't touched one in years mainly because I found the set schedule and drop off points too restrictive. I generally only drive on weekends and rarely leave the city so it works out great for me. It's a really convenient option and while my friends circle around downtown looking for parking I have the option of dropping off at a car2go spot. Now the bad: TECH issues!! Every once in a while I can't end a rental for whatever reason and end up having to call customer service and wait on hold and it's a pain in the ass. Customer service in general is meh. While the agents are helpful, the company doesn't really show much appreciation for their customers. I mean I've been using the service for four years and I can't think of a single perk I've earned from that. Sure they had a little customer appreciation lounge set up for SX but no one was even checking if you were a member. They really need to set up some frequent driver perks and bonus time or something. After I had a bunch of tech issues I sent a lot of emails and stopped using the service for a while. Maybe if they showed customers more appreciation that wouldn't happen. It's gotten more expensive and with the new packages the day rate actually went up to the point of being prohibitively expensive. Back when they had the smart cars there were often day specials for $50 and now we're close to $100 with taxes and there are no more weekend day specials! That's just absurd. While I did the day rental a few times with the smart cars to go to Ikea, now it is completely out of the question and I just go to Enterprise and get a weekend rental. read more

still loads of fun to pick up and rent when playing out and about in austin! i still though want them to upgrade their shitty GPS systems and also PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider installing auxiliary jacks into all the cars so that i can play my pimp music as i whizz about town instead of having to listen to delilah, kim iverson, some bad country, some bad rap, or any other junk on the radio these days. AUXILIARY. JACK. thanks. read more

Overall, Car2Go is an awesome service and I am a regular user. My first experience with Car2Go wasn't so great. There was a loose wire hanging down over the gas pedal! I had to tuck it up under some other wires to keep from getting my foot caught on it. Also, the floor mat doesn't securely attach to the floor and had been pushed up over the gas pedal, similar to Toyota's floor mat problems. I took the floor mat out and out it in the trunk for safety. BTW, the website states "the more time you drive, the more economical it gets", that clearly isn't true as keeping the car for more than about 5 hours will cost you substantially more than a rental car. read more

car2go Austin - loose wire hanging over gas pedal and loose floor mat by edwardpierce.yelp.com - Car Rental Near Me - Austin, Texas

Terrible, terrible customer service. Reached out to them three times in past four days by email, phone and voicemail. Representative argued with me about the date I last used service. Turns out she was referencing I wrong month. Only use car2go when I need to go a few miles away in downtown area. I would use it for longer trips if they had in-car notification when you go out of area. Otherwise, you have to juggle your cell phone while you are driving, which is illegal. This is missed revenue for company as longer trips are more profitable. They need to upgrade their in-car navigation, include in-car alerts when parking "area" has been left, and improve customer service. Without these improvements, I'm not sure how they are going to be able to scale their business and/or maintain. read more

Car2Go kicks ass. There's always one nearby in my hood, if not parked right outside my house, which I can quickly and easily pull up on the neighborhood map (uh, adjust your zoom Tom J) . Ice cold AC. Whether a work meeting or hittin the town at night, just car2go it on downtown and park in prime spots. Ice cold AC. Quick and easy. Pretty damn cheap too, especially when you factor in the free gas. Ice cold AC. My only complaint is that there isn't a map of where special car2go parking spots are - for the busy times when meters are full. You just have to slowly learn these. *** Now they do and its great It can be a bit tricky for beginners, but once you learn the way to navigate the pages you need from their crappy website and system, it is straight forward and simple. Once I did have an issue with a car wrongly marked as available like all the negative reviewers mentioned, but a quick call to their office cured everything promptly. And this was just once out of 20 tries. Some hoods don't have as many Car2Gos avail as mine usually does. That wouldn't be as cool, but that's not Car2Gos fault, that is your neighbors' fault. read more

Dear Car2Go, it's been, honestly, not that great of a relationship. I could harp on how expensive you always end up being after you factor in taxes and all your little hidden ways of extending time, like making me tap all these effing buttons before my rental is actually over, inexplicably not letting me end my rental... Oh the list just goes on and on. But the real issue is how you've failed me, failed to meet my needs, failed to support me in my life. I've missed important meetings because of you, tearfully cursed the day I met you as I was locked out from my possessions in 105 degree heat, stranded. But I kept taking you back, thinking foolishly that "this time it will be different". But it's not. It's always the same thing with you. Finally today, you really fucking blew it. I had a meeting with a client, so I dressed sharp, drove my socially responsible Car2Go there (cuz landscape architects care), and was perplexed when my rental wouldn't end. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't start the car upon leaving the meeting. And then being put on hold for 10 minutes. And then being told that there was nothing you could do for me and would I mind locking the keys in the glovebox before leaving the car. EXCUSE ME? You leave me fucking stranded in 100 degree heat and expect me to make things convenient for your company? After the hundreds I've spent on your bullshit "service"? No offer to call me a cab, send a technician, nothing?!?! No, i think I'll leave the key in the ignition and a note on the hood- "Take me, I'm yours". Because we are over. Social responsibility and presentability be damned. Next meeting, I'm riding my motorcycle. Car2go, you are a joke, and I'll not be your punchline again. read more

Boo car2go Austin. I just moved to town from out of state, so just like everyone else who obtains a Texas driver's license, I was issued a temporary, 2-page paper license from the Texas DPS in lieu of the actual license, which will be mailed to me in 2-3 weeks. Of course the paper license would not scan, so I called the customer service number to see if I could just e-mail it to them. No, they said I will need to wait until the plastic card license is mailed to me. Huh? If my paper license is legally recognized in the state of Texas, by cops, bouncers, or anyone else who requires an ID, why won't car2go recognize it? http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TN/htm/TN.521.htm And why don't I just wait until the "scannable" version of my license comes in to use car2go? Because I guarantee I will not want to use car2go in 2 to 3 weeks since by then I will have procured my own vehicle. Thanks for nothing car2go! read more

I love Car2Go. I know I have only known C2G for about a month now and we've only been out a few times, but it really feels like this could be it. Even that time I sort of got stood up, it wasn't C2G's fault, I should have made a reservation. I obviously am not the only one who feels this way about Car2Go and sometimes sharing is hard. I was kind of concerned about how we'd look together in pubic (I mean, it is a Smart Car and we are in Texas after all), but really when it comes down to it, looks aren't all that matters, right? It's what's underneath that counts. And under that sort of nerdy, small exterior is a engine that revs like a Barbie Power Wheels and shifts, like, well, we're still getting acquainted there, but hopefully after a few more go-rounds, we'll be shifting smooth. Lastly, I really love what Car2Go stands for: creating a shareable culture versus a consumerist one, being environmentally conscious, and of course, free parking all over downtown. Oh and also not ever feeling the need to take pedicabs, with their obfuscated "tipping-payment" rates. And while C2G seems like a cost-effective alternative to parking, the ride often ends up costing more than parking would have. However, since we uphold the law and never drive over the limit in C2G, it probably saves money and calories in the long run. And it saves time, since you are not circling and circling looking for a spot. Even though we only see each other about once a week right now, I have a feeling this is going to get real serious over SXSW. read more

I am also confused at all the low ratings here. Perhaps I use Car2Go differently, or maybe it's because I own several cars that I look at the operation differently. I can't say I've ever had a bad experience with Car2Go. First, I can't figure out why you wouldn't have a Car2Go account. I tried to get many people to sign up back when it was free and was met with a lot of resistance -- the coverage area doesn't go to my neighborhood, I'd never use it, etc. Of course, the area of coverage has increased, and the benefit of having the account is that if you ever find yourself needing a Car2Go, you can just grab one off the street. The fact there's no monthly fee is my favorite part of Car2Go. I remember when ZipCar was here, I never signed up. It was expensive and geared toward people who would never own a car. I liked the idea -- a car I could use anytime, but paying a heavy monthly fee for a service I'd rarely use? I can't see the value there. It appears that the majority of complaints are from people who don't own a car and seem to be relying on Car2Go as primary transportation. I'm not sure that it's a good bet that way. In lieu of a monthly fee, you're paying very high rates for the convenience of just grabbing a car and doing small errands. If you're not careful, you can easily exceed the cost of just calling Enterprise and renting for the day. But if you just need a ride from downtown to home (or vise versa), it's usually cheaper and faster than a cab ride. In a city with few good public transit options, that's usually how I weigh using Car2Go. As such, my experiences have been universally good. The cars are usually very clean, run well, and are usually available in the areas I run in. The app, though not written by Car2Go, is accurate enough to show me the closest car 95% of the time. Once in a great while, that car gets reserved before I can get to it, but that's not the fault of Car2Go or the app. They even wiped a $65 charge off my account for a car I checked out and then forgot to check in after a 10 minute drive. Thankfully, no one ran off with the car while I left it unlocked, on my account, with the keys in it. The best part is that if I need a car and I'm somewhere that I didn't drive, I have options. Even if it's three am, there is likely a Car2Go somewhere in walking distance and it will always get me home. When we were down to sharing one car over the summer, it was a nice supplement for the few times we actually needed a second car. So long as you realize that Car2Go is a very good replacement for a taxi cab and a poor replacement for avoiding car ownership and the bus, you'll get along just fine. read more

I was once a big Car2Go advocate, after this experience I will never use them again and encourage anybody else to find alternate modes of transport. I've never quite experienced Customer DIService like I have with Car2go. During SXSW this year (2014), I was using Car2Go to get around Austin and parking at a location I frequently park my own vehicle. I am very familiar with the parking regulations on this particular stretch of street, I live in the city. This location is public street parking metered by the city. A week later I get a notice in my email that during this time I had parked a Car2Go vehicle that had been towed and was thus being charged $500 for the tow. Of course, I called to find out more only to be told that Car2Go was going to do nothing to help me and I had to call the Tow Company to find out more. Ridiculous customer service answer #1. I call the tow company which tells me the vehicle was blocking access to a business- this is a downright lie. The vehicle was parked well over 200 feet from any entrance to a business very nearly on the street corner. When I called Car2Go to let them know that I did NOT in fact park where the tow company claims they found the car, they told me it was my problem and that I'd need to cover the cost of the tow regardless. Any dispute needed to be taken up with the tow company. Keep in mind that Car2Go is the party that will be billing my credit card for this charge, not the tow company. At no point has Car2Go, the business which I am a customer of, provided me any evidence other than anecdotal and circumstantial that the vehicle was actually illegally parked, nor have they tried to advocate for me as their customer. My experience with them has been "who cares, not our problem." I will never use Car2Go ever again. I will also make sure everyone I meet hears this story. read more

I'm surprised to see so many negative reviews on here. 99% of my experiences with Car2go have been flawless, and whenever there is a snafu, the customer service team has always been quick to respond and help. With Austin's new pay-for-parking nights and weekends rules, we are very fortunate to have a service like this that is immune to those costs. Don't mind all these reviews from people who can't read maps or try to depend on car2go as their sole method of transportation (not what it is intended for at all). Car2Go is an outstanding service, and we Austinites are lucky to be one of the few cities in the world to have it! read more

To car2go or not to car2go: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the taint to suffer ball sweat and groin strains from my bike, or escape the summer's heat for $.35 a minute. -Mark K.hakespeare 99.9% of the time my answer to, "car2go?" is, "Oh HELLLLLL no!" However, for that .1% chance that my bike tires go flat, every bus in Austin explodes, every cabbie calls in sick and all of my friends decide to be dicks, it's nice to know that I have a dependable plan "Z" (providing there's not another "Widespread Outage" like the one I found out about in my spam folder this morning). Truth be told, I never intended to get anything out of my $35 registration fee other than a convenient excuse for when a girl asks, "Do you have a car?" To which I reply, "I have ACCESS to a car." But after finding out firsthand how fast that rental tab adds up, I'd rather succumb to celibacy than pay $65.99 (plus tax) to take a girl out for the day in one of these glorified golf carts. I've used a car2go three times now and unless the apocalyptic scenario I outlined in the previous paragraph comes true, I think this batter has struck out. My first jaunt was in celebration of receiving my card. It resulted in a refrigerator full of groceries, a Chick-Fil-A Banana Pudding milkshake and an additional five-minute charge for having no F'ing clue how to end my rental. Admittedly, that was my own incompetence and I can't hold it against them. My SECOND journey, however, was entirely their fault. I took one of the God forsaken peashooters to DK Sushi & Seoul Market for an enjoyable meal. Although the meal was every bit as awesome as I had hoped, I was locked out of my vehicle due to one of the aforementioned "Widespread Outages." I was forced to take the bus home, where a man eating an in-bag Frito Pie verbally accosted me and my friend. My THIRD (and probably final) trip was a Sunday drive to a nearby UPS (Who knew they were open on Sunday? 5-stars for UPS!) to deliver a last minute package that was too big to fit on my back while biking. Once I realized that the car rental was just as expensive as my "irregular cargo" shipment, I came to the conclusion that car2go is a bigger waste of money than treating a prude to a Perry's Steakhouse dinner. Is it better to be lacking in mobility or money when it comes to the ladies? THAT is the question. read more

Numerous little issues...nothing too irritating. THEN... I tried to end a rental & the system wouldn't let me. I called customer service & was told that even though I had ended rentals in that location before, it was technically a "grey zone" and doesn't work all the time. The rep told me to park in a parking lot nearby, then the car got towed. Then they let it sit in impound for a few days, and my account got charged for $450+. Seriously? DONE. read more

I have used car2go for about 5 months and find it less helpful than I thought. First, it is often hard to find a car near you. During peak hours, it is hard to even find a car downtown. Second, it takes a long time to actually start driving the car once you find one. You have to go through several steps - swipe card, wait for car to open, enter pin, assess if there's damage, assess the car's cleanliness...- then to make matters worse you go through several steps to end your trip. Third, the cars' system isn't always error proof. Now this is the reason why I decided to close my account with car2go. I rented a car yesterday and ended my trip (card reader read: trip completed and the doors locked). To my surprise I had an incorrect charge on my account this morning. I called the customer service line and they could not do anything to help me. So I contacted the local office. The rep there told me she could only credit me with half of the charges because the car's log said I had left the driver's door ajar. I assured her that I have been using their service for a while now and know I have to check the reader for the "trip completed" message before walking away. I also assured her that I checked the driver's door was locked. However, the rep did not care about what I had to say or about the fact that I was getting charged for time I had not used their car. I was a relatively frequent customer but decided to close my account because car2go does not think the customer is always right. Instead they shield their errors behind their technology. I do not trust a company that doesn't trust me. They could've been fair and charged for the time that I actually used the car. I don't trust their system is fail proof and surely don't want to feel paranoid every time I use their service. read more

Car2Go is great when it works, but unfortunately that's almost never. I have found it to be more unreliable then the Cap Metro bus system, and many times have had to just take a bus anyways when the cars don't work or aren't around. Everyone needs to STOP RECOMMENDING THEM. How Car2Go Works (aka FAILS) Step 1. First of all, you need to have a car near you to use, which about 25% of the time there isn't. Step 2. Then, you have to go on the hunt for the car, which usually leads you on a ridiculous goose chase trying to match the crappy map on your phone to where you are. About 25% of those chases end in the car disappearing from your map or just NOT being where it appears. And then you either start chasing down another Car2Go (like an idiot) or give up and go to Plan C. Step 3. So let's say you actually manage to FIND a car. The cars MORE THEN HALF THE TIME DON'T WORK: can't read your card, won't connect to network, engine won't start. One friend couldn't start the car so she got out to end/retry rental, and the car wouldn't unlock again at all... with her friend still locked inside! She had to call Car2Go to unlock it remotely. Step 4. You miraculously found a working car! You're driving like a maniac to beat the clock and not get charged an insane amount! Step 5. Arrive at destination. Car won't end rental. Call Customer Service. Step 6: Days or weeks later, realized you got charged for a car you didn't use / your account's been randomly canceled / they refunded you for the nth time to make up for their technical errors. SUMMARY: I've been using Car2Go for about 3 years, and all of the above has happened multiple times to me and many people I know. Don't rely on it! Use the bus! read more

I think I've had my car2go account locked more times than I've actually rented a car. How does that happen? When you finally get into a car that actually works, the experience is pretty good. But the actual orchestration around the process, before and after the actual car part, is embarrassingly poor. I've watched this company struggle with administrative and technical issues since day one. I've been scolded for a car that failed to check out when its OS crashed. I've been scolded for not checking out when I most certainly did and their juvenile communication workflow from the car to the data center probably dropped a transaction. They did let me off without paying for the maximum rental as a one time thing which is cool, except that it had nothing to do with any mistake of mine. So I lost my "free one" for their administrative and technical incompetence. It's also possible for them to lock your account at any random time for a plethora of causes usually not something you did and when you haven't even used their service recently. tldr: Before you get into a car is often problematic. Once you're driving, it's usually enjoyable. After you get out of a car is often problematic. On days where you're not even interacting with the service, is problematic. read more

Car2go, you're winning my heart back. Right now I'm back and forth between Austin and St Louis. I don't own a car anymore - I rely on my bike, walking, and public transport ... and Car2Go in Austin. I just made my first business trip back to Austin and found Car2Go to be much improved since I last used it. I had no issues with reservations, no issues with service, 1 issue where the car wasn't where it said (but Customer Service quickly guided me there), and 1 incident where the car had a flat tire (again customer service quickly guided me to the next vehicle). We got off to a bumpy start, but I think car2go and I are going to be able to stay friends after all. read more

I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews. I guess I may be using in ways that others aren't. I usually use it for one way trips downtown or to the UT campus. Its super convenient to know that there is almost always somewhere to park quickly. I have never really experienced connection problems except for once. The car said I wasn't able to park so I pulled up 10 ft and ended my rental. No big deal. The first time that I was grateful to have those fun little cars at my disposal was when I had an important presentation. I had gotten all the way there and realized I had left the most important thing behind. Luckily there was an available car less than two blocks away. I left and returned with plenty of time to spare. If I had to wait for the bus I would have been late. I often attend late night meetings and other school activities. I always somehow manage to miss the last bus. Now that I am a member of car2go I no longer have to drag my roommate out of bed to come and pick me up. There is typically a car near by that I can hop in quickly get home. Car2go has cut my commuting time and time trying to find parking in half. The time I used to waste traveling can now be spent doing other things more important like work and school. read more

As a long time fan, and proponent of Car2go, it saddens me to write this review. The car2go service itself is a great idea. Unfortunately, in practice, at least with this company, it's not executed well. In the end, it's a sub par service, with luxury prices, and insufficient customer service. First a disclaimer, the following is a result of a mistake I made. I accept and understand that. I parked in a City of Austin pay lot, which I believed was acceptable. Unfortunately, there is a difference between a City of Austin "pay lot" and City of Austin "metered parking spot". As a result, the car2go I parked was towed. Car2go did not retrieve the towed vehicle for 24 hours resulting in $200 of tow company charges, passed on to me. My mistake, it sucks, but I accept that and learned a hard lesson. But, this is where I fault car2go. In addition to the $200 in towing charges, Car2go added $150 + tax in service charges for a total of $377 that I had to pay. I literally could have bought a scooter on craigslist, rode it downtown, and ditched it once i was done, and would've saved money. I have been a Car2go member since its first days in Austin. I've sung the praises of this innovative company and encouraged friends and visitors to Austin to purchase memberships. I've been a good customer, parked responsibly, left my cars clean and full of gas. And, with one mistake they've lost me as a customer due to their punitive "service fees". $150 is exorbitant and unnecessary. I feel they took the opportunity to profit from a mistake that I made. Long story short, use at your own risk, read the fine print, be very very careful about where you park, and do not stray from their rules even marginally. It may seem cheaper than taking a cab downtown, but Car2go as a company is just waiting for their customers to slip up so they can grab some hefty "service fees". **UPDATE** Despite the message below, I've not been contacted by a representative from Car2go. I sent an email to austin@car2go.com back in December when all of this took place, with no response at all from them. And, no one has contacted me since the response to this review was posted. So, while I'm not cancelling my membership, this is an emergency only service for me. read more

The description "Ugly gnarly sour pit in my stomach" does little to explain the full experience I have every time I call customer service to try and get one issue, on the long list of growing issues, resolved. On their website it clearly states that the max you can be charged for 24 hours is 65.99 plus tax. I had noticed other higher charges when we had used the car for less than one hour but I didn't want to bother for just a couple dollars. However, I looked in my acct and I've been billed $85.92. I call in to ask if tax is really $20 or if this was just an honest overcharge mistake. She then tells me that this was 4 different journeys so they have to charge for each journey and that we would have had to held onto the key for a full 24 hrs in order to not be charged for each leg of the journey. I asked her if she thought that seemed misleading (seeing as how the website says: "The more time you drive, the cheaper it gets. One hour costs a maximum of $12.99 plus tax and one day(up to 24 hours) is no more than $65.99 plus tax."). She then talks to her manager and they give us a 45 min free coupon, which does not fully add up to the additional charges that were made and then asks me if we've had any other problems that she can help me with. I tell her I'm disappointed and since she opened the door I proceed to list the other things that left me with a sour feeling. In a chipper voice she says she's sorry that there's nothing she can do. Why bother asking me if you aren't willing to make your customers happy! I'd like to say I'm shocked by how low all the reviews are but if running a good honest company is their mission than they have failed miserably. I don't mind the accidentally deactivated cards, the misinformation on the website about the car you reserved, the horrible gps but if you say you are going to charge one thing and then charge another then I'm going to be disappointed and distraught by the lack of service and get up an hour earlier to take the bus. read more

Love the concept, but I'm done with Car2Go. Will probably to switch to Zipcar. Technically, this was an error on my part, but I got slapped with a $50 fee for parking in a private lot. C2G said there was a towing risk and sent out a service member to move the car. I watched this person get the car and just thought it was another customer picking up the car. Could have easily just moved it myself if they'd notified me (my cell phone is on file). I received an email saying I was supposed to get a $100 fee, but since it was my first infraction, it would be $50 only. So I spent $50 plus the $4 dollars I actually used to drive like a mile. I joined C2G to save money and not have to worry about getting hit with $50 fines that make it a financial burden. I called C2G and they put me through to the Austin office. Despite my request to have the fee waived on the grounds that it was my first mistake, no towing occurred, and that I'd be using it all the time in the future over the years in Austin, they said they had to impose it and drew attention to the fact that I was only charged half the fee. Not cool - I still paid $55 to grab pizza 1.2 miles from my place. Basically the no we won't waive your fee, to me equals Car2Go would rather take my $50 right now than the $450 (I probably spend 10 bucks a week on it) I spend using the service through the rest of the year. My mistake on incorrect parking, but Car2Go should think about the customer here and try and generate a little bit of a relationship. I'd get it if I had a record of this with their vehicles, but first time honest mistake. I'll be sending that $450 to a competitor instead. read more

Car2go works well when it works well... But usually it takes way too long to unlock a car. Many times, I've reserved a car, then walked up to it and clicked the 'start rental' button on my phone. Then I just wait.... and wait.... and nothing. It can literally be 10 minutes and still the car hasn't unlocked. So i try again on the app, and it will say the car is no longer available. :/ So I find another in the area, and while I'm walking to that one I get a notification that my previous 'ride' has ended (with a $0 charge). The app is too slow/buggy to be really reliable. It just makes the experience really frustrating. On top of that, my other issue is the pricing of it. The app showed me it was $10 an hour summer fare, that's all it said. So I used it for a few under 30min rides, and each ride was over $10. Maybe its my fault for not paying attention to the price breakdown, but at this point I'd rather just use a ride share. It seems cheaper to have someone else drive me around in their car (and also not have to find parking) than to use a car2go. :/ read more

Car2Go can be a great way to get around the city, but that is also the biggest problem with the company. The vehicles are supposed to be consistently flowing around their allotted areas, but they end up being impossible to find in the downtown area because of how far away from downtown people take them. A good solution to this might be to add "red" cars to the fleet that allow only for a shorter driving distance for people that live downtown and don't need to drive them all the way to 183. But i'm just throwing out ideas that they may have already considered. I'm not even sure if this problem is resolvable. My personal biggest issue with the Car2Go service is that even if you put the key back in its place, turn off the lights, close the doors all the way, but forget to tap your card on the screen out front, you get screwed with a near $100 tab. The cars computer will sit there for almost 2 and a half hours before it automatically closes it out for you! Look I get it, it's my job to tap my little card on the window before I exit, but SERIOUSLY how much time needs to go by with every other detail taken care of before the car realizes that you're not coming back. At most this should be 30 minutes. They tell you to take the key with you if you are not completing your trip. The key is in the return slot, lights off, doors shut... This is not an outrageous technical request. TLDR: Car2Go is great if you can find one within a half a mile of you, but don't ever forget to tap your card on the window. Because even if you've had a membership for over 2 years they still don't give a shit. That system is designed to cash in on your mistakes. read more

Car2Go, it was lust at first sight. You, with your fetching blue and white exterior and adorable build. You drew me in with your non-committal promises of afternoon delights. At first, you always answered when I called, ready to go at any hour. But soon, I felt like my needs took a backseat. You pretended to be interested, but our encounters left me unsatisfied. You told me, point blank, that we had no connection. Yet I couldn't bring myself to see the truth. I just wanted my friends to see how wonderful you are. They, of course, saw through me. The tears, the frustration - it was almost too much. Car2Go, I've tried to make our relationship work. I've compromised. I've cajoled. I've tried to spice things up with a new pair of heels. For a time, things were better. You pleaded that I stay. You even paid for a cab ride to work one morning. You promised you'd change. And for a little while, you did. Things were better, almost like before. You seemed like you really loved me again, or at the very least responded when I needed you. But then you betrayed me once more. Today you left me standing there like a fool just when I needed you most. And then it hit me. I can no longer be your enabler. This just isn't working for me anymore. Car2Go, I'm sure we'll go for a few more rides out of necessity, but it won't mean anything to me. I've already broken up with you in my mind. read more

After some bad experiences, I had decided to cancel my membership, but stuck it out instead. I've had an additional very positive experience with customer service since my initial review, and so far haven't had any of the problems I ran into earlier. Very convenient when combined with the Capital Metro Flyer coming from the airport. Sticking it out with Car2Go. __________________ After several unsuccessful attempts to use car2go, I am canceling my membership. The app provided for my android phone doesn't show which cars are reserved (I've walked several blocks on more than one occasion to arrive at a reserved car, or the car was gone by the time I got there), another time the windshield card reader was broken. This last time, I actually went through the trouble to reserve a car. I got an email confirmation showing the location of the car on a map. I got a text message with a reservation number. I got to the location- no car. I checked around the area. No car. I used my app feature to locate the car- no record of my confirmation. No car anywhere close. I took a cab home. Thirty minutes later, I got an email from car2go, charging me for a cancellation fee! I called their 24 hour customer service line, to dispute the charge and report the problem. The Irish service representative, based in the Netherlands, said he would send the details of my problem back to the Austin office, and they would contact me the next day. He also said that even if I called the Austin office during business, I would still get routed through the Netherlands first. We'll see what happens, but bad service and outsourcing? Austin deserves better public transportation options than this. read more

I'm going to be nitpicky, but it's important to me: if you send your customers spam email, you must abide by CAN-SPAM regulations. Car2go does not. Okay, also, car2go is really goddamn expensive! This is not a valid basis for a negative review in itself, but seriously if you want a car for more than an hour, nearly any big commercial rental car company will be cheaper, which makes me sad. read more

Update: About 60 more cars on the road and can find one most days. I am hopeful. I really want this company to work. Fingers crossed still. I tried to use Car2go as a second car. Bad plan. At least since the new fleet. Since the change over there is rarely a car in my area (I live downtown!). They expanded the coverage area at the same time they were only able to keep about a third of their fleet operational. When there is a car nearby there is a 50/50 chance it will not respond due to connection failures and other maintenance issues. Customer service is very polite and completely useless. (there is nothing more annoying than having someone tell you about their overwhelming positive feedback while walking in the heat from another car that doesn't work) I have had no end of frustration dealing this company and apparently no time line for when it will be different beyond "soon". I am on the second month of soon and not happy at all. read more

Simply put, car2go has the potential to revolutionize urban transportation in Austin. If you live/work/play anywhere in or around central Austin, you've definitely seen them, they're the little blue and white Smart cars. The idea is simple: become a member for free, take the car anywhere you want in central austin for $.35/minute. Gas, insurance and parking are included. car2go issues you a card and all you do is put the card to the window to unlock the car, get in, put in your PIN number and go. When you get to your destination, you get out, put your card to the window to lock the door and leave. It's simple and genius. If it continues to workout, I'm going to give up my car altogether and just use that and my bike. I think the service is still in its pilot phase and there are a few things to be worked out: 1) Car2Go needs more mobile apps to locate available cars. There is an iphone app, but no blackberry or android apps. 2) The cars' software can use some fine tuning. Last time I used a car, the gps couldn't pick up a signal so I couldn't end the rental and lock the door. Sadly I was late to a concert as a result. 3) The company is run by Daimler and their call center is somewhere in Europe. Frequently, the call center reps don't know the answers to questions I've had, i.e. if I take the car to 6th street and leave it there on a saturday afternoon and nobody else picks it up that day, will it be towed that night when sixth street becomes no parking? Will I be fined if it is? 4) Lastly, the per minute rather than per mile pricing incents drivers to drive dangerously fast to keep prices down. I would rather see a per mile pricing structure. All of that said, it's a really spectacular service! It will be even better once the kinks are worked out. read more

Well Austin.... I wish I had read all your reviews before I got involved with this company. You see, I love the concept - the execution however is another thing. I signed up in the Austin market knowing that San Diego (where I live) was to open soon. Big mistake. Your Austin card you see is ONLY GOOD in Austin. I'm in the web site biz and I gotta tell to... Their web site is one of the worst I've ever seen. No little disclaimer letting us know the card is for one market only. $35 WASTED. Then it gets better... Now I want to sign up in San Diego and the system won't let me because my cell phone is attached to the Austin account. You might suggest cancel Austin. Well I called their customer "support" line. They can't!!! This will not survive in the customer centric market of San Diego if they don't get their act together right now! Californian's (me included) have no tolerance for this kind of stuff. read more

Since joining car2go early this year, I have frequently used the service to save me the time and hassle of having to find (and pay for) parking downtown, especially on busy weekend evenings and nights. The app on my iPhone is really helpful in finding cars, but even more helpful in finding parking at the car2go only spots around town. The service came in especially handy during SXSW, when parking downtown would have cost me upwards of $40 a day. I really enjoy the flexibility of being able to leave the cars when I'm done with my rental, and a lot of my trips are actually only one way downtown followed by grabbing a cab home after the inevitable drinks that follow my visits to some of Austin's great bars or music venues. My average car2go trip down is usually around $5, compared to about a $20 (after tip) cab ride home at the end of the night. I especially love using car2go at the different events they have drop zones at around the city. Getting to park front row at Blues on the Green made me feel like a VIP, I even got greeted with a free water bottle and red bull! I did have issues one time logging out of a rental, but I called the office and they helped end the rental for me, and made sure to credit my account back the extra minutes it took while I was waiting on hold. I drive an SUV and also have a mountain bike, but more times than not, car2go is the most reasonable option for me. read more

I would have given two stars a week ago, and 4 stars before the "expansion" in March. Now, since 4 times out of 5 I cannot get into a car because of a "no connection" error, having a service that doesn't work is worse than no service at all. Because when you have a reservation you are relying on the service, and then when it fails you, you are SOL. Totally screwed. I don't know why I keep trying, keep trusting, keep believing. Because I end up an hour late to work, sweaty from traipsing all over God's green earth trying to find a car I can get into, and frustrated at customer service that simply won't help me. And even when they are alerted to a problem (like a car with a no connection error) chances are excellent the next time you have a reservation you will be reassigned to the SAME FREAKIN' CAR. And back on the bus, sweaty, late to work. If the service doesn't work, they should take it down until it does. And I agree that since the expansion, it's much harder to find a car when you need one. I work dead center downtown, and there has not been a single car within 10 blocks all day. So . . . back to the bus. (For comparison, there are FIVE CARS surrounding the Car2Go office near Whole Foods, but not a single car in downtown proper. All day.) Other observations about no working app are right on the money too. For a service like this, you need a hearty application that is accurate and full-featured - like, you know, making reservations on your mobile app. And - you know - not crashing constantly. But in fact, these are 3rd party apps - they are not provided by Car2Go at all. Stupid. I want to love Car2Go. I want Car2Go to work. It is a great alternative to owning a second car (or a car at all). But until I can get even to the 50:50 mark again for being able to count on the service, count me out. read more

After reading the review by Sarah E., I feel most of the bases have been covered. But after repeatedly cursing Car2Go out loud since joining 6 months ago I had to add another bad review. Raising the rates? Seriously? The number of cars that are "ghosts" or simply will not start is stunning. And unless you live downtown, there will NEVER be one that is convenient to your home when you need it. Add to this the horrible rattling transmissions, nonexistent passenger and cargo capacity and you have the world's least effective "convenience" service. I could probably have bought a beater with the money I've given them and it would likely be more reliable. Don't make the same mistake I did. read more

It's been a great service for me. We live in Clarksville and if I want to get downtown, but may be drinking a bit, I just jump in a car2go, get downtown, park. I can then get a ride or take a cab home. I've also used it when I drop off a car for service. I drive my car there and take a car2go home. No hassle with gas, paying parking, easy to park, etc. Good stuff. read more

Had issues with their system updating my info correctly which super delayed me receiving my card keys. I had to send a couple emails and call which was timely and irritating because it felt like they accepted fault but no solution and I just had to sit, wait longer, and take it. Mary from member services unexpectedly reached out to me and turned around the situation. Her email restored my faith in this company I really wanted to support. Thanks for the follow through and customer focus! read more

I understand people's complaints about being able to find a car but they have been steadily expanding the size of their fleet including adding electric cars. This is more of an issue with popularity than with the company themselves. I find giving them a bad review because you have to work harder to find a car. You get what you pay for, you want a car ready for you when you want it then go buy your own Smart car. Now that I got that off my chest lets talk about Car2Go and the service they provide. They are a convenient in-town errand vehicle. I will pick up a car by my house which is usually within 2-3 blocks and then go wherever I need to go which is generally downtown. Park it and do whatever I need to do and then reserve another vehicle about a half hour before I need it that way I know it is there. I highly recommend getting the phone app and using it to find and reserve cars. This will alleviate a lot of your issues, I have used it to find a car and then taken a bus to grab it. Don't be afraid to mix and match transportation. Yet again if this bothers you, then you should probably get your own car. You can have issues with billing but I have had an issue getting it corrected by Car2Go Customer Service. It is a quick and convenient alternative transportation but you do have to do a bit of work to make it work. Its the nature of the business model. read more