Auto Rentals and Leasing
Zipcar, Inc.Headquarters
This business is NOT BBB Accredited.
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Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Zipcar, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 655 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 177 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/19/2025
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Subject: Zipcar Retaliation for **************************************************** Name: Zipcar, Inc.Complaint Type: **************** Issue / Unfair Billing Practices Complaint Details:I am filing a complaint against Zipcar, Inc. for retaliation against me for disputing a charge and making false claims about my legal rights regarding chargebacks.I was charged a $50 late fee for returning a Zipcar only 9 minutes late.I disputed this charge with my bank ******** which is my legal right under consumer protection laws.Zipcars representative, Xander, falsely claimed I was not allowed to dispute a chargeback and threatened to close my account in retaliation.When I asked to escalate my case to a supervisor, Zipcar refused unless I provided unnecessary personal informationdespite my account already being canceled.?? Key Concerns for the BBB:Misleading customers about their legal right to dispute charges is deceptive and unethical.Retaliation for chargebacks by closing accounts should not be tolerated.Refusing to escalate disputes unless a customer provides personal information is inappropriate.?? I have screenshots proving these statements were made.I request that Zipcar:1.Acknowledge and address this deceptive practice 2.Publicly respond to my complaint and clarify their stance on chargeback disputes 3.Stop retaliating against customers who dispute unfair charges I would appreciate a formal response from Zipcar corporate on this matter.Thank you for your time.Business Response
Date: 03/25/2025
We have reached out to the member, and having not heard back, believe the matter to be resolved.Customer Answer
Date: 03/25/2025
Dear [BBB Representatives Name],
Thank you for your message.
I want to clarify that I have already sent Zipcar a formal demand letter on via *****, and the delivery is scheduled for today. Zipcars claim that they have not heard back from me is inaccurate, as they are still awaiting the delivery of my demand letter.
Once the letter is successfully delivered today, I expect them to review the matter and respond accordingly within the 14-day period I have outlined in my demand letter.
I will keep you updated on the progress and let you know if Zipcar engages with me further after the letter is received.
Thank you for your support in ensuring this matter is resolved.
Sincerely,
***** L *******Business Response
Date: 04/03/2025
We have reached out to the member, verified what the issues were and handled the issues in accordance with our member contract. As a result, we consider the matter to be resolved.Customer Answer
Date: 04/08/2025
Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered.
[You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution. If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
FAQ
Zipcars response is inaccurate and does not resolve the issue. While they refunded a portion of what was disputed and admitted to internal mishandling, they have not meaningfully addressed the legal concerns I raised in my formal demand letter.
Specifically, they:
Charged a late fee that they now admit was not valid
Terminated my account in retaliation for a legally permitted chargeback
Misrepresented my legal rights
I have since filed a formal consumer arbitration claim against Zipcar with the ******************************** (***), as permitted under their membership agreement. Zipcar is aware of this filing.
I am continuing to pursue this matter and will update this complaint as the arbitration proceeds. At this time, I reject Zipcars claim that the issue is resolved.Initial Complaint
Date:03/19/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
A short version of what happened is I rented a vehicle 2 separate days. When returning the first one, i had a problem with the gas card as zipcar did not provide a zipcode with it. Calling to talk to someone takes forever. This caused a delay in me returning. Then when i get to the street the parking structure was on to return the car we could not get thru do to a "hardlock down" by ************. I again contacted zip car to inform them. I ended up getting thru and doing the return. It was returned at 1:06. It was 36 minutes past the return time of 12:30. I was supposed to be charged a total of $79.47. They charged my card $151.20. The second rental was to be picked up at the time i returned the first one. I was also delayed in picking up the 2nd rental due to the lock down. Finally got security to let me thru, go the rental and went home. I parked the car for the night, had to put air in the tire in morning before work. It made it to work and back ok. I parked it for the evening and when I got back in to return it that night it would not start. I made sure nothing was left on and it was not. It was already late, i called zipcar to tell them,went to bed. Next the car was still here. Went to work, came home car was here. i saw that my card was charged all the additional charges & charged for towing even thought the car was still here. So i started calling and emailing zipcar. On the 2nd car i was charged an additional $390.03 on top of the $86.78 for the car. I have been thru every phone number I can find trying to get a supervisor to help me. I have spent countless hours on hold and been "disconnected" I dont know how many times. I have been given emails by there "management" that just get kicked back. I have contacted supports and my tickets for that get me no where. I can send the emails but could not attatch them. I would like my money back that I was overcharged. Can I ask them for the late rent charge that I had due to them taking the money from my account?Business Response
Date: 03/27/2025
We have reached out to the member, and having not heard back, we believe the matter to be resolved.
If the member reaches back out or responds at a later time, we will continue to work with them to resolve. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:03/17/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hi there my name is ***** ****** and I am a ZipCar **** partnership member. On Saturday March 13 2025 I went to the ****************************** to pick up the vehicle with a goal of driving ****** After several attempts to **** Driver app I was notified by **** that I needed to upload the Registration, Insurance and have the vehicle inspected by ****. I contacted **** because this vehicle being a rental **** informed me to contact ZipCar because the vehicle insurance was not valid. I also discovered the vehicle registration was not in the car. I contacted ZipCar and spoke with an agent named *****. She asked me to return the vehicle to the garage so ZipCar could have me switch to another vehicle. I did as instructed however I was unable to do so because the City of ******* had closed & blocked off all of the adjacent streets near the *************** garage for the annual St Patricks Day festival. I informed ***** of this impediment. ***** told me she would return my call later so I can try to return the vehicle. Around noon I attempted to return the vehicle again to no success because of the St Patricks Day Parade. I called ZipCar and once again spoke to ***** explaining about the parade closers. I mentioned that I needed to be to work at 2:00pm. I was escalated to a Supervisor who informed me I could return the vehicle after my shift at work which would be after 11:00 pm since ZipCar is 24 hours. I followed the instructions driving to work and returning the vehicle after my shift to the **********************. Upon arriving at the garage I called ZipCar. I was told by the agent that a mistake was made they didnt have another vehicle ready for my inconvenience. The agent then said I would receive a partial refund. I am very concerned that I received a bait and switch. I deserve a full refund plus a credit for my time, travel and potential earnings I missed out on from ****.Business Response
Date: 03/25/2025
We have reached out to the member, and having not heard back, believe the matter to be resolved. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:03/17/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I recently joined Zipcar, and my experience has been one of the worst Ive ever had with a company. First, their customer service is horrendousevery time I called, I was on the line for nearly an hour, and the agents had no idea what they were doing. Supervisors were always unavailable to address my concerns. On my first trip, I struggled for 35 minutes just to find the car because the directions were unclear and not user-friendly. When I finally found it, the vehicle was filthy, and the tire pressure was low. I was also charged additional fees without my consent, which is completely unacceptable. Wanting to give Zipcar another chance, I took a second trip, but that was even worse. The car broke down in the middle of the street, leaving me stranded with no assistance from customer service, who didnt know how to help. I was locked outside the car for THREE hours. To make matters worse, a few days later, I received an email stating I didnt follow membership procedures and was charged $107.00 without authorization, no receipt, and no prior communication. Ive contacted Zipcar multiple times, but no one can help me resolve this. This company is running a fraudulent operation, and I strongly warn both current and potential customers to stay far away.Business Response
Date: 03/25/2025
We have reached out to the member, and having not heard back, believe the matter to be resolved. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:03/16/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I rented a car yesterday and it turned out to be an electric car. Once I started driving I noticed that the car had only 30 miles range. Because I was in a rush to a meeting I decided that I didn't want to cancel and my current reservation and try getting another car because that would take too much time. I figured my trip was less than 30 miles and I would be OK. Unfortunately the range got used up quicker than it said and I found myself with 1 percent charge at 130 am. I searched for a charging station and didn't know to do it on my own so called zipcar. They suggested the nearest station, but then said that I would not be able to make it with the then 0 percent charge and that I should stay put and they'd send a tow service. They called me back and told me I would have to remain with car until the tow service arrived. The tow service told me somewhere in the whereabouts of 430 5 am. So I waited in the car- foolishly- in the cold with no heater until about 4am and could not bear it. Just about then I received a message that the towing service had canceled the help call and would not be coming. I called zipcar in the interim 3 times to see if they had another option and the people that answered were so rude !!! and put me on long holds and then disconnected. The final call I got really mad at the attendant for being so rude and told her I cannot remain in the car any longer because it was so cold. How foolish was i to undergo such poison and discomfort those hours. Anyway, she then said that I didn't need to remain in the car and they would deal with the towing service. I was furious they made me wait and misinformed me. 1. I want to be compensated/ reimbursed for this trip for misinforming me and making me endure hours in the middle of the night in the cold!!!2. They charged me exorbitant sums for the time waiting for the towing which ultimately canceled. I want these reimbursed. Zipcar has the responsibility to provide cars that has normal minimal charge.Business Response
Date: 03/25/2025
We have reached out to the member, and having not heard back, believe the matter to be resolved.Customer Answer
Date: 03/25/2025
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved.
Regards,
****** *******Initial Complaint
Date:03/15/2025
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I applied for a zipcar membership because my previous was closed because of previous balance that i was not notified about. Upon submittung my application fee which was $25 and $9 for monthly fee which i approved this transactiin amount, they also took $156.66 and $55.82 which i didnt. I want to be refundedBusiness Response
Date: 03/20/2025
We have reached out to the member and are actively working to resolve the issue.Initial Complaint
Date:03/14/2025
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I am writing to dispute the $420 impound charge applied to my account in connection with my reservation of the Zipcar vehicle ****************** Hybrid, License Plate: ******** on January 27, ************ - ******* Location: ******************* - ****************/************************* (******************************************************************)At the end of my trip, I returned to the parking garage, but both garage doors were closed. Despite multiple efforts, I was unable to access the garage to return the vehicle to its designated space due to the following: No entry code was provided in my trip details. There was no key fob or garage opener inside the vehicle. The vehicle lacked an automatic garage sensor, which some Zipcars Ive used previously have had. Attempts to contact assistance via the help button on the garages keypad were unsuccessful. I waited approximately 15 minutes to see if a resident would enter or exit, but no one did.With no way to access the garage, I parked the vehicle in the closest available spotdirectly in front of the garage entrance, in front of a couple commercial sized trans bins approximately 20 feet from its designated location.After ending my trip, I attempted to call Zipcar Support to notify them of the situation, but I was unable to reach a representative as it was after hours and I no longer had an active trip. The automated system informed me to call back during operating hours.I must respectfully disagree with this charge. As I have previously explained in detail, I made every reasonable effort to return the vehicle to its designated parking location, and provided my cellphone call log to prove I in fact contacted Zip-car support to get assistance with the inaccessibility to get into the garage. Zipcar violated its terms and conditions about providing the parking pass, parking fob, entry code in the vehicle, and the inability to be contacted about the issue.Sincerely,***** ******Business Response
Date: 03/20/2025
We have reached out to the member and having not heard back, believe the matter to be resolved.Initial Complaint
Date:03/14/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On March 13th I rented a vehicle with Zipcar from 7:30am until 10:30am on March 14. At 2:13 on March 14th the vehicle was impounded by *************************** for registration expired over 6 months. I called Zipcar and informed them of the situation and let them know they were liable for a breach of contract and negligence. After speaking with several agents I was escalated to *******, a supervisor on the recovery team. Phoenix told me he would assist me with immediately recovering my childrens car seats for the impounded vehicle, provide me with a driving credit, and issue me a partial refund. The only thing that I was issued was a $44 refund which does not even cover 3 hours of the rental. Zipcar put myself and my children at risk by renting a car that was not in compliance with state regulations and refused to rectify the issue as promised.Business Response
Date: 03/21/2025
We are actively working with the member to resolve the issue. We have responded to the member's request and now await their response to see if they are satisfied and if there is anything further they need assistance with.Initial Complaint
Date:03/10/2025
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I rented through Zipcar and things wee fine until it came time to renew. I tried 3 different cards and non would work. They would be accepted by the account but the account would T a. Wot the payment . Now its make me pay 170 for being late plus the new rental and I have to pay them for a tow when they can come. Thats almost $400. Very bad experienceBusiness Response
Date: 03/18/2025
We have reached out to the member and believe the matter to be resolved.Initial Complaint
Date:03/04/2025
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I paid them for my account they approved me then removed me the same dayBusiness Response
Date: 03/06/2025
We have reached out to the member and believe the matter to be resolved.
Zipcar, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.
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