> I don't see the point of zipcar to start with. Just rent a car for the day or use public transport. if you live in an area where those two don't apply, buy a car.
We can do 95% of stuff with existing public transport (since it is very good in London and the UK). Buying a car to cover the remaining 5% is overkill and would cost way more than to use a Zipcar. The annual upfront costs for maintaining a car (VED, insurance, MOT, parking) are going to be more than our average yearly spend on Zipcar, and this doesn't even take into account the initial car purchase or leasing/depreciation.
24 hour rentals to go see nearby family (not served well by public transport) are probably slightly more expensive with Zipcar than a traditional rental company but way more convenient to walk 200 yards to the Zipcar than miles to the nearest rental car depot; especially with a 3 year old (and a car seat) in tow.
It's very useful to be able to rent a Zipcar for 2 hours for £12 to go take a bunch of stuff to the dump, nip into the supermarket and stock up on heavy/bulky items then go to the local DIY store and get a bunch of stuff that can't be easily carried on public transport. Sure, DIY shops will deliver, for a price. Supermarket delivery can be free but the free delivery slots don't always work out time-wise. People can come and collect the stuff that would go to the dump, but it costs.
So, you may have no need for Zipcar, but it does work for plenty of people.
We can do 95% of stuff with existing public transport (since it is very good in London and the UK). Buying a car to cover the remaining 5% is overkill and would cost way more than to use a Zipcar. The annual upfront costs for maintaining a car (VED, insurance, MOT, parking) are going to be more than our average yearly spend on Zipcar, and this doesn't even take into account the initial car purchase or leasing/depreciation.
24 hour rentals to go see nearby family (not served well by public transport) are probably slightly more expensive with Zipcar than a traditional rental company but way more convenient to walk 200 yards to the Zipcar than miles to the nearest rental car depot; especially with a 3 year old (and a car seat) in tow.
It's very useful to be able to rent a Zipcar for 2 hours for £12 to go take a bunch of stuff to the dump, nip into the supermarket and stock up on heavy/bulky items then go to the local DIY store and get a bunch of stuff that can't be easily carried on public transport. Sure, DIY shops will deliver, for a price. Supermarket delivery can be free but the free delivery slots don't always work out time-wise. People can come and collect the stuff that would go to the dump, but it costs.
So, you may have no need for Zipcar, but it does work for plenty of people.