Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2020
Pandemic reservation and support failures
During the rapid COVID-19 demand recovery, customers reported that reserved cars were unavailable and that support channels were difficult to reach. The company apologized and announced fleet and staffing measures. The episode was widely reported as an operational crisis rather than a regulatory finding of misconduct.
2016
New York vehicle-damage fee settlement
The New York Attorney General alleged that Zipcar charged some consumers damage fees before giving them the legally required opportunity to dispute responsibility. Zipcar agreed to refunds for qualifying disputed charges, paid $35,000 in fees and costs, and accepted limits on future damage billing.
2009
Customer challenge to fees
Customers sued Zipcar over alleged excessive or hidden charges, including customer-service, parking-ticket, late, retrieval, and inactivity fees. The referenced federal case was dismissed in 2010 after the court found most challenged penalties lawful, while treating the inactivity-fee issue differently.