GENERAL QUESTIONS
- What is carsharing?
- What are the benefits of carsharing?
- Are there other carsharing organizations?
- How do I know if CityWheels will work for me?
- How much money can I save by joining?
- How much does it cost?
- Is CityWheels cheaper than traditional car rental?
- What is the Application Fee used for?
- How does billing work?
- What about additional fees or penalties?
- Do I need a credit card?
- What if carsharing doesn't work for me? Do I get my money back?
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- How long in advance must I reserve a car?
- How do I book a car?
- How much can I drive?
- Can I cancel a reservation?
- Why is there a limit on weekend use?
- What if I need a car for an entire weekend?
- Can I use CityWheels for longer trips?
- Do I have to go to the office to pick up and drop off a key each time I use a car?
- Can I pick up a car from one place, and drop it at another?
- How do I find a CityWheels car?
- What kind of vehicles are in the fleet?
- Automatic or stick-shift?
- Do I have to fill the gas tank after every use?
- How do I get into a CityWheels car?
- Can someone who is not a member drive a CityWheels car?
- How does the insurance work?
- What about my insurance record?
- What if the car breaks down?
- What happens if I return a car late?
- How do you keep track of damage?
- How are the cars maintained?
- Do I have to clean the cars?
- Can I use a car for work-related tasks?
- Can my company join CityWheels?
- Can I smoke in the car?
- Can I bring my pet in a car?
GENERAL
- What is carsharing?
It's just as it sounds - a member-based, time-share car service. It is a new alternative to owning a car. People who only need a car occasionally can join the "club" and have convenient access to an entire fleet of new, efficient vehicles when they need them - without paying for them when they don't.
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- What are the benefits of carsharing?
- For Members - it means affordable access to a car when you really need one, without the whole debt load of ownership and the hassles of car maintenance.
- For the Environment - it means improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gases and eventually, less asphalt.
- For our Communities - it means safer streets, more support for transit, less traffic congestion and better mobility for everyone, especially lower income residents.
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- Are there other carsharing organizations?
Carsharing began in Switzerland in the mid-1980's and came to the United States in 1998 in Portland, Oregon. In the U.S. today there are more than 50,000 members of 17 carsharing organizations sharing thousands of cars from the East to the West coasts. It has spread quickly across the country as people recognize its benefits for their communities. Cleveland is the 18th major city in the U.S. to launch a carsharing program - and more new organizations are springing up all the time. For information on carsharing around the globe, see www.carsharing.net.
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- How do I know if carsharing will work for me?
In general, carsharing works well for people who:- Don't need a car every day to get to work;
- Drive less than 10,000 miles a year;
- Don't regularly need a car at a moment's notice (e.g. - a doctor on call);
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- How do I join?
You can start right away on the membership page - the application takes only a few minutes to complete. Processing will take a few business days, and your membership materials can be picked up at our office, or we'll mail them to you.
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- Can my partner or family members drive too?
Yes. CityWheels allows up to four household members to join on the same account. The account holder will be charged a one-time application fee of $35 per driver. Members of the household who are not CityWheels members may not drive CityWheels cars at any time.
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- How do I end my membership?
Complete the CityWheels End Your Membership Form and
include it with your returned keyfob.
- How much money can I save by joining?
Your savings depend directly on how much you drive and how much you pay for your current car. Many members will spend less on CityWheels than they currently do on parking alone. If you don't need to drive to work every day, you are likely to save money with CityWheels.
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- How much does it cost?
Membership is $75 per year, and reservations are $7.95 - $9.95 per hour. The daily rate is $63 - $73, including 180 free miles. Gas, maintenance and insurance are always included. See the Rates for more pricing information.
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- Is CityWheels cheaper than traditional car rental?
CityWheels includes gas and premium insurance with every use, so it's often cheaper on the whole than renting, especially for periods of less than 24 hours. Traditional car rental agencies charge by the day - even if you only need it for an hour - and they tack on A LOT extra for insurance. Of course you'll pay for the gas, too. CityWheels is affordable and convenient for trips that last a matter of hours: life's everyday errands, appointments and evenings out. The CityWheels daily rate is competitive with rental agencies - you never pay more than $73 in a 24-hour period as long as you drive 180 miles or less over the course of that time. But carsharing doesn't beat the cheapest rental agencies in town in every situation - if you need a car for an entire weekend, or you plan to drive very long distances, you'll do better for those specific trips with conventional car rental.
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- What is the Application Fee used for?
The $35 Application Fee covers the costs of your new member orientation materials, your security keyfob, a driving record check and other expenses to get you connected with our insurance and billing systems. Please be certain of your eligibility before applying. Because we pay for your driving record check, we cannot refund application fees if you are deemed ineligible by our insurance company.
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- How does billing work?
CityWheels is a pay-as-you-go service - your account with us must have enough funds to cover each trip's estimated cost. You can choose to deposit funds for each trip at the time of your reservation, or you can have a fixed deposit automatically transfer each month from your credit/debit card. Early in the following month, you will receive a driving statement that shows actual/final costs for each trip you've made -- as well as any fees or penalties that you incur. If you have a Value Plan membership, your monthly plan fee appears on this statement. Your card on file is charged for any shortfall. Unused funds remain in your CityWheels Account for future use.
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- What about additional fees or penalties?
If you follow the guidelines laid out in our Membership Agreement, you won't have to pay any extra fees or penalties at all. In general, our policies are set up so that you can have the best possible experience with CityWheels, while still providing that same level of experience for the next person. Your account will be penalized if you do something generally inconsiderate towards other members; for example, bringing the car back late or low on gas, leaving a spilled milkshake on the floor, parking the car where the next person can't find it, or letting Snowball leave cat hair on the seats for the highly-allergic person who has the car reserved after you.
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- Do I need a credit card or debit card?
Yes, with rare exceptions. Our paperless billing system works most efficiently with credit cards, and helps keep our costs low. We can accept debit cards, but require a security deposit.
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- What if carsharing doesn't work for me? Do I get my money back?
We offer a 30-day trial period for new members, so you can test out the service and make sure it's right for you. If you decide to leave within 30 days of receiving your membership materials, we will refund your Annual Membership fee.
We recognize that your transportation needs can change over time. If you find for whatever reason that you would like to leave, please notify us in writing and return your CityWheels keyfob in person, or wrap it in padding and return it by mail.
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- How long in advance must I reserve a car?
You can book on the spur-of-the-moment, or up to 6 months in advance. There is no standard or required time frame to arrange for a car (nearly 50% of trips are booked within hours - and often minutes - of driving.) However, the longer your lead time, the more certain you will be of having the car you want at the time you want it.
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- How do I book the car?
You can reserve any car in our fleet 24 hours a day using an online Reservation system, or by automated touch-tone phone. Live operators are available 24 hours a day for $2 per call.
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- How much can I drive a car?
Drive as often as you like - there are no restrictions on the frequency or length of trips. Reservations can be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as you need, even several days at a time (using our daily rate pricing). Since weekends are the busiest times for our cars, we generally limit use on weekends to 24 hours total.
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- What is the busiest time of the week for carsharing?
Peak demand for reservations is on Saturdays and Sundays, 11am - 4 pm. If you need a car during these times, we recommend reserving well in advance.
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- Can I cancel a reservation?
Yes. You can cancel a reservation at any time simply by logging on to our website, using our automated touch-tone phone system, or by calling a live operator (call charge applies). Fees will generally apply for cancelled reservations and early returns. Refer to the CityWheels pricelist for details.
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- Why is there a limit on weekend use?
Many of our members do their errands on the weekends. Because we want to provide as much availability as possible, we limit reservation time between 5pm Friday to 5pm Sunday to 24 hours max. There are no limits on reservations (or parts of reservations) that fall outside of this period.
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- What if I need a car for an entire weekend?
We can suggest conventional rental car companies that offer discounted all-weekend pricing. Our members have a variety of transportation choices, and we encourage them to use the option that's right for each trip. In many cases, walking, biking or transit are fine; CityWheels excels when a car is needed for a few hours to a day; while conventional car rental is often the right choice for high-mileage or multi-day car needs.
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- Can I use CityWheels for longer trips?
Absolutely. Our Standard and Value plans include 20 miles per reserved hour (i.e. - 2 hours includes 40 miles, 2.5 hours includes 50 miles, 3 hours includes 60 miles, etc). Our daily rate includes 125 miles - that's enough to get you to Cedar Point and back. Mileage beyond these distances costs $0.40 per mile. Our vehicles can travel anywhere within a 500 mile radius (enough to reach Chicago, NYC, Toronto, Washington DC, etc), and there is no limitation on total miles travelled.
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- Do I have to go to the office to pick up and drop off a key each time I use a car?
No. Our security system allows you to access and drive the entire fleet 24 hours a day as needed -- without ever having to stand in line, sign paperwork, or get a "hard sell" at a rental counter.
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- Can I pick up a car from one place, and drop it at another?
No - reservations are for round-trip use only. You are billed from the time you pick up the car until it is returned to its designated parking space.
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- How do I find a CityWheels car?
We have cars in University Circle and Shaker Square. We're working to expand to locations in downtown Cleveland and elsewhere in northeast Ohio and will provide up-to-date car location maps as we grow.
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- What kind of vehicles are in the fleet?
CityWheels has three models available to date: the Toyota Prius hybrid liftback, the Scion xB wagon, and the Honda Fit hatchback. More fleet information is on our Wheels page. We expect future vehicles to include pickup trucks, minivans - even sporty cars like the Mini Cooper.
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- Automatic or stick-shift?
All CityWheels cars are automatic.
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- Do I have to fill the gas tank after every use?
No. Members are responsible for ensuring the tank is at least one-quarter full for the next user. If the gas level goes below a quarter-tank, the member fills the tank using our fleet gas card in the car.
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- How will I get into a CityWheels car?
Members have 24-hour "self-serve" access to our vehicles. Once you have made a reservation, you'll gain access to the car with your personal electronic key and be driving in an instant.
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- Can someone who is not a member drive a CityWheels car?
No; our insurance will not cover them. There are serious consequences for allowing non-members to drive CityWheels cars. Fortunately, adding drivers to a membership is easy and inexpensive.
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- How does the insurance work?
CityWheels members are covered by auto liability insurance with comprehensive combined single liability limits for bodily injury, collision, and property damages of $1,000,000 per incident. Once approved, you are not required to carry your own car insurance to drive any CityWheels vehicle, unless you are age 18-20.
CityWheels insurance is excess coverage. In the event a claim is filed as a result of your use of a CityWheels Vehicle, CityWheels and/or its insurer will first look to any other insurance policy that covers you for full recovery. This may include a personal auto insurance policy, work-related policy and/or a parent’s or spouse’s policy that covers you as a driver.
CityWheels Members under the age of 21 are required to continuously carry their own personal insurance policy, or to be covered on a parent’s acceptable policy, until they reach age 21. If a claim is filed for an under-21 member, that member’s insurance policy will be primary.
If a claim against CityWheels is filed for an event that happens during your reservation, you'll pay half ($500) of our $1,000 deductible, unless the other party acknowledges fault.
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- What about my insurance record?
Members are considered to have been continually covered by the CityWheels policy for the purposes of getting personal auto insurance. This is an important consideration because when a car is given up for a period of time, and later there's a need to acquire another, insurance coverage is often charged a higher rate - as if one had never had car insurance.
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- What if a car breaks down?
CityWheels vehicles are covered by a Roadside Assistance guarantee.
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- What happens if I return a car late?
Carsharing works only if members bring the car back on time. If you return the car late, you will be fined. If you want additional time, you can call or go online and extend the reservation if the car is available. If, however, the car is already booked for a reservation immediately following yours, you must return it at the time you had planned.
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- How do you keep track of damage?
The members cross-check each other with a visual inspection before and after use, and call the CityWheels Emergency Line immediately to report damage.
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- How are the cars maintained?
CityWheels adheres to a schedule of regular maintenance and inspections to be sure the cars are in good working order.
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- Do I have to clean the cars?
That depends on what you've done with the car. We clean them regularly, but if you've made a mess, you'll have to clean it. If you'd like to have it extra clean - for a big date, job interview, etc - we offer a $10 credit to take it to a car wash.
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- Can I use a car for work-related tasks?
Yes, some members will use a car strictly for work-related tasks, in which case the CityWheels invoice represents a business expense. Our itemized bill allows you to bill clients accurately for transportation expenses if desired. People who are self-employed, or service firms (architects, engineers, accountants etc.) will find this service a good way to reduce overhead costs.
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- Can my company join CityWheels?
Absolutely. Have your administrator fill out a Group Membership application.
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- Can I smoke in the car?
No! There is a $500 penalty for smoking in a CityWheels car.
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- Can I bring my pet in a car?
You may bring a pet under the following conditions: All cars must be treated with respect and there should never be any sign of your pet when your trip is finished. Use a pet carrier, dog blanket, etc., and vacuum as necessary.
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Learn more about how CityWheels works:
How it Works See how CityWheels gives you the freedom to Get In & Go!
Sharing vs Owning See how much of a difference carsharing makes.
Reasons to Join Even more reasons why CityWheels is for you.
How it Works See how CityWheels gives you the freedom to Get In & Go!
Sharing vs Owning See how much of a difference carsharing makes.
Reasons to Join Even more reasons why CityWheels is for you.
