It Was Good While It Lasted

There are those of us who used PhillyCarShare (about which Phillyist previously has been very complimentary) for the convenience of having a second car: something to drive in case of emergency or in case that Ikea bookcase was too big to fit in the trunk, even with the back seat folded down. For us, PhillyCarShare had the Basic Freedom plan, which enabled us to not pay a monthly fee to the service in exchange for slightly higher hourly rates. We say "had," because PCS announced yesterday that they were doing away with this plan and, as of April 30 (that's three days from now), all members will have to pay $15 per month to continue using the service. Even better, Basic Freedom members must take the proactive step of opting out before the deadline or they will automatically be charged the new rate. Sure, the hourly rates will be lowered, but for $180 a year, we think that many members will find that's hardly worth it. We're certainly questioning the value of our membership.

We've written PhillyCarShare for an explanation of this change and will update you if we receive word back. Meanwhile, Zipcar (a national for-profit which we've previously smacked down for its claims to smack down its local competition) is offering a special rate to Philadelphia drivers. Sure, the hourly rates are higher, but for less than 15% of the PhillyCarShare annual cost, it just might be worth it.