Oswego State students and faculty members have the option to use Zipcar, a national car sharing service, on campus for a discounted price. Yet, recently, the vehicles have shown noticeable damages.

For students such as sophomore Dalton Patterson, Zipcar is a good option because he does not have a car on campus.

“Zipcar was the only rent-a-car company that I could go to and rely on if I wanted to go to the store, go to Syracuse or if I need to pick up a friend,” Patterson said. “Every time I rent a Zipcar there is always something wrong with them.”

Patterson said that each time he drives one of the Zipcars, there are problems, such as the car needing an oil change or problems with the exterior of the car.

Natalie Smith, the assistant coordinator for the STEM mentoring program, also uses the Zipcars on campus. According to Smith, the Zipcars frequently smell like cigarette and marijuana smoke, in addition to there being trash left in the cars. Smith also said they need snow tires because she has almost slid off the road several times.

Zipcar provides self-service access to cars for people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Zipcars are available to students on college campuses, residents in major cities and employees in various businesses. Three Zipcars are available for students use at Oswego State.

According to the Zipcar website, university benefits include: Reducing the demand for on-campus parking, a sustainable alternative transportation solution that reduces a carbon footprint, a turnkey program that includes gas and insurance, and a simple online application and approval process.

Patterson said he calls the company whenever something needs to be fixed.

“When I tell them something, the next time I rent that same car, it’s still not fixed,” Patterson said.

According to the Zipcar website, before users start driving, they should inspect the car, checking for vehicle damage, fuel levels, cleanliness and warning lights. Users can report issues through the use of a mobile app, by submitting a photo and providing a description.

Smith said the reporting system is flawed and users have to call in for small things.

“It takes weeks for Zipcar to do maintenance on the cars when you report things like oil change needed, low washer fluid or low tire pressure,” Smith said.

Kate Hickman, the communications manager for Zipcar, said the vehicles are on a regular cleaning and inspection schedule, but are looking into the schedule at Oswego State to see if adjustments are needed.

According to the Zipcar website, “Zipcars are cleaned and taken care of all year round.”

Smith also said a common issue is people removing the gas cards from Zipcars.

Patterson said he thinks there should be more Zipcars on campus to make up for the current cars always needing maintenance.

“Zipcar takes a long time to fix a car,” Patterson said. “Anything could happen to those three cars. That’s why I recommended to have [a minimum of five and a maximum of ten] in case there is a problem with two cars, there would be more Zipcars on campus.”

Hickman said they ask all Zipcar members to follow rules in order to keep cars properly maintained.

“A huge part of how we keep our cars clean and damage free is that we ask all members to follow our six simple rules,” Hickman said.

The six rules include: Report any damage, keep the car clean, no smoking, leave at least a quarter tank of gas, return the car on time and leave pets in their carriers.

Patterson also had problems when he rented a Zipcar last semester.

“I went to the Zipcar and noticed something was wrong with it,” Patterson said. “I couldn’t open it and then I realized they cancelled [the reservation] because that car was broken.”

According to Patterson, Zipcar didn’t inform him of the cancellation, they just cancelled it.

“Being a Zipster means belonging to a community of members who believe in being smart and sustainable and are committed to making their city or campus better, all while enjoying the convenience and cost-savings that car sharing provides,” Hickman said. “It also means that our members are responsible to each other when it comes to keeping cars clean, gassed up and ready for the next member’s reservation.”