A car share is a company which allows people use of a car when they need it, without having to pay the upkeep costs for the vehicle. Most car share companies are in urban areas, to take advantage of a much larger customer base, and they can be set up in a number of ways. For people who do not need a car that frequently, or who do not want to deal with the hassle of a car when they do need one, a car share is an option that should be considered. A car share fee covers insurance, maintenance, and sometimes fuel as well.
Renting a car tends to be expensive in the long term, and rental cars are also usually not available for quick trips, like a visit to the grocery store or a hardware store. Most car rental agencies have a minimum fee which must be paid, and drivers must put down a deposit for every rental and fill out paperwork. In a car share, the deposit and paperwork are handled once, and the customer needs only to reserve a car when he or she wants one, indicating how long they plan to use the car and picking it up at a designated spot.
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In most areas, a car share does not have a central lot. Instead, cars are scattered all over the city to allow drivers to pick up cars where it is convenient. If a driver pays for a parking space with a home or apartment rental, he or she can often receive a deal on a monthly car share by allowing that space to be used for a car share car. A car share with a large network may have cars around almost every corner, all of which can be accessed by a master key which is given out to all members. The car share member uses the car, refuels it, and returns it to the space where he or she found it.
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There are a number of ways to subscribe to a car share, depending on the type of usage that a driver anticipates. In general, every member of the car share pays a deposit up front, which varies in cost depending on the car share company. From there, the options are plentiful. Many drivers prefer to pay a monthly fee which allows them a set number of hours of usage, paying an additional fee for hours over that allowance. In other cases, drivers pay a monthly fee and then pay per use, on a hourly or mileage-based rate.
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While most car share companies charge by the hour and/or mile, they often offer promotional rates for cars kept overnight. A car share car can be taken on a brief road trip, for example, although there are sometimes restrictions on taking it out of state. Many major cities around the world have car share programs; to learn more about one in your area, search for your city and “car share” in your favorite search engine.