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1. What is a Car Share Co-op? 1. What is a Car Share Co-op?Members share ownership of all of the vehicles in our fleet. 2. What are the benefits of Car Sharing?Car sharing reduces vehicle ownership expenses. It's great for people who need a car once in awhile, but don't want the hassles associated with owning a car. People who share cars tend to drive less, so car sharing can reduce traffic, air and noise pollution, as well as other social costs, such as health and welfare. If you are environmentally-minded, car sharing could be for you! The Victoria Car Share Co-op provides a neutral, not-for-profit, user-based service, where the members win! 3. Are there other car share co-ops?Yes, many. The idea started in Europe, where there are over 50,000 members of car share organizations. To find out about other Co-ops see our links page for more information. 4. What does it cost to join?Please see Rates and Fees. 5. How much will I save by joining?It depends on how much you drive. Driving is, by nature, expensive. If you must drive every day, you may be better off owning a private vehicle. Car sharing is good if you need a reliable vehicle part-time, for local use. 6. What kind of cars does the Co-op own?Mostly small four-door cars, with two pick-ups, a convertible, hybrid and two minivans. Please see our fleet page. 7. Who cleans and maintains the cars?Staff take care of vehicle maintenance, repairs, cleaning, insurance, administration, etc. The monthly administration fees and charges per hour and per kilometer are enough to cover these expenses. As well, all members do their part to look after the cars, and all problems are immediately alerted to management so that they can be fixed promptly. 8. How do I reserve a car?Online or on the phone, 24 hours a day. Learn more about bookings. 9. What if I can't return the car on time?If you are delayed, call the toll-free 24-hour reservation line and see if you can simply extend your booking. If another member has booked the vehicle immediately after you, page the Manager. She or he will attempt to contact the next member. Please note that additional fees will be charged on late returns. 10. Can I take the car away on holidays? Anytime?Yes, you just have to book in advance. Bookings are made on a first-come, first-served basis up to a year in advance. Bookings longer than three days need to be approved by the manager. 11. Can my family or a friend drive, too?All individual memberships include one extra family member at no extra cost, as long as they live at the same residence. That family member must also provide a safe driver’s abstract and receive an orientation. Friends must have their own membership. See the membership page for details. 12. Where do I pick up the car's keys?Each car's keys are stored in a lockbox on the car. All Co-op members have a master key to access the lockbox of every vehicle in the fleet. 13. Who fills up the gas tank?Members are asked to return vehicles with at least half a tank of gas. If members purchase gas, they attach the gas receipt to their trip log record and they are credited to their account for the gas purchase. 14. How do I join?Please see our how to join page. 15. Can anyone join the Co-op?You must be at least 16 years old to join the association. In order to become an active member and use vehicles, you must be at least 16 years old, possess a full privilege license that is valid in B.C., and have 3 years of clean driving history. These criteria insure that all Co-op members are protected from poor drivers, thus keeping our insurance premiums low. So far, since 1997, we've had no serious accidents. 16. How long does it take to join?Applications are processed within one day of your orientation. Please email or phone us at 995-0265 to make an appointment. 17. Who makes the decisions?Day-to-day decisions are made by the manager. Larger issues are decided by an elected Board of Directors or the members of the Co-op, depending on the issue. Member feedback is always taken into consideration. Learn more about us. 18. Does the Co-op receive financial support?Yes. We have received funding and other assistance from the Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program, Environmental Partners in Economic Development, Moving on Sustainable Transportation, the Rising Tide Foundation of Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, VanCity Credit Union, the City of Victoria, the City of Oak Bay, the City of Saanich, and Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Thank you! Vehicle acquisitions are financed from member shares and operational expenditures are funded by usage revenues and monthly administration fees. 19. How big will the Co-op be?Eventually we hope to serve all of the CRD! There is huge potential for car-sharing, but obviously it will take time for it to develop. If you want car sharing in your community, please contact us for more information. 20. Does the Co-op need any help?Volunteering opportunities are available and we are member driven! We are always looking to include, empower, and use the skills of our diverse and talented membership. Our new strategic plan will be implemented and we will be calling on members to assist us. If you are looking for ways to contribute, meet people, grow your skills, and take part of the co-operative and sustainable economy, visit our volunteer page. The Board of Directors and other volunteers are spending hours volunteering for you, and always need a hand. We are looking for people in the following areas:
We will be implementing our new strategic plan over the next 3 years and will require the feedback and assistance of our members. If you have a special talent or recommendations, we will be notifying you of ways to get involved. 21. How does the insurance work?The Victoria Car Share Co-operative is responsible for insuring its vehicles, and all Co-op vehicles are insured by ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia). All vehicles carry Collision and Comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible, and Extended Third Party Liability of $5,000,000. 22. What if I cancel a booking?If you cancel more than 24 hours before booking, there's no charge. If you cancel 24-12 hours before your booking, you'll be charged 50% of the booking's hourly charge. 12-0 hours before booking means 75% of the hourly charge. Cancellations during your booking are charged the full 100% hourly charge. No-shows are charged 200% of the hourly charge. Cancellation fees are not charged for cancellations within ½ hour of booking creation nor for portions of the original booking which are later booked by another member. 23. I am a B.C. Government employee, can I car share?Yes you can! We have reached a corporate supply arrangement with the Province of B.C. whereby government employees can use car sharing services without becoming a member. Please see the Provincal Hourly Vehicle Rental Site for more information. 24. Am I eligible for a free membership in the co-operative?We have entered into agreements with a number of organizations and developers around Victoria. If you fulfill our membership requirements, and belong to one of the following groups, you can apply for a free or discounted membership to the co-operative: If you have a 1995 and older car that is currently running, and has been licensed in BC for the last year - you may be eligible for the Scrap It program. You can apply to have your car scrapped in return for a $750 credit for car sharing ($400 goes to your refundable share equity and $350 remains as a driving credit). This initiative is helping BC citizens get their polluting cars off the road and into more sustainable modes of transportation. Check out the Scrap It website for more information. 25. Can I earn account credits?As a member driven co-operative, we rely on our Car Share Caretaker program to keep our fleet clean. Caretakers adopt a vehicle and are responsible for detailing it once or twice per month. In return for this service, Caretakers earn a $30 (minus wash cost) credit everytime they clean a vehicle. If you are interested in becoming a Carshare Caretaker, please email us. We also offer a $100 credit for member referal. If a new member indicates that they heard about the VCSC from you at time of orientation, we will place a $100 credit on the refering members account. 26. Why has a fee been charged to my account?Please refer Schedule One: Fees of the Victoria Car Share Co-operative Association in our policies, for a list of our discretionary fees. Our co-operative functions by our member community abiding by our rules and policies. Here is the rationale for several of our discretionary fees:
27. How can I pay my invoice?Members are encouraged to pay their invoice using online banking. Currently, the following banks are able to make payments to us: BMO, Coast Capital, CIBC, HSBC, Island Savings, RBC, TD Canada, and VanCity. Scotia Bank is the only institution that does not allow online banking with us. To use online banking, login and search "Victoria Car Share". Click to add us to your list of billers, using your three or four digit member number as your account number. Other methods of payment include cash (never send in the mail), cheque, or money order. We are working to introduce credit card banking in a few months. |
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