CarShare Atlantic

Ideal service. I signed up, dropped in, they explained it to me. I went with a plan where you pay $ 39/​year and put down a $ 500 deposit. $ 500 sounds like a lot, but keep reading. I get billed a few dollars anytime I book a car online and use it. I used to use it once every couple weeks to go kitesurfing. Now my partner has had a car temporarily so I haven’t needed the carshare for a while. But they don’t bill you anything except the $ 39/​year if you don’t use it. And whenever I leave or change my plan I’ll get my deposit back (after the first year). I’m writing this review because just checked in with Peter, who runs the business, and was pleased to find that unlike my bank, condo, insurance, health plan, websites, and phone, they’re only billing me when I use it. Top marks.

I live and work in downtown Halifax, am only a block or so away from a grocery store and have no parking at my apartment so owning a car is completely impractical for me. I had been looking at CarShare for a while but when they started out it was way out of my price range for way it was. Now, it is absolutely the perfect fit for me!
For about $ 40 a year (plus a $ 39 one time registration fee), you have access to a fleet of cars all across Halifax and Dartmouth. It gives me the freedom to run to Bayer’s lake to pick up some reptile supplies when needed without having to sit on a bus for two hours, or go to the beach.
It also gets you a discount for Budget (car and truck rentals) so if u need a box truck to move or if your going out of province you can save even more money!
The only fallback I have found is it can be stressful trying to make it back on time, especially if you run into unexpected traffic, and it has become so popular for those in downtown Halifax, it can actually be hard at times to book a car, especially on weekends in the summer.
All in all I love the freedom it has given me and it has helped me save a ton on taxis and a lot of time from busing. I will be a CarShare user for a very long time!

Kind of disappointing on the whole.
You’ll be surprised how stressful it is to have to have a car back at a certain time or face penalties. Life happens, traffic happens, and it’s kind of stressful when slow service at a restaurant or a long lineup make you start sweating.
It could be very handy for some people, and it does end up being cheaper on the whole if you just need to run out to Bayers Lake a few times a month, but the daily rates are double what it would cost to rent, and have mileage restrictions, so you’re better off to rent if you need one for a full day or long trip.
My major complaint though, is that I signed up to use a car that was a few hundred yards from my house (on Quinpool and Robie), but someone crashed it and they never replaced it.
When i voiced my concerns, the guy was unapologetic, saying «you payed for access to the fleet, not that car»…
Actually, I DID sign up to primarily use that particular car.
Too bad. A great idea that’s poorly managed

No car? No problem!
I joined CarShare a few months ago. I can’t afford a car and this seemed a simple solution.
How it works in terms of $: Aside from the annual membership fee (and registration fee), you only play for the time that you use the car. When you put gas in the car, you get that amount credited to your account.
You’re responsible for your own insurance but some credit cards cover that.
How it works in terms of cars: There are a variety of pick-​up locations spread throughout the city. You book the car you want (online or over the phone), pick up the car, run your errands and return the car. You only need to put gas in it if it’s less than ¼ of a tank.
There are some drawbacks: it’s really only worthwhile if you use the car for a few hours (for longer bookings, members get a discount on Budget). Since you’re obliged to get it back on time, you may want to book 15 extra minutes (just in case of traffic or you need to put gas in it). As with any shared item, the car is at the mercy of the person before you; sometimes you will get a car that has exactly one quarter of a tank of gas left.
All in all, it’s a good service at a good price.

Probably like most of you, i’ve started noticing these Car Share Halifax signs all over the city. Intrigued, I stopped at the Farmers Market this morning to speak to a man running a little info session on the process.
This is essentially how it boils down: You pay a yearly or quarterly membership in order to be a member of Care Share Halifax. At the moment there is an offer for $ 99/​three months. This allows you to get a key fob and use the cars with as little as a few minutes notice. After you’ve signed up you are able to use the car for $ 9/​hour (gas and insurance included!) That’s right! $ 10/​hr in the evenings and $ 3/​hr between 12am-​6am.
If you think about the limitations of renting a car, owning, leasing etc– Car Share seems like a pretty great option! You know those days when you’d love to head for a hike somewhere out of the city or for lunch in Wolfville, Car Share is easily the most economical way to do so.
With drop off spots all over town, i’d be shocked if this trend doesn’t catch on!
By the way, no increased insurance for those under 25! I’ll withhold my fifth star until i’ve tried it out but i’m definitely sold on the environmental and economical aspects of Car Share!