Frequently Asked Questions

You are responsible for knowing all of the information in the Colorado CarShare Member Handbook and the Membership Agreement. We respect your privacy – take a look at our Privacy Policy.

Membership

NEVER allow another person to drive the CarShare vehicle unless they are a CarShare member. This is illegal and will result in a $500 fine and immediate membership termination.

We’re committed to helping our members share more than just cars. We want to promote community through a shared sense of purpose. By sharing the costs of car ownership, more resources will be available for the things that truly matter – like clean air, water, and open space instead of parking lots. Shared vehicles, in combination with urban cycling and reliable transit, give our nonprofit model the leverage to partner with virtually unlimited opportunities and offer our members the lowest rates possible.

We have one of the lowest fee schedules of any carshare organization in North America, and we held our rates steady throughout the wildly fluctuating gas prices in 2008. We aim to keep our service affordable to encourage new membership in lieu of car ownership. Our nonprofit model helps ensure that we can continue these objectives. However, we do recognize that gas prices are certain to rise again, and modest adjustments may become necessary. Our goal of adding mostly alternative-fuel vehicles to our fleet will help insulate us from unpredictable oil prices, and provide you with the cleanest transportation options available.

Application

We accept licenses from other countries. Please go check our Foreign Driving Records page for a list of how to obtain your driving record by country.

If you have had a driver’s license from outside of the United States in the past two years, you need to contact the agency that issued this license to obtain an official copy of your driving record for our review. Every country has a different procedure for obtaining these records, and records come in many different formats. We can accept records via mail, fax, or email. Make sure the document includes the following information:

  • Your full name
  • Your date of birth
  • The issue and expiration date of your license (if applicable)
  • All traffic violations and/or traffic accident details

Please request your driving record in English. We may be able to accept records that are not in English provided that they are furnished with a translation. See this page for country by country specifics.

You can save money by sharing a Colorado CarShare account with family members, housemates, or coworkers. If you would like to set up a group account (household, business, organization, school) please visit our Join Now page and create a Household Account or Business/Nonprofit/University Department Account. We do have to check driving records for all applicants, which means the $25 application fee applies to each new driver.

Want to join someone else’s already existing account?

This version of the application allow someone to become a driver on a Personal Account.

On a Business Account, drivers can join by clicking one of the links below and adding either:

  1. A Dual Account (this allows them to become a driver on the company account and also add a FREE personal account)

OR

  1. A Driver Account (company account only)

Whichever option you choose, please enter the Business or Nonprofit company name in the “Member Name” field at the top of the application so we know which organization you are joining.

The main contact on the business account will receive invoices via e-mail on a monthly basis for all use incurred by the associate drivers who have been  granted permission to join the account.  We screen all associate drivers before adding them to an account and notify the main contact as we complete this process for each driver.  Upon receiving the invoices from us we ask that the main contact promptly review them to ensure that all usage shown has indeed been pre-approved.

You must have at least 2 years licensed driving experience. If you are between 18 – 21 years old you must have a sparkling clean driving record.

You don’t have to have a Colorado driver’s license to be a member. We accept licenses from other states and countries (go here for information on foreign drivers licenses). If you are a new Colorado resident, please review the Department of Revenue’s requirements for getting a Colorado driver’s license.

It takes approximately 3-5 business days to be approved for membership.

On approval of your application your fob will arrive in the mail in 2-3  days. Please be patient and do not reserve a vehicle until you receive your fob. We mail fobs through standard USPS, so arrival times are somewhat dependent on their system.

The more people sharing cars the better! We want to encourage you to help grow our membership by telling friends, family, co-workers or complete strangers about our great service. Be sure the person you refer includes your name on their application, and you will receive a $25 driving credit! Get out there and spread the love for Colorado CarShare.

Reservations

Need help on booking a reservation? Click here for Desktop Tutorial. Click here for Mobile Tutorial.

NO – absolutely not! It is illegal. Only our members are covered by our insurance. You WILL be issued a minimum $500 fine and immediate membership termination. If your friends or family members want to drive, they need to join.  YOU are responsible for ALL use associated with your key fob. Safeguard it as you would your wallet or house keys. Notify us immediately if you misplace or lose your fob.

Trip Cancellation

Snowy Weather Cancellations:

Colorado CarShare discourages members from driving when ice and snow have made the roads dangerous. If you are concerned about hazardous road conditions due to inclement weather, you may cancel your reservations, or return an Colorado CarShare vehicle late, without incurring any penalty or cancellation fees, provided you speak to, or leave a message for, a Colorado CarShare staff member before or during your reservation. The vehicle should be returned to the designated parking spot as soon as it is safe to do so.

**Please note that we try to keep all of our vehicle tires in excellent condition, but if you are looking for something specifically for very snowy conditions, you can search exclusively for cars with snow tires when you make a reservation! Just select the “Winter Tires” box on the amenity list (the one with the snowflake) or check to see that the snowflake symbol is listed below the car you are looking to book. All of our all-wheel drive cars are equipped with snow tires, and some of our other vehicles are as well.

General Cancellation Policy:

 
Example:Amount:Reason:
Trip Cancellation or Time Change > 12 Hours in Advance OR within 30 minutes of making reservationYou cancel your reservation more than 12 hours before the start time or within 30 minutes of making reservation.No charge.Canceling well in advance or right after making the reservation allows other members to book the car.
Trip Cancellation or Time Change 4 – 12 hours in AdvanceYou make a reservation and then cancel it between 4 -12 hours in advance.50% of the time of the reserved cost less any time that is “reused” by another member.When you cancel with less than 12 hours notice it is less likely that others will be able to reuse your time. You are responsible for half the time that is not reused by another member.
Trip Cancellation or Time Change < 4 hours in AdvanceYou make a reservation and then cancel it less than 4 hours in advance.100% of the time of the reservation less any time that is “reused” by another member.When you cancel with less than 4 hours notice it is unlikely that others will be able to reuse your time. You are responsible for any time that is not reused by another member.

We keep mileage and hourly charges separate, which is different from some other carshare and rental companies, because we feel it is beneficial to the communities we work and live in. It all comes back to our mission to reduce the impact of single occupancy car driving on the community and the environment. By keeping the mileage separate, we incentivize people to work, shop, and play as locally as possible. There is a real cost to the environment (air pollution, CO2 emissions) and community (traffic, wear and tear to roads) for every mile driven so we encourage people to consider their impact by making mileage a separate charge.

We do not have a daily rate. Being a nonprofit car sharing company, we do not bundle mileage and hourly rates in keeping with our mission to reduce the impact of single occupancy vehicles on the environment and community. However, to make carsharing more affordable, we have an hourly cap on the amount you can be charged hourly in 24 hours.

The “hourly cap” is the limit to the per hour charge of an extended reservation and is automatically calculated.

Mileage fees are calculated separately, making the rate you will be charged for trip the hourly cap plus the mileage  of your reservation.

As always, your actual mileage rate will be billed to your account in 1-2 business days once the system collects the mileage data from your trip.

Unfortunately no. One way car sharing is an interesting model but it’s impacts on walking, biking, and transit use are unproven. We are always looking for new ways to innovate but at the same time we want to stay true to our mission. We will continue to evaluate the possibility as we learn more about the impacts of offering one way carsharing.

All reservations are made on a first-come, first-serve basis. 75% of all reservations are made less than 24 hours in advance and 50% are made less than two hours in advance. If you plan ahead, chances are very good you’ll get the exact vehicle you want, when you want it. You can also schedule up to 4 months in advance!

If you are running late: 1) Use the web, mobile reservation website or phone system to extend your reservation. 2) If the car is already booked immediately after you, and you can’t get the car back on time, notify us immediately by calling 303.720.1185! Late fees will be assessed, but they will be significantly less if we can shift the next user to another car because you let us know ahead of time! Remember, it will always be cheaper to bring the car back early than to return it late!

This is a rare occurrence. First, make sure you have an active reservation for the car you are looking for by checking our mobile site or calling the automated reservation system. If you DO have a valid reservation, call us immediately (303.720.1185) so we can troubleshoot and resolve the issue. In most cases, the previous member is running a few minutes late. If the car will not be back in the time frame you need, we will offer you another vehicle to use and pay for the taxi or bus fare to get to the location (if needed).

This is also a rare occurrence. Regular maintenance and relatively new cars prevent most mechanical issues from occurring. If you do encounter mechanical difficulties, call us immediately (303.720.1185). Never leave a disabled car without first contacting us to alert us to the issue and/or to let us know where you left the vehicle.

This rarely happens, because our members are so courteous and awesome they recognize it is a privilege to be a member of Colorado CarShare. In the unusual case that you do find the car to be in unsatisfactory condition, please notify us. The person who left the vehicle in this condition will be subject to a minimum $25 cleaning fine. We do have Car Captains who help us maintain the vehicles, but each member is responsible for removing all personal belongings and trash from the car at the end of each trip. If you find personal belongings that were left behind from a previous member, please notify us and leave the items in the car, out of sight (put them in the glove compartment or the trunk if possible). We’ve been fortunate to have very trustworthy members who report finding MP3 players, smartphones, etc. left behind in cars. Their rightful owners are always very grateful to get these items back. So please share the love!

We hope no one gets hurt! But in the event of an accident, please follow the below steps to ensure everyone is safe and the accident is documented properly.

  • Make sure everyone is moved to a safe location.
  • Call for emergency help if needed.
  • If another vehicle or personal property was involved, by law you need to call the police immediately to get a police report.
  • Complete the Accident Report form found in the orange envelope in the glove compartment.
  • Notify our staff as soon as possible by calling 303.720.1185

Rest assured knowing that we have full insurance coverage (including $1,000,000 in liability coverage – more than double the recommended amount) which is included in our usage rates. We have a $2,000 deductible on all our vehicles, so if you are in an accident, that would be the limit of your financial liability. However, if you violate any of the rules of membership and you are cited for a DUI or reckless driving, etc., all bets are off and you could be held legally responsible for much more than the $2,000 deductible. You may also enroll in our Damage Fee Waiver Program, which provides peace of mind by reducing your out-of-pocket cost for damage that occurs during your use of a Colorado CarShare vehicle. You can reduce your prospective liability from a $2,000 deductible to $0. By enrolling in our Damage Fee Waiver Program, you pay $10/month per driver and if an incident occurs, your deductible is reduced to $0 instead of $2,000. All drivers under the age of 21, or those who have NOT held a US issued drivers license for at least two years, are required to enroll.

Yes – sometimes. It is the responsibility of each member to fill the tank whenever the tank is at or less than 1/2 full. But you don’t have to pay for it!

We are no longer keeping gas cards in vehicles for member use.

When the vehicle’s gas tank is at or below 1/2 a tank, please refuel the vehicle COMPLETELY using your own funds before returning the vehicle to its location at the end of your reservation. Then, email us (at [email protected]) with a receipt from the gas purchase and we will credit your account with the amount you spent on gas.

*You MUST email us a receipt in order to receive credit for your gas purchase.

*Please allow at least 2 business days for the Colorado CarShare Team to issue a credit to your account.

If you do NOT refuel when required, you will be charged a $25 refueling penalty fee. Please keep an eye on the gauge on your way back to your parking space.

 Refueling Tips
  • Refuel with 85 octane gas.

At this time all pets must be transported in a pet carrier. As our fleet grows, we may be able to designate some vehicles as “pet friendly.” If you notice any pet hairs, etc., in any of our cars, please notify us. Also, if you have any severe pet allergies, please notify us of this when you apply so that we can ensure the cars you use will be completely pet-free.

No! No smoking of any kind is allowed in any of our vehicles at any time. And no open alcoholic beverages either. Follow all Colorado laws with regard to transporting alcohol in a vehicle.

Please call us immediately at 303.720.1185. We will usually have you park in the closest available free legal space, but we will need to know where you left the car. We may also need you to cover the cost of parking in the temporary space so that the car is not ticketed or towed (we will reimburse you for all parking costs incurred).

Account Maintenance

We know seasons change, and so do your carshare needs. If you would like to change your rate plan, there are a few options:

  1. Send an email to [email protected].
  2. Let us know through Member Feedback in your account.

You are allowed ONE rate plan change every 6 months.

We know seasons change, and so do your carshare needs. If you would like to change your rate plan, there are a few options:

  1. Send an email to [email protected].
  2. Let us know through Member Feedback in your account.
While we are sad to see you go, we understand that transportation needs change, as do addresses. You will need to return your fob and pay any remaining balances on your account. Once this is done, it takes one billing cycle to completely close your account.

Please see the Account Settings Manual for instructions on updating your Account Info or email us at [email protected] with your updated information.

DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL

Billing

All of our vehicles are equipped with keyfob technology that tracks mileage electronically. Isn’t technology cool?!!!

We use a Pay-As-You-Drive system where the estimated cost of your trip will be charged to your card the day after your trip. At the end of the month you will receive a detailed invoice which shows your itemized trip details, fees collected throughout the month, and the remaining balance or credit on your account. You will also have the option to initiate prepaid charges for whatever amount you specify, whenever you would like. For example, you could pre-load your account with $100 at the beginning of each month. Your credit card on file will not be charged unless you go over that amount. You are responsible for keeping your credit card and general contact info up to date.

You must pay it – and notify us that you have done so. If Colorado CarShare pays it, we’ll charge your credit card for the entire amount, including any late fees, as well as an additional $25 administrative fee. Parking tickets typically double in 14 days, so please pay them immediately.

As long as you comply with all parking restrictions, it’s very doubtful an Colorado CarShare vehicle will be towed during your reservation. But in the event that you violate a parking code and the vehicle is towed, you will be charged for the hours the vehicle is out of service, the price of towing and storage of the vehicle, and a minimum $50 administrative fee. You may also be charged an “inconvenience fee” if any other members were displaced because of the incident.

No. We only accept Visa and Mastercard. You must have a current credit or debit card with Visa or Mastercard to link to your account at sign up.

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