Mint Cars On-Demand

Convenience is the byword. Walk to the car. Cars have gotten newer and in better shape since Enterprise bought Mint. Locations seem the same.

Except the fact that they closed their office in Chelsea (I didn’t get the memo) and had to go to the Upper Westside to sort out my affairs. It’s pretty straight forward.

The customer service leaves A LOT to be desired with the exception of the gentleman who works the overnight graveyard shift and Kendra during the day. The other female Ariel has the worst attitude I have EVER experienced. I definitely think that at some point they will go out of business. ZipCar may not always have cars but their customer service is exceptional, something MintCar should takes on.

UPDATE:
I called to cancel my membership and the woman who was previously rude to me REFUSED to let me cancel saying that I had to mail in my key and it was not within the time frame to cancel (it was).
I then contested the charge and the amount of effort that she put in to proving that I did not comply with her guidelines was INSANE… She went through the 12 page contract and circled and wrote notes and captions about everything I ‘didn’t do’ in order to cancel.
DO NOT SIGN UP WITH MINT!
Hertz has a FREE service that is better and Zip car is an honest company that tries to help their customers
AVOID MINT!

Did the cars work, and get me where I needed to be? Yes. However, the fact that there weren’t enough convenient locations and that it’s kind of a pain in the ass to have to call the garage way in advance meant I ended up rarely using my membership. I had completely forgot I was even signed up for this service when I saw a pending charge on my credit card for membership. I immediately put in a request to cancel my membership and have the charge removed. When I talked to someone at mint, she was completely snotty to me, saying «I guess you didn’t read the membership agreement.» I had been perfectly pleasant and not even complained about the charge, just asked to have it removed. Maybe she was so snappy because she deals with this a lot, as previous reviews seem to indicate? Then, hmm, maybe the policy should be changed?
Shady business practices – no notice before auto-​renewal, no chance to reverse a charge, snotty employees? No thanks. I’ll take my business elsewhere.

After nearly 9 months, I have closed my Mint account.
The primary reason for my cancellation is that they did not honor the terms of their $ 25 for $ 50 Unilocal deal, saying that existing users were not allowed to buy it (even though it doesn’t say that in the terms). Beyond this, their car selection, mechanical reliability, and customer service quality was really poor throughout the entire time I was a member.
Here’s what happened. Right before I canceled, I saw that Mint had a promo on Unilocal,stating I could get $ 50 in driving credit for just $ 25. I bought it, and applied it to my subsequent reservation. But on my monthly statement, I saw it didn’t go through. So, wanting to get the deal I paid for, I called them up with the code. The rep told me it would be applied to my account, no problem. Weeks later, I still didn’t see the credit on my statement.
When I called the manager, the guy gave me all sorts of attitude, saying emphatically the deal is supposed to be for new sign ups only. According to him, that’s why it wasn’t credited. But this is totally incorrect. The deal terms never state that at all. Here’s the fine print:
Promotion lasts for 1 year from date of purchase. After that period, your Certificate is redeemable for the amount you paid, less any value you may have received. Not valid with other certificates or offers. Only 1 certificate (s) can be purchased for own use. Up to 3 can be purchased as gifts for others. Subject to the Unilocal Deals General Terms.
So, nowhere does it say, ‘new Mint sign ups only’. When I told the guy as much, he said «yeah, I have to talk to Unilocal about that». Okay… so then you just lied to me when you said it was for new people only? Weeks later, the terms remain unchanged, so I can only assume he was trying to scam me out of my $ 25 credit.
In the end, MINT DID NOT HONOR THE $ 25 for $ 50 deal. I basically got a refund of my original $ 25 and that’s it. It also took more than a month to get that refund, but I did get it with a lot of phone calls and emails along the way. I imagine that if I didn’t check my monthly statement to see if the deal was processed, I would have basically paid the $ 25 and gotten nothing.
Shady, shady business practices. I would never use Mint again, and I advise all other consumers to be really careful in dealing with this company. Be sure to check your statements for errors and don’t trust them to honor any social deals you may see.

I was a member with Zipcar and switched to Mint. The customer service is much better and I haven’t had any problems booking a car. The cars are not the newest or in the best condition but these are cars on demand for quick jobs and they are perfect for what it is. I recommend them, only thing I wish they covered areas that zip car doesn’t cover such as crown heights and fort Greene areas.

I have used mint cars for over a year. Recently I have been busy with my work and haven’t used it for months.
Mint cars automatically renew my membership this year, so I called them to cancel the membership and see if I can get a refund. The representative agreed to give me a full refund as long as I mail back their car key. She said she can also give me 25 dollar credit if I keep the membership, but since I haven’t used the car for months, I decided to mailed the key card back.
I waited for 3 weeks but still no refund. I called again and was greeted by another representative, who said its not possible to get a refund. I asked for their manager (Kevin Miller), but he also says there will be no refund because its not their policy. I explained what the previous representative had told me, but their manager said there is no such thing, and my only option is to let them send me another keycard and reactivate my membership.
I always liked mint car, but I guess the people who are running the company doesn’t really care if their customer likes them or not.

EEK!!! Terrible service. The car we rented was not in good shape and had higher mileage than all Zipcars we have used. Mint also says that they waive the application fee if you are a member of another car sharing company. When I emailed them proof of my membership, they said they can’t refund the application fee I paid and would only issue a driving credit. I really don’t want to have to keep track of a driving credit in the future.
I would not recommend this service at all. In the past year we have spent over $ 1,200 with Zipcar and I thought we should give another company a try but it is not worth it.
****UPDATE: After Mint saw my review, they offered to credit me the application fee if I would remove the negative review. I can’t imagine how many other bad reviews have been written and then removed.

As a long time Zip Car customer i was in a bind one day and decided to try out Mint Car. I previously signed up for a membership for this exact purpose.
Unfortunately Mint doesn’t have the same level of service as Zip Car does and their community doesn’t care. The car was not returned on time causing us to have to switch to a different garage quite far from our original location.
The sad part about the situation is that it could have been resolved by great customer support, but yet it wasnt. The rep’s just didnt care and felt that it wasn’t their fault the car wasnt there and therefore they have no duty to help out.
I have heard similar complaints from friends about their support and community.

Mint just lost my business. I decided to end my membership because I didn’t like how I was treated. I probably would have spent several hundred dollars a year (for many years since I plan to stay in the city) renting with them, but they didn’t give me the impression of making a genuine effort to set things right with me as a customer and there are other companies that do much better.
They are penny-​wise and pound-​foolish. When I saw an unexpected $ 265 charge on my credit card statement from them, I was alarmed. I called and they said I had made a reservation and hadn’t canceled it and «it isn’t our fault… we provided a service.»
I thought back to a month ago and remembered looking up how much a weekend reservation would cost and then clicking cancel. Apparently clicking cancel didn’t work and now I’m out a lot of money.
My mistake was an honest one and I can understand Mint’s decision not to refund me the money. They offered me a $ 50 driving credit as a consolation, but that didn’t cut it for me and I’d rather go with a company that tries harder to satisfy their customers.
In short, Mint competes on price, but has very poor customer service and cars with more problems.

Avoid this car company at all costs!!! Don’t buy into their «driving credit» on first sign up! I was given $ 75 credit during first sign up but ended up paying $ 110 for a half day car rental. Ridiculously priced!
MAKE SURE YOU CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT TO AVOID PAYING THE ANNUAL FEES WHICH THEY DON’T GIVE YOU A NOTICE FOR. The last time I used the service was one year ago, but out of nowhere I saw a $ 40 charge to my card yesterday. NO notice. NO invoice. Nothing! SHADY!
Their «Fees and Fines» FAQ section doesn’t even state that they charge the annual fee automatically. I can’t believe I’m paying for something that I don’t even use! They seriously need to notify customers when they charge a fee!
In any case, DON’T SIGN UP FOR ANY DEAL FROM THEM. You’ll regret it.

I used MINT cars this last weekend and had a great experience.
Simple, easy to use and rent a car through. Plus, I ran in to a little snag and the people at the office were extremely helpful. Really was great customer service.

This was my first time using Mint cars and I totally agree with the previous negative reviews. I used it because I had a groupon for driving. First of all, I call the garage to pick up the car 3 hours before pick up time. I get there and they make me wait more than 20 min to pull out my car. This is not necessarily Mints fault but when I call them to tell them that I have lost 20 min off my short reservation, they tell me thats standard for anywhere in new york for garages. So wait… if I rent one of their cars for an hour, I need to pay for an ½ hour more to account for garage times?
Crappy service. Crappy crappy car, old, banged up, engine makes weird noises. The extra mileage is also a rip at 50 cents per mile. Hope you go under. I will not be renting from you again, Mint.

I have to imagine the positive reviews regarding this company have been posted by the infrequent user who had a decent experience the one, or 2 times they’ve tried MINT However, I can’t stress enough how much this company should be avoided. Both my wife and I have used MINT somewhat frequently… maybe on average 2.5 –3 times a month. One of their locations in lower Manhattan is very conveniently located near our apartment, so figured it was a no-​brainer.
We however, are done, and have moved over to the competition. The cars are consistently dirty on the interior (remnants from the prior user) and now they’re old, and poorly maintained. ‘Service needed’ type lights are always illimunated on the dashboard, low air in the tires. I even experienced cars with dents across the door. Extending a reservation with them is a pain in the a*s, too. Even worse, on one occassion, my wife showed up for the rental only to find the car had a flat tire!!, and today, she just called to tell me that the car she is in (as i write) does not have a functioning air conditioner… yep, its BROKE …just like this company will eventually be once the word continues to get out at how poorly their cars are maintained, how poorly the company is run, and how 2^nd rate it is compared to the other options that are out there.
Be gone MINT!

If giving zero stars were an option, I would be happy to award none to Mint. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I keep going back for more abuse. For the past two years, I have been using Mint regularly. They’re a block away from my apartment, so I put up with the standard annoyances (little to no gas, cars with dirty interiors, etc). The gas thing started to get on my nerves, but I lived with it.
Then things really started going downhill. I picked up a car with a flat tire… then my car got a flat tire (not necessarily Mint’s fault)…then I rented a car that had a donut replacing the real tire, and they never informed me, so I was driving full speed on the highway with a faux tire. All pretty much unacceptable… and THEN: I pick up my car for a 2 hour drive to PA and the air conditioner is broken. In 85 degree heat! I was cursing Mint with every bead of sweat. I called to inform them why I would no longer be using their cars, and was given a 1.5 hour driving credit. Wah Wah.
Mint, you should really pay attention to these reviews. You’ve just lost another customer to Zip (my husband has been urging me to change for the past year).

What really pisses me off is the cancellation policy. You have to mail back the card and you have to make sure it arrives 5 days prior to the anniversary month when you signed on. Otherwise, you have to fork over another $ 40 for the next year. Sound simple!!! That’s a lot of pre-​planning a year ahead of time to avoid paying another $ 40.
To their benefit, they did enact an auto-​cancellation the following year on my account, but you have to call in to request it. But I’m still stuck with $ 40 for something I don’t use!!!

They are alright.
Their price is a scam — check the available times for the cheap cars.
I hate it.
Id rather prefer zipcar or connect by hertz.

Last week I ventured out of the Brooklyn area and took a last minute road-​trip about 121 miles east to the city of Montauk. This time however I put away my Corolla, refused to purchase an overpriced ticket on the Long Island Railroad, and instead signed up for one of those «cars on-​demand» companies. What a great decision!
I decided to try Mint Cars on-​Demand for this lengthy journey. I read good reviews about this fresh new company and figured why not give it a shot. So after signing up ($ 25 or absolutely free if you are already a member with another car share company) I was ready to pick up my Mint Smartcard in the city (they can also mail it to you if you’re lazy).
Okay now that I had my Mint Smartcard, I was eager to reserve my first car. I decided on a 2009 Nissan Versa, which was located in downtown Brooklyn. A quick ride on the F train and I was at the garage ready to pick up my minty new automobile.
The attendant was quick to get my car, explain what I needed to do with my Mint Smartcard, and then showed me where the debit gas card was located.
Yes you read that correctly, each Mint car’s rental fee includes unlimited free gas, full insurance, and in my case a heavy metal cd (some previous Mint member must have left this behind). So after turning off that crazy music, I was on my way with the Mint car.
This car ruled! It was brand new (under 4k miles), had a great stereo system, strong A/​C, and most importantly it was spotless. I was loving this experience so far! A quick pick up in Brooklyn and I was on my way to Montauk.
The car came in handy during this trip since the resort I stayed in was roughly 5 miles from the downtown area. The LIRR was also downtown, so if I had gone with the train option it would have been such a pain in the neck to get from the station to the resort and then later from the resort to some downtown scene. With Mint everything was a quick and enjoyable drive in a safe new car.
I highly recommend Mint Cars On-​Demand. It is a reliable, safe, fun, and affordable alternative to mass transit when getting around the city. With rates starting at just $ 5 per hour, you can not go wrong with trying them out for a quick trip to the grocery store or to visit family in or around the New York City area.
Mint has many locations throughout Manhattan and just recently debuted in my neck of the woods (Brooklyn!) this past May. Look for more from this great company in the future as there is no doubt they will be expanding to new locales.
Some Mint facts:
* Besides the Nissan Versa that my wife fell in love with, some other Mint models include — Mercedes Benz C 300, Scion XB, Nissan Rogue, Honda Accord, Smart Car Fortwo, and many others.
* Remember like I said earlier, your rate includes free gas and insurance. Plus each Mint comes with an E-​Z Pass which will be billed to your reservation at the end of each month.
* No-​smoking allowed in Mint cars and your pets must be kept in carriers at all times.
* If you return your Mint early and receive a 5% credit on your account.
* Only Mint members can drive the Mint cars. DO NOT let friends or family test drive your Mint.
* To get more information and to sign up for a Mint experience, check out
.
* This review is courtesy of my travel site. Not allowed to link it here… but I am sure you can figure it out for yourself.

Fantastic. Used them the first time the other day and it was a pleasure. I had rented a Smart Car– if you’re tall forget it because it’s built like a clown car, it’s really tiny– but the car was immaculately clean, really responsive and believe it or not fast!
Took it to the Target in Edgewater, NJ and did some shopping. It cost me $ 2.00 an hour and I used the car for four hours, so do the math! The fuel line didn’t move a dot, I think the Smart Car slowly sips gass, and the insurance was included. I’m going to be billed for the EZ pass later, but my oh my, what a great deal.
It’s perfect for stir-​crazy NY’ers who need to get out of the city for a few hours and if you want a car for the day it’s $ 99, insurance and 180 miles included.
Great bargain and great customer service.