|
|||
Co-operative Auto Network |
  
|
|
|
|
| home>>questions & answers>>frequently asked questions | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Car Sharing?It is a new way to own a car. People wishing to save money on their transportation costs join a co-op to jointly own vehicles with others. Members pay a small monthly administration fee to cover some of the fixed costs of the car and when they use a car, they pay low fees for it by the hour and by the kilometre. What are the Benefits of Car Sharing?For the Member For the Environment For the Community How does the Co-operative Auto Network operate as an organization?The Co-operative Auto Network - CAN for short - is a not-for-profit co-operative incorporated to foster car sharing as an environmentally responsible transportation option. CAN enhances the social and economic well-being of its community while creating incentives for people to walk, cycle and take transit or taxi cabs more often. CAN is an environmental organization first and foremost. The owners of the service are the members. Members control, through an open and democratic forum, the scope and direction of the co-op. How does the Insurance Work?The Co-operative purchases insurance from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) under a fleet plan option so the co-op, not the driver, holds the insurance. We carry Third Party Legal Liability to $5,000,000 plus Collision and Comprehensive Coverage. Plus, we have Directors' Liability Insurance and Corporate Liability Insurance (members are well and truly covered!). In an at-fault accident, the member at fault is responsible for the deductible just as if s/he were driving a personally-owned vehicle. All of our deductibles are $500 and CAN has a lien on the share purchase to capture this amount for paying the deductible. If the member is deemed NOT at fault by ICBC, then the deductible does not have to be paid. What does it cost to join?Initially a one-time, 'refundable' share purchase in the co-op of $500. THEN... a $20 non-refundable Registration Fee is collected to pay for a member binder, a lockbox key and a credit check. Joining means going through an hour and a half long orientation process, signing the CAN Membership Application, and purchasing shares in the co-operative. This lifetime membership has a one-time cost of $500. (Please note that shares purchased by Visa or MasterCard will be subject to a 3% surcharge - for example, $500 shares would cost $515.46. There is no surcharge for shares purchased by cash, cheque, or debit card.) If you ever leave the co-op you will get 100% of your share purchase back (unless you cause an accident or fail to pay your invoice!). However, to foster a stable membership base, you must be prepared to join for at least 6 months. In keeping with our not-for-profit status, we will not issue dividends on the share, nor will the share accrue interest. Is my share protected in any way?As you have the opportunity to get your share purchase back when you leave, CAN staff are very frugal in their spending. The share deposit is used to keep the organization's cash flow satisfied. Your share is a very important part of the financial stability of the co-op. However, the share purchase is an investment in a relatively new co-operative - an investment you should be prepared to lose a portion of if the enterprise were ever to fold. Currently, our initiative is in a fantastic financial situation. What does it cost to use a CAN car?CAN rates are designed to offer a lot of flexibility, since your usage may vary quite a bit from one month to another. Every month, CAN's custom reservation and billing system will calculate your bill based on four different price points — and then charge you whichever has the cheapest total. If you don't use a CAN car in any month then you pay nothing! Our Zero-on-Zero price point gives you the flexibility you need without a concern about cost. The other three price points charge $2.50 per hour (to a maximum of $30 daily) plus applicable admin and kilometre charges, which are:
A special Excursion Rate may apply to trips of more than 72 hours (3 days). These trips will be charged $45 daily (cars) or $60 daily (trucks and minivans) OR regular rates — whichever is GREATER. The $45/$60 includes all kilometer charges (as long as the cost does not exceed the equivalent regular rate charge) and all fuel charges. It is a minimum charge designed to mitigate any losses the co-op may sustain when a vehicle is out of the fleet for extended periods. Any day or portion over the 72-hour period will be charged $45/$60 per day. RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.Do these charges include gas prices, even when they're this unstable?Generally yes! However, in 2003 our Board of Directors authorized a Fuel Fluctuation Adjustment to compensate for highly variable gas prices. Each month we add a small charge per kilometre you drive — just enough to cover that month's gas cost above 80¢ per litre. This charge is the same for all price points, and is calculated based on the average fuel efficiency of our fleet. Keep in mind - all insurance, fuel, cleaning, maintenance, BCAA Membership, plus permanent & permit parking are included in the rate plans. How much money ($$$$!!) can I save by joining?LOTS - BUT IT DEPENDS ON YOU! Remember that the monthly fee and the prices for usage include almost everything: insurance, gas, cleaning, maintenance, and BCAA membership! Your savings really hinges on your usage. The typical cost of a vehicle driven in the Lower Mainland is 56.4¢ per kilometre (based on 2000 statistics from CAA) or about $8000 per year. Or one can consider that a car will cost about $200 per month to finance and/or purchase, $100+ per month to insure, $100 for gas, plus an average of $100 to maintain. That's $500 per month without including depreciation, parking, and those little (or HUGE) $$$ surprises! Most of our members pay an average of $117 per month for all the car they ever need! Can my family/partner drive too?Yes - but not without first becoming a member of CAN. There is an Associate Share purchase specifically designed to allow one other person in your household to join - usually a partner. This share costs only an additional $250 and carries the same rights and responsibilities as a Full Member Share. Associate Members must satisfy all the same membership conditions as Full Members, and must also choose a price plan. What kinds of cars do you have?People have different car needs at different times. CAN has vehicles ranging from hatchbacks - including Volkswagen New Beetles - up through sedans, minivans, and even pickup trucks. For the same price, you can always choose the vehicle that's right for your trip. All of our vehicles have automatic transmissions. How do I arrange to use the cars?The CAN office is available to handle your bookings, or you can go on-line to our very own web-based reservation system to book the car whenever you wish. Regular maintenance, repairs and membership generation are exclusively handled by CAN staff. When you realize you need the car, you call 604-685-1393 or go on-line and request to use it giving specific information about day, times, and location. The car will be booked for you. Then you go to the car when your booking time starts and drive away! Do I have to go to the office to pick up/drop off a key each time I use the car?No. You will be given a lock box key when you join. This key accesses a box which holds the key to the car. The lock boxes are built into the cars and the same key is used for every car's lock box. Can I only reach the office during regular business hours?CAN's regular business hours are from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm seven days a week. We are open 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on statutory holidays. We anticipate that the needs of most of our members can be met during these times. However, we recognize that emergencies arise so CAN has engaged a late night on-call service to handle bookings and minor incidents. Regular staff do carry a cellular phone to handle after-hours calls of a more urgent nature. This means staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take reservations or respond to concerns of members. If you are not yet a member, please limit your enquiries to between 8:30 am and 8:30 pm Monday through Friday or 9 am to 5 pm on weekends. How long in advance do I have to arrange to book the car?You can book the car as far in advance as you like - or even immediately if you choose. The more notice you give the more likely you'll get the car closest to you! Will the car be available every time I want it?In a perfect world - yes. But the facts are there really is no way for us to guarantee the car will be available every time you wish to use it - especially if you need the nearest car to your home right away. We make thousands of bookings every month and log about 8% as many requests where the cars are not available. These are typically last minute bookings where only the nearest cars will do.... If given at least 2 days notice, CAN will typically have a car available. As the service grows, more cars become available and fewer failures happen. Are the cars harder to get on weekends?Yes - it is best to book ahead for weekends during the 'high season' (May to November), but if you're fairly flexible something will be available. Strangely enough, some weekday evenings can be challenging as well!?! Again with summer weather we notice more requests for cars. The key to getting a CAN car when you want one is PLANNING! With a couple of days notice CAN staff have more cars available to meet your needs. How long am I allowed to have the car? And how often can I have it?You can have the car whenever you need it - remember - you own it. There are no limitations on the length of time you can use the car. The minimum time is one hour and we've had people take the car for as long as thirty-seven days. Members can book cars as far in advance as they wish! We do allow members to preemptively book a vehicle on weekdays. This means allowing you to book the car you want at the same time and same day each week for work or school. For weekend bookings of this nature, we require written proof of the event (work/school), you are limited to bookings no more than 9 hours long, and you must alternate among your four closest cars. So you will have a confirmed booking for the work or school event - but to keep the system fair for everyone you'll just not use the same car every weekend. What is important to note is that CAN is not typically a long-term usage option. We recognize our costs may occasionally be more attractive than a rental company - even with their unlimited kilometres. CAN cars are cheaper per day and have no additional gas or insurance costs - you can consider this a benefit of your commitment to the co-op. However, if you're driving a large number of kilometres it may be more cost-effective to rent a car. CAN members get a special rate at a rental agency we deal with. Can I use it for work-related tasks?CAN cars are insured for you to use the car for any task. Some members use the car mainly for work. They really like the service as they can claim the CAN invoices as a business expense! Home office consultants find this service the perfect solution to save overhead costs. For people who live in Vancouver only part of the year and work elsewhere, there are great tax benefits for not solely owning a car in Canada as well. Would I be responsible for any maintenance?This depends on what happens with the car. If you've made a mess - you'll have to clean it. The interiors are cleaned monthly by the staff and washed outside as the need arises. Members are responsible for buying gas, vacuuming, and cleaning the cars whenever the need arises. The cost of gas and cleaning will be reimbursed by CAN. As for mechanical maintenance - NO! CAN staff have a schedule for having the cars' oil changed, fluids topped up, brakes inspected and the usual inspections to be sure the cars are in good working order. You may feel the need to ask a gas station attendant to check the oil now and again or refill the washer fluid. You might even get them to change a bulb if you notice a headlight or signal light burnt out - but pretty much YOU CAN KISS YOUR MECHANIC GOOD-BYE! Do I have to fill the gas tank after every use?Probably not. Members are responsible for ensuring the tank is at least half full by the end of your booking. If the gas level gets close to half, just fill the tank and submit the receipt to CAN to have the expense deducted from your monthly bill. How do we keep track of damage? Does CAN inspect the car after every use?The members cross-check each other. A visual inspection is required before and after each use. If you see any new scratches, just let us know. We hope our members are careful - but truly - they're just cars. Our most important resource is the person driving it! Can Baby Seats be used in the cars? What about Bike Racks? Roof Racks?Child seat bolts are installed in all our cars. Most cars also have air bags so all children under 12 must be in the back seat. CAN has installed bike racks and roof racks on some cars – privately-owned racks used on CAN cars are not covered by our insurance. Be sure to book a car with the rack you need. Will I meet my Car Mates?Yes, CAN may host members' meetings and there is an AGM every year. At this time you'll all get to know each other and can even arrange to take trips together. Members can ride share to split the costs anywhere. What if I get a ticket or get towed?Car sharing is about sharing the costs and access to a vehicle. It is not about sharing responsibility or liability for damages and infraction costs. If you get a speeding, parking or other car-related ticket, you'll have to pay for it. If the car is towed or impounded while it is out in your name, you will have to pay for the cost incurred. Check This Out:
|
|
|
|
|
home|join us|about CAN|privacy policy|contact us |