Universal Hub reports on a class action lawsuit filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston by an Illinois man who claims that Zipcar's fees are illegal under Massachusetts law. Among the practices mentioned in the complaint are allegedly excessive late fees, fees for retrieving lost articles, fees for speaking to a live representative, and automatic debits from deposits on accounts that are "inactive." [UHub]



a lot of the info in the case seems inconsistent with my own zipcar experience. like the $20 "inactive" monthly fee mentioned? i've never been charged that, and i've been a member for over two years and there have certainly been months when i didn't get a car (september, for example). i've also returned super late on several occasions without being charged (knock on wood). so i'm interested to see how it shakes out.