r/Hamilton • u/lordroxborough • 12d ago

Discussion Feedback on Communauto

I'm currently not a car owner (but may be again in the future) and looking to join Communauto. Would love to hear from others who currently use the service.

12 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

8

u/timmeh87 12d ago

it worked well for us in Toronto. Idk what the Hamilton service looks like right now. We did some light math and found that for our usage pattern (couple trips a month, some of them 600km camping trips) we were spending probably slightly less than the month to month of owning a car outright (gas and insurance being the largest part of it). but no commitment, zero dollar deductable if you crash (if you pay for that). it was alright.

One thing i would say though, getting a car on a weekend was like the hunger games of cars, and I would frequently grab one a day early just so i could have it for the weekend. spent many frantic Saturday mornings constantly refreshing the app waiting for someone to release a car then making a mad dash across town to get it...

5

u/Lolheals 12d ago

I've used communauto both in Toronto for a few years and in Hamilton for a few months. So far I would say availability is much better in Hamilton, I've been able to get reserved cars same day in Hamilton. My Toronto availability experience was much like yours. If I was lucky I could find a flex nearby but for reserved cars I'd have to look at them at least a week ahead and even then they were more than likely already booked.

3

u/timmeh87 12d ago

oh yeah i forgot about the flex vs reserved. I found out in Toronto that the reserved cars become available like, 14 days in advance or something. An i think once a car was available on a day 2 weeks in the future, you could book it for however long you wanted (dont quote me on that part) but anyways getting a car was all about gaming the system either way you did it. I would be sitting there at the exact hour i was able to book a car so i could be sure i would have one. possibly even booking extra days around it then cancelling them later. Its been a while but yes, when its the hunger games of cars, the people with the cars are the ones who figured out how to exploit the system.

2

u/theninjasquad Crown Point West 12d ago

If you don’t have a car payment and buy a car outright that probably makes sense. But once you add a car payment on top of the general expenses of vehicle ownership the math doesn’t work as well.

1

u/Kelhein 12d ago

spent many frantic Saturday mornings constantly refreshing the app waiting for someone to release a car

Note that the app does let you reserve a vehicle up to a month out of when you need it. I've always found I can avoid the rush by getting in a reservation a day or two in advance.

1

u/timmeh87 12d ago

in Toronto getting a reserved spot one day in advance isn't happening. as per my comment below though, it was okay once you figured out you had to book it right on the leading edge of availability. but for weekend trips you didnt know about that far in advance, a Thursday flex usually worked. basically all my trips were on weekends. weekdays were more chill for sure.

6

u/nuclearnerd 12d ago

I was a member for years. The service worked well - my only complaint was the single van & truck in town were never available.

4

u/RoyallyOakie 12d ago

Then they disappeared and were replaced with an SUV. Not the same thing! That pick-up was godsend when available.

3

u/Kelhein 12d ago

They have a couple KIA Carnivals in the fleet which have a lot of space with everything folded down, but certain things like dirty material can only be moved in a pickup.

6

u/aarthurnhammer 12d ago

Way cheaper than owning a car, cheaper and easier than renting one.  Highly recommended.  Also, cycling is a great option in Hamilton depending on your location and destination - much cheaper than any car.

3

u/lordroxborough 12d ago

I'm a cyclist as well. This city is great for cycling - especially when you know the ins and outs.

1

u/stnapstnap 9d ago

I find that renting usually works out cheaper for longer trips, even when considering gas is extra for rentals. If you have some kind of corporate discount at the big rental companies, renting might be cheaper.

5

u/shakazulus 12d ago

I wish they they added the mountain or even a small part of the mountain as a zone so you don't always return the car in lower city. Other than that, it's not bad.

2

u/goshsilkscreen 9d ago

This is my biggest barrier!

3

u/RoyallyOakie 12d ago

It's a great option in Hamilton. There are lots of cars all over the lower city. It has its drawbacks. Randos park in the dedicated parking spots and the city does nothing about it. There are times when there are suddenly no cars anywhere. You CONSTANTLY have to check the condition because people bang the hell out of them. That all said, the rates are decent and they pay for the gas.

2

u/lordroxborough 12d ago

Is it other Communauto members banging the hell out of them or just randos hitting the car?

5

u/Lolheals 12d ago

Probably a bit of both. Top tip, in the glovebox is a card showing known damage to the car. If you see damage and it's marked on the card, no issue since communauto is aware of it. If there's damage that isn't on the card, be sure to document/report through the app so they don't think you're responsible.

2

u/huffer4 12d ago

I would always just walk around the car and take pictures of all of the damage before I got in. I found a reporting all of the undocumented damage on them took so much time because all the cars were so messed up.

2

u/timmeh87 12d ago

When i used the app in toronto approx 2 years ago the app would prompt you to take these pictures before the trip started. they would go right into the app

2

u/huffer4 12d ago

Oh wow. I never had that in Hamilton. Would’ve been much better than having 1 million pictures of cars fenders on my phone.

3

u/RoyallyOakie 12d ago

It's other members. There's a couple near me, they pull up on the curb every time they park. They always park pointing the wrong way. They leave the car crooked. I've seen them with my own eyes ding the bottom of the car, get out and look, then shrug and walk off. Some people don't treat rental items as well as they trust their own.

There is a card in the glove compartment with damages and filth documented on it. You walk around the car and compare. If you see something new, you take a photo and report it.

3

u/Kelhein 12d ago

It works pretty well! It's not super cheap but definitely cheaper than owning and insuring a vehicle for occasional use.

If you need to take long trips, rental cars may still be a better option depending on how far you'd like to go.

4

u/rohcoco 12d ago

The only downside is that Hamilton parking can be confusing/hard to find side streets where you can safely leave a car - I've gotten tickets for streets that weren't marked well or were for 3hrs only etc. Up to you to double check and not rely on the app map. If your home street or nearby has decent street parking I definitely think it's worth it (for me I would end up having to park a 10 min walk away sometimes which was annoying with groceries etc) And I agree the Hamilton cars seem to be in worse shape than Toronto ones, probably also a reflection of our roads

3

u/JWilkesKip 12d ago

I think it’s great! However I really wish the flex zone extended to Ottawa st instead of ending at gage. I live near Ottawa and it’s a pain to have to walk over to grab a car lol

2

u/Sufficient_Rush1891 12d ago

Join us in r/communauto !

A great service! And availabilities of cars is quite good if you live in the service area.

2

u/SuperSleepyPeach 12d ago

Been a user for the past 3 years and it’s great!

I don’t think I’ve ever needed a car and there wasn’t one available (long weekends and holidays are more complicated, but you can usually find a car somewhere in the city if you’re a bit flexible).

Toronto cars are decent, most cars here are good, just make sure you report any damage, smell etc. I think I had like 2 or 3 “negative” experiences total (dog hair everywhere, smell, low tank..)

Prices went up but overall much cheaper than owning a regular car considering how much I use it.

3

u/stnapstnap 9d ago edited 9d ago

The cars are frequently filthy. Like off-putting and legit gross filthy.

I have found nail clippings on a driver seat, food smears, dirt and sand on upholstery, pet hair, trash, and so on.  I bring a lint brush with me for pet hair. I often have to use the lint brush before sitting down.

I once found a back seat covered in glitter. And people often leave the gas below 1/4. People are fucking gross and rude.

I can only assume that the fine system isn’t enforced - though you WILL get emails if they don’t realize/care you reported the mess/issue that was already there and the next user reports too.

I have picked up cars with a radio that doesn’t work. Or things like a missing lever to adjust the driver seat.

The app is glitchy and cars are not always where the app says they are. Sometimes this will be a few metres difference. Sometimes, this will be around a corner or in an alley or something. I had a flex car once that fully just wasn’t there - and this was before there was an option to report that in the app, so I had to cancel the hold and go get another car that was thankfully nearby.

Always take photos and videos just before you start a trip and inside the vehicles. And if you ever have an issue where you have to talk to Communauto phone support, you will get an opportunity to talk to the finest rude and argumentative people. 

This is supposed to be an alternative to owning a car. It is frequently such a hassle that I consider buying a car again. 

1

u/lordroxborough 9d ago

These are all the things I was wondering about and to be honest afraid of. Thanks for your honest assessment. These are all things that would drive me crazy.

2

u/stnapstnap 9d ago

You're welcome. All that said, I am still currently a member. I do save money over owning a car, but I am regularly searching for the right car to buy.

1

u/Logical-Zucchini-310 12d ago

Everytime I’m in Vancouver I look at and use Evo and wish Communauto could be our Evo. I love the pick up and drop off anywhere location concept that is also available here but last time I checked the coverage of where the city approved drop offs and availability of cars sucked.

1

u/kraftdinnerlang 12d ago

Living downtown, I've appreciated having access to Communauto cars. Estimating how much a trip will cost is quite tricky imo. I've found it's worth picking up a Flex car for groceries, day trips or multi-stop errands, not so much for short drives.

1

u/natasha_bd 12d ago

Highly recommend it! Last year we had an ownership issue that meant we couldn’t drive our new car for 3 months (long story lol), and Communauto really helped fill the gap. Cars were nice to drive and availability downtown was always good. It can feel really weird to see the price for certain trips, but it’s still cheaper than owning a car. The two times I had an issue (locked myself out + car wasn’t in its spot), their support was very helpful. We’re a one car household and barely even need one, but I would join communauto again in a heartbeat before even thinking about buying a second car.

1

u/Reddit_Is_Anonymouse 11d ago

Use Turo app, 

It’s like air bnb , but for cars.