Phillycarshare just dumped their "basic freedom" rate plan with a shady email at 6pm on a Friday night, giving only six days' notice to cancel your account or be charged a monthly fee on the 1st. And they cheerfully announced it as a "rate simplification."

The account cancellation form linked to in the email is a security nightmare, with no password required. Just your member number. Member numbers are consecutive. Which means you could readily cancel other members' accounts unless they are manually checking the names of users (they do prompt for names). In which case I feel bad for their employees.

Actually I DEFINITELY feel bad for their employees. Rumor has it they are facing bankruptcy.

(No, it's not a phishing scam as you might be wondering. It went only to legitimate members and the cancellation form is on the site mail.phillycarshare.org.)

The twitterverse went berzerk with the news tonight. Not one supportive or even tolerant email, due to the thoroughly unprofessional way the rate hike was implemented.

zipcar offers a $50/year "occasional driver" plan. I'll be going with that or just ditching car sharing completely. The only times I really need-need a car tend to be weekend commitments exceeding three hours, so it makes more sense to just rent one for the day and be done with it. I used phillycarshare for late-night salsa (I'll miss the night rates) and the occasional IKEA run. I can live without both. Though the IKEA people could increase their business by working out a better relationship with the local cabbies.

Here's the ever-so-special email for your amusement. Crazy emphasis theirs.

Rate Plan Change to Benefit You: Please read on...

PhillyCarShare is pleased to announce that we're simplifying car sharing in Philadelphia!

Starting May 1st, we will streamline our offerings into one plan, the Philadelphia Plan, which will give every residential member access to the lowest PhillyCarShare hourly rates. The monthly fee will be $15 and the hourly rates will range from $3.55 to $8.55, with the continued monthly 5 cent reduction in the hourly rate through July 2009. All current Basic Freedom members will be converted to this new membership plan on April 30th, when the first of your $15 monthly membership fees will be charged to your credit card.

With the significantly lower hourly rates available in your new plan, you will have access to the lowest hourly rates on the largest fleet with the most locations in Philadelphia.

If you have any questions, please call our Member Services folks at 215-730-0988, ext. 5. If you would prefer to pay all at once, we will provide a 30% discount on the monthly fees; you should mention "Coupon Philadelphia" to the Member Services associate, who will then charge you $125 for a 12 month membership.

If you have any concerns, please call Member Services at 215-730-0988, ext. 5. If this plan is not for you, then please use the link below by April 30th, 2009 to cancel your PhillyCarShare membership and avoid being charged the $15 May membership fee.

With rate simplification and the most extensive network of vehicles and neighborhoods, we are solidifying the fact that PhillyCarShare is the most convenient choice for those short trips around the city.

Since we launched in 2002, Philadelphians have embraced car sharing because we're convenient, we make good sense for your wallet, and we're green. As the nonprofit car sharing company dedicated wholly to serving Philadelphia now and in the long-run, PhillyCarShare is, in fact, a plan for Philadelphia, creating a more sustainable future for this great city and playing a fun and convenient role in your life.

Tags: cars, environment, green, philly, phillycarshare, politics