EXCLUSIVE:Distributors Dumping E-Scooters Because Of High Returns Dodgy Riding A Problem

Distributors who dived into scooters appear to be having major return problems with one supplier dumping a high profile, scooter brand while another has a warehouse full of returns.

According to Sam Skontos the CEO of IQU Group distribution, he has decided to quit bringing in the Ducati scooter range because of the high level of returns by retailers, who are automatically returning a scooter to a distributor with what several distributors have claimed is “No interrogation” of the reason for the return.

“They just dump the problem back on the supplier” said another major distributor of scooters.

According to Skontos they have discovered a multitude of reasons that the product should not have been accepted by the retailer including “riding through water”.

He claimed that “Inside a Ducati scooter is a sensor that was installed to detect that the scooter has been impacted by water”. When we checked we found that a lot of the returns were due to water problems. Other return problems were bent shafts caused by inappropriate riding in skate parks”.

Chris Lau the CEO of Laser Corporation, who in the past has sold scooters to retailers, but is not supplying them currently to retailers in Australia  said, “We sold scooters last year at Harvey Norman, we sold about seven and a half thousand, which is quite a lot”.

“We got a number of returns primarily because kids were taking them off road to, skate parks and dropping into half pipes and they were bending the aluminium chassis despite them being pretty strong” he said.

“The main problem was that they were abusing them by taking them off-road and onto tracks and treating them like a four-wheel drive”.

“They weren’t commuting to school or along a bike path. They were like trying to jump off shit and we were having to wear the returns”. He added.

Recently NSW legalised the use of scooters with Lau claiming, “I guess (Scooters) are here to stay because every other country in the world seems to have them along with the problems that go with them”.

He claims that scooters are “Fraught with danger, not just because of lithium and fires, but the abuse and how people use them and how fast they go”.
As for the way that consumers are using e- scooters, he admits that scooter riders are “Running people down, failing to wear helmets and riding fast on the road”.

IN NSW a larger number of Uber delivery drivers are using scooters to deliver food.

Another distributor who has a high level of returns is former Segway distributor Panmi.Electric scooters could be three times more dangerous than cycling, a government-commissioned study has found.

A recent research study reveals that pedestrians are not happy with the actions of e scooter riders, claiminge -scooter riders engage in anti-social behaviour such as racing each other and performing dangerous stunts  that have been witnessed by more than 3,600 residents in England across 10 areas hosting trials of rental schemes reveals.

Some 93% of respondents reported seeing at least one form of anti-social behaviour by users of either rental or private e-scooters.

In Australia NSW Police appear to be taking no action to stop the illegal and often dangerous use of e bikes and scooters.

In North Sydney where ChannelNews offices are located riders over the age of 20 are riding on pavements with both bikes and scooters in a manner that is dangerous.

Recently one woman was knocked over by a scooter rider who simply scooted off with no regard to the injured pedestrian.

In the UK recently almost 100 e-scooters and illegal e-bikes have been seized in the first month of a county crackdown in Derbyshire.

Since the start of November, police began to seize e-scooters immediately off the streets if they were seen by officers in public places.

Derbyshire Police said during an operation in the city on 29 November, 39 e-scooters and e-bikes were seized in one day.

Using e-scooters on public roads is illegal unless they are hired as part of a government-approved scheme, the same applies in Australia.

Recently Queensland’s emergency department started to keep records of the increased rates of e-scooter accidents.

Additionally, Townsville police have launched a new road safety operation aimed at “Personal Mobility Devices” (PMDs) like e-scooters.

As a result, highway patrol police officers are “conducting patrols and enforcement activities” claim Qld police.

Segway-Ninebot, a major supplier of e scooters to retailers in Australia recently announced a brand-new ZT series of electric scooters with the ZT3 Pro in Australia.

The Company brags that the scooter is capable of 25km/h.

According to crash investigators a 25mph impact between an e-scooter rider and a pedestrian can result in serious and in some cases life threatening injuries.

If this low-level impact happened in a motor car without seat belts and as a vehicle and passengers decelerate, the body tissues and organs continue to move toward the point of impact. Seat belts and airbags can absorb the impact, but the body’s bones halt the forward movement of internal organs in many cases.

Without impact protection the parts of a body that can be impacted include, Brain, Spleen, Heart, Kidneys and Liver.

Some victims with internal bleeding may not have immediate symptoms.

Crash investigators claim that this is why anyone involved in an e-scooter accident involving high speed such as 25klm an hour or over should get medical attention right away.

Even a 25kph crash may be enough to cause severe internal bleeding, organ damage, or organ failure.

Segway claim their bikes are designed for both city explorations and off-road adventures.

Some common issues with electric scooters include:

Battery issues: The battery may not charge properly, not hold a charge, or run out of charge too quickly. A worn-out or faulty battery pack can cause the scooter to run slowly.

Fuse blow: The scooter may shut down or cut out while riding if the fuse has blown or the circuit breaker has tripped. This can happen when overloading the scooter, such as when riding through mud or going up steep inclines.

Punctured tyres: The tires may be punctured.

Faulty wirings, controllers, or motors: These can occur depending on how the scooter is used.

Other disadvantages of electric scooters are that they aren’t designed for long journeys, some models can be heavy and offer less exercise than a bicycle.

Battery also needs, constant charging.

E-scooters are also becoming a huge problem for cities.

E-scooters have been linked to injuries in Australia, with low helmet use and elevated blood alcohol levels being common among those injured.

Crashes involving riders under the influence of alcohol are associated with more severe injuries to the head and face.