Scooter bug

[Debbie Jean]

Scooter Bug has no incentive to improve… people book them because they are “convenient”… well until they’re not, as many unsatisfied customers report. Still this thread started with someone who read all the bad reviews but was still asking “are they really that bad”?

So why should they improve?

BTW, I define convenient more broadly… not having to worry about whether my scooter holds a charge is convenient! I make my plan from there.

 

[lanejudy]

I start with admitting I've never rented an ECV from ScooterBug. But I do wonder if WDW doesn't really care about the poor reviews for Scooter Bug. Disney has granted 1 massive contract for in-park rentals and exclusive Bell Services access, on both coasts. There were plenty of negative reviews prior to that contract. I think WDW sees it as 1) fewer ECVs cluttering Bell Services at the resorts, 2) less liability for lost or misplaced equipment, 3) potentially fewer units kept in the parks. An executive could spin that as positive for WDW and continue renewing the Scooter Bug contract despite negative reviews.

 

[mamabunny]

I start with admitting I've never rented an ECV from ScooterBug. But I do wonder if WDW doesn't really care about the poor reviews for Scooter Bug. Disney has granted 1 massive contract for in-park rentals and exclusive Bell Services access, on both coasts. There were plenty of negative reviews prior to that contract. I think WDW sees it as 1) fewer ECVs cluttering Bell Services at the resorts, 2) less liability for lost or misplaced equipment, 3) potentially fewer units kept in the parks. An executive could spin that as positive for WDW and continue renewing the Scooter Bug contract despite negative reviews.

I believe that contract was settled under a previous CEO. I think it’s quite likely that (eventually) Scooterbug will decide it’s time to up their ask at contract renewal time, and when that happens, we may well see changes. Minimally, it should prompt Disney to loop in some other vendors for bids.

In the interim, anyone who has a poor experience with Disney’s vendor partner should let Disney know about poor service, broken equipment, etc. Most contracts of this nature will have performance clauses, and Disney can’t hold Scooterbug accountable to enforce those clauses if they don’t know about the problems.

 

[Lewisc]

I used Scooterbug last year. Short stay. The seat wasn't as comfortable as Gold captain chair. The battery easily ran all day. It had maybe 20% left at the end of the day. Gold scooters usually only goes down 20% and is good for 2-3 days. Scooterbug had an onboard charger, you only need the cord to charge.

i rented with Scooterbug for 2 reasons; short stay pricing and bell services delivery.

Scooterbug was more then adequate for my needs.

 

[KPeterso]

I believe that contract was settled under a previous CEO. I think it’s quite likely that (eventually) Scooterbug will decide it’s time to up their ask at contract renewal time, and when that happens, we may well see changes. Minimally, it should prompt Disney to loop in some other vendors for bids.

In the interim, anyone who has a poor experience with Disney’s vendor partner should let Disney know about poor service, broken equipment, etc. Most contracts of this nature will have performance clauses, and Disney can’t hold Scooterbug accountable to enforce those clauses if they don’t know about the problems.

We rented from Scooterbug at Disneyland (we use Gold at WDW) in July. When we returned it to Bell Services, they asked how it went and my Mom gave an honest review that she thought it ok, but not great. She likes the much smaller, more maneuverable ones from Gold and this one was not that. Bell Services told her that they would be noting that in their book and that they have gotten a lot of complaints about Scooterbug and were not happy about them (or liked them) at all.

 

[Evita_W]

I start with admitting I've never rented an ECV from ScooterBug. But I do wonder if WDW doesn't really care about the poor reviews for Scooter Bug. Disney has granted 1 massive contract for in-park rentals and exclusive Bell Services access, on both coasts. There were plenty of negative reviews prior to that contract. I think WDW sees it as 1) fewer ECVs cluttering Bell Services at the resorts, 2) less liability for lost or misplaced equipment, 3) potentially fewer units kept in the parks. An executive could spin that as positive for WDW and continue renewing the Scooter Bug contract despite negative reviews.

Also, the 2 or 3 million dollars that Scooter Bug allegedly throws Disney's way every so often probably comes into play with this as well. Sadly, until it starts costing Disney money, they have little incentive to care what Scooterbug does or doesn't do.

 

[Evita_W]

I believe that contract was settled under a previous CEO. I think it’s quite likely that (eventually) Scooterbug will decide it’s time to up their ask at contract renewal time, and when that happens, we may well see changes. Minimally, it should prompt Disney to loop in some other vendors for bids.

In the interim, anyone who has a poor experience with Disney’s vendor partner should let Disney know about poor service, broken equipment, etc. Most contracts of this nature will have performance clauses, and Disney can’t hold Scooterbug accountable to enforce those clauses if they don’t know about the problems.

The thing is by all accounts, Scooterbug is paying Disney, not the other way around. But definitely keep reporting all issues to Disney, they should get the hint eventually.

 

[mamabunny]

The thing is by all accounts, Scooterbug is paying Disney, not the other way around. But definitely keep reporting all issues to Disney, they should get the hint eventually.

It was my understanding that Scooterbug is under contract, which is a horse of a different color; if there is a contract - and - if they don’t “perform” the terms of the contract, then Disney could (in theory) break that contract, keep the money, and find a new vendor for any/all of the services that Scooterbug is currently covering. Even though it seems that Scooterbug essentially paid Disney to get the contract does not negate the provisions of the contract; they still have to hold up their end.

Of course, we don’t know what, if any, provisions Disney put in the contract, other than Scooterbug gets the concession for all the US Parks and they have the sole right to deliver/pick up from Bell Services without a Guest present at Disney Resort Hotels.

Typically, a contract to provide a service like that would have (minimally) some standards for the vendor (Scooterbug) to meet, and some language surrounding expectations of service by Disney. The fact that Scooterbug paid Disney for the right to be the exclusive vendor just means that Scooterbug was weirdly eager to give away a large chunk of money, in exchange for a contract that they might have won outright (without getting out the checkbook) under a standardized bidding process.

Maybe no one else wanted to mess with it. Maybe Scooterbug was thinking about trying to draw in investors, and thought they needed the Disney deal to look more appealing. Or maybe something else was going on that we don’t know about. Regardless, I’m kind of impressed that not only did Disney get a nice chunk of change for the budget, but they found a vendor who was seemingly eager to get the exclusive.

I fear that one or both parties may have made a deal with the devil; only time will tell which one.

And I hope that Disney pays attention when their Guests give them feedback - of any kind - about vendors like Scooterbug.