Complain about a product or service

Rascal Scooters

Electric Mobility's Defenders

Gary of High Point, NC, writes (3/8/03):
I stumbled onto your website after a Google search for motorized scooters for those that are mobility challengened. I am very glad that there are those people out there that are concerned enough about the general welfare of our society to have such a site. I do have some input for you that I feel is as worthy for posting to your site as anything that is currently posted there and has the possibility of increasing your impact. I believe there is always two sides to every story. Having been in sales myself for 15 years and having been a human being on this earth for 54 years, I have learned that everything we see or hear connot always be taken as we initially see or hear it. Here is my point.

You have a lot of negative publicity from some disgruntled customers of scooters from Electric Mobility. I assure you there are likely more of them out there that you have not heard from. I assure you that those people that complained were unhappy with their decision or they would not have complained. I found several things that were disturbing. Why would Michael Flowers even bother to respond and go to the lengths that he has to rectify problems associated with his product. Why not go out of business in that name and come back in business in another? Why worry what the state of New Jersey (or any other state for that matter) would think? Why bother setting up a public redress pool of money for $225,000. Why do we only hear from a few people that were dissatisfied with their decisions and nothing from the hundreds of thousands of other people that have purchased those scooters and power chairs from Electric Mobility? Why can\'t we hear from the other side of the fence? Is your site so single-minded in purpose to think that every company out there is out to fleece the American public of their money? Think about this.

If you were confined to your home and unable to enjoy any sort of lifestyle that you had previously known and were resigned to live out the golden years of your life stuck there because you couldn\'t walk anywhere without pain or endurance would you still feel the same. Imagine the joy of simply being able to get oput again and enjoy life that had been stripped from you after age, illness, or disease suddenly rendered you house-bound.

I would like to compare the prices as quoted that people paid on the site to lawn mowers. You can do one thing with the riding lawn mowers. That is mow the lawn. But I assure you that if you begin to shop a little you will find that they are in the ranges of these scooters and power chairs. I have seen many seniors out and about enjoying an active lifestyle that would have otherwise been impossible without such a device. Not one of them was on a lawn mower (with the possible exception of my deceased father) who occasionally would ride his to the store but felt awkward about it. I dare say that there are many untold stories that would soften the hardest heart. Why not showcase the opposing view?

I have also learned in life that you will ALWAYS have a few folks working for a company that may possibly misrepresent a company. That is unfortunate but it is life. I wish I could please all the people all the time but I have found that this is impossible. It was even impossible for Jesus to to it since he ended up nailed to a tree.

I for one am very glad that there are companies such as Electric Mobility around to create the possibility of an improved quality of life for seniors. I am aware that there is always the possibility for abuse of any system. We even learned that from several of out former presidents.

Since you are an independent entity not affiliated with the government, even you will learn one day that there are people out there waiting to take advantage of you eventhough your initial idea was to proctect us. I hope that if you do (or have not already) learned this, that whoever it is will have some mercy on you.

Our editor, James R. Hood, responds:
Speaking personally, I have been on this earth a bit longer than Gary and am quite aware of the two sides to every story argument. Our site is intended to highlight pitfalls that await the unwary, not to glorify commerce (not shy about blowing its own horn). The New Jersey transaction was a settlement with the Attorney General, growing out of consumer complaints against the company and an investigation by the AG's office. Settlements of this kind are not exactly something one is normally congratulated for.

If Gary would like to see inspirational stories about elder caregiving and empowerment, we invite him to visit another of our sites -- thoushalthonor.org. There are many individuals, agencies and organizations working on behalf of the elderly and disabled. Then there are those who see them as easy targets for scams and high-pressure salesmanship. Older people don't need to be preyed on by commission-driven salespeople to find devices and regimens that will help them improve their mobility.

And what does any of this have to do with lawn mowers?

Jacquelyn of Kent, NY writes (6/15/02):
I don't have a complaint about Electric Mobility but I do have a lot to say about their sales person and product! I can't say anything bad about the salesman that came to my home to sell me a scooter. I called them and was ready to buy so there was no issues with the "sales pitch". I do know the product I received is EXCELLENT!!! It has given me my life back.

I did have a minor problem with it in the first three months, I called the service department and they were open and very understanding and we got the problem resolved immediately!! The scooter I got has worked great and I have even had friends who needed one go to Rascal and purchase one. They love it too!. I don't think Rascal really needs to have high pressure salesmen and I don't believe the elderly people should be taken advantage of. Rascal needs a little housecleaning and better training and policing of their salesmen. I can't see trashing the whole company when the product is so good!

Dabis of Camphill, PA, writes:
I'm sure this wont show up on your sight (sic) since you only publish negative and deragatory (sic) comments. I am thoroughly disgusted by the comments that have been made buy (sic) the "poor helpless elderly" which have medical problems and know that a scooter will help them improve their lives and possibly help them prevent a broken hip which could land them in a nursing home that could cost between 3-4 thousand a month, a far cry from a one time preventative purchase of a scooter. So what if it is $4,000.00 or $40,000.00. It is still cheaper than losing their home and savings and dignity to a nursing home.

I am proud to say that my mother has a horrible hip problem and the scooter has benefited her immensley. We shopped around and we found the Rascal's price to be half of what it would cost at most stores. Scooters, wheelchairs, walkers etc are all expensive investments. but so is a $10 Tylenol at the local hospital. Who can afford to but a price tag on their health? I believe so strongly that this will not be published that i am going to forward this and my believes (sic) to every senator and law firm specializing in discrimination to expose this sight (sic).

Falls prevention is a very important issue. An electric scooter may be a small part of the answer but there is much more to it than that.

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