My question about rented ECV’s

[lanejudy]

If they have extra people, i.e. during slow times, they have them go around the parks and if they see someone who is say having a problem with a scooter (rented from them or not), they try to help them or if someone can't find an accessible entrance, they help out.

Really? And how do they access the parks? If using an AP I believe that is against WDW rules because it means they are conducting their business within the parks. Last I knew, an AP included wording to the effect that it is for personal use only. (This is why Kids Nite Out now makes you pay for a ticket for a helper to go with you, they used to enter on their own APs.)

 

[Lewisc]

0ll¹P9

. The elevators are tiny at GF so trying to put the ECV in was stressful. When we moved over to CSR, we parked them in our rooms. I'm staying at Poly this next time and really hope I get a 1st floor room.

If you rent with Gold skip the rear basket. It makes it harder to get in elevators, even with the smaller scooter.

 

[Lewisc]

Really? And how do they access the parks? If using an AP I believe that is against WDW rules because it means they are conducting their business within the parks. Last I knew, an AP included wording to the effect that it is for personal use only. (This is why Kids Nite Out now makes you pay for a ticket for a helper to go with you, they used to enter on their own APs.)

Both AP and regular tickets prohibit commercial use. Is it an AP use issue or is Kids unable or unwilling to let you request a sitter with an AP. AP are $$$ and not currently available for sale.

Disney won't let Gold ddeliver or pick up in the parks. I assume Disney is OK with Gold assisting customers

 

[Evita_W]

Really? And how do they access the parks? If using an AP I believe that is against WDW rules because it means they are conducting their business within the parks. Last I knew, an AP included wording to the effect that it is for personal use only. (This is why Kids Nite Out now makes you pay for a ticket for a helper to go with you, they used to enter on their own APs.)

From what i understand, they do have some written arrangements with Disney that allows them to use their APs without reservations to enter the park to help their own customers if there is an issue. It was a problem at the beginning of all of the reopening.

As for when they were doing what i described, admittedly I should have noted that i know they used to do that, not sure if they still do, but they didn't advertise their business in any way, as far as anyone thst they interacted with would know is that they were another guest, unless the person knew them. And honestly, I don't know if they still do this or not or even if they are still allowed to or not, I just know they used to. Ultimately, if they get told something is against the rules, they do stop doing it. But I know they also get permission to do some things, as to how much is allowed, I can not say for certain.

But my understanding is the following are definitely true:
Assisting their customers in the parks is allowed.

Drop off and pickup in the parks or in front of the parks is not allowed (including in the parking lots)

Money cannot change hands in the parks or parking lots.

Likely True:
Someone in the parks is having an issue and the fix is simple, they can stop to assist. For example, a CM left the scooter in neutral and the person using it has no clue what is going on, they could stop and show them how to take it out of neutral and no, not every rental company shows their renters how to do that, although they should. They aren't doing it to make money, just help someone in need.

Also, there is a fine line between using a ticket or pass for commercial purposes and not. For example, obviously Disney is ok with the rental companies having signs on the Scooters advertising the rental company, but technically that would be a commercial purpose. Ultimately, if they follow whatever security and Disney Management says, they will be ok.

 

[lanejudy]

Is it an AP use issue or is Kids unable or unwilling to let you request a sitter with an AP.

My understanding is KNO requires the customer to purchase a 1-day (or 2-day, etc.) ticket for the sitter to accompany the child and/or family into the park. The sitter is not allowed to use their personal AP to enter the park when officially "on the clock" as a babysitter. Maybe by the family buying the ticket, the sitter is seen as part of their party or a guest of the family, rather than the babysitter providing their own admission to the park. There was a somewhat big deal about it a couple of years ago or so.

that allows them to use their APs without reservations

I didn't say anything about park reservations, I said using their AP to enter a park and conduct business. It doesn't surprise me that WDW does have an agreement allowing ECV vendors in to assist a customer who has called for said assistance; there have been reports of that over the years with various vendors assisting in-park and that serves WDW's benefit to have such issues resolved by the vendor. Entering the park to roam and assist random guests is conducting commercial business and goes against AP rules. And if the employee isn't easily identifiable as a Gold employee, all the worse because at that point it would seem they are are intentionally trying to fly under the radar.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Unfortunately this used to be the case, but DH has spoken with at least 5 people who had their scooter stolen (actually stolen, not mistaken identity) in the past 6 months. In all cases though they parked them outside their hotel room over night to charge and no, Disney didn't take them somewhere, they were legitimately stolen. But the point is that it is becoming an issue, sadly.

that has always been a problem. also check the rental agreement before you leave ECV outside your room.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We heard the theft issues before our last trip from several people. Thats was one of the reasons I booked with Gold Mobility. Their scooter rentals all included damage and theft insurance with no deductible built in the rental price. All 4 of us are on fixed incomes and could not afford the surprise replacement cost of the scooter or even the big deductibles. After a bit of research some other companies offered insurance for additional cost, but mostly had large deductibles or limited coverage. I suggest to everyone renting mobility scooters to make sure you have full insurance coverage with your rental no matter what company you end up with. Make sure it actually covers the scooters 100%.

and if you plan to leave in hallway to charge, make sure you are still covered

 

[Evita_W]

My understanding is KNO requires the customer to purchase a 1-day (or 2-day, etc.) ticket for the sitter to accompany the child and/or family into the park. The sitter is not allowed to use their personal AP to enter the park when officially "on the clock" as a babysitter. Maybe by the family buying the ticket, the sitter is seen as part of their party or a guest of the family, rather than the babysitter providing their own admission to the park. There was a somewhat big deal about it a couple of years ago or so.


I didn't say anything about park reservations, I said using their AP to enter a park and conduct business. It doesn't surprise me that WDW does have an agreement allowing ECV vendors in to assist a customer who has called for said assistance; there have been reports of that over the years with various vendors assisting in-park and that serves WDW's benefit to have such issues resolved by the vendor. Entering the park to roam and assist random guests is conducting commercial business and goes against AP rules. And if the employee isn't easily identifiable as a Gold employee, all the worse because at that point it would seem they are are intentionally trying to fly under the radar.

They weren't trying to fly under the radar at the time, they just didn't have the uniforms they do mow, as they were just starting.

I do know now that they always have their uniforms on when they are in the parks. Some things may also be lessons learned like that, my point was simply they were trying to be nice and expecting nothing from it. These weren't customers who called for assistance, these are ones that were getting frustrated, in some cases even calling where they rented from and getting no response at all, leaving them stranded or another example is a vendor that required the renter to take the dead ECV to the front of the park and they had no way to get it there, so someone from Gold Mobility put them in neutral and pushed them, something Disney wouldn't do. I think you may be reading too much into this, honestly, I was trying to make something controversial and as I said, I don't know for sure if they still do this or not, they may have been asked not to and if so, they would have stopped. Ultimately, I figure it is between them and Disney as to what is and is not allowed. I was just pointing out that they do what they can (and only what is allowed, i do know there were a few things they were asked to stop doing and they did stop immediately when asked) to help anyone, customer or not. It should also be noted this was when Gold Mobility first started that I know about, so several years ago, as a result it is entirely possible they hit the same issue as KNO. Again, not trying to start a controversy with this part, so I won't respond to further comments about this portion, just out of respect to all.

 

[Bethctraveler]

I've rented from Scooterbug in the past and had an issue with the battery disconnecting. I had to call and then they brought me a replacement.
My friend also rented from Scooterbug and her ECV died while in the parks so we had to call and get it replaced because it wouldn't hold a charge. They cam e within the hour.

I'm staying with them primarily because I don't need to be there in person to receive the ECV. I'm hoping I have no major issues but I set it up so I receive the ECV a day before I'm going into the parks so I can do a test run at Disney Springs. Depending on how this trip goes (leaving in 2 days), I may switch over to Gold Mobility for next year's trip.

As far as people stealing - I only left my ECV in the first floor of our building at GF once but have since learned it's not a good idea. It wasn't stolen but I was definitely concerned about it. The elevators are tiny at GF so trying to put the ECV in was stressful. When we moved over to CSR, we parked them in our rooms. I'm staying at Poly this next time and really hope I get a 1st floor room.

We gave the Gold Mobility people our exact time for both the delivery and pickup. We changed delivery 3 times due to travel delays and flight changes. The communication was excellent. They use text messages, phone calls, and email to verify arrival and delivery. Both times they were standing and waiting for us. I like the personal service better than dealing with waiting in line for bell services. It was nice to be able to get a demonstration, and be able to ask questions. We went rope drop to fireworks and never a dead battery. We received much nicer and newer scooters, and all 4 scooters were trouble free for the whole trip. Comparing exactly what they included versus the other companies we priced we save about $80 per scooter we rented. It was hot and the on-board fans were a god send.

We had 2 scooters in each room so we had to park one in the hallway every night. We had no fear because of the theft insurance that in included with Gold's rentals.

 

[Evita_W]

We gave the Gold Mobility people our exact time for both the delivery and pickup. We changed delivery 3 times due to travel delays and flight changes. The communication was excellent. They use text messages, phone calls, and email to verify arrival and delivery. Both times they were standing and waiting for us. I like the personal service better than dealing with waiting in line for bell services. It was nice to be able to get a demonstration, and be able to ask questions. We went rope drop to fireworks and never a dead battery. We received much nicer and newer scooters, and all 4 scooters were trouble free for the whole trip. Comparing exactly what they included versus the other companies we priced we save about $80 per scooter we rented. It was hot and the on-board fans were a god send.

We had 2 scooters in each room so we had to park one in the hallway every night. We had no fear because of the theft insurance that in included with Gold's rentals.

We have had two Scooters and have fit both inside the room, even at All Star Sports and that was two Maximas, so it can be done. Granted at All Star Sports we had to move ybe table. But all valid points with Gold Mobility.

 

[Lewisc]

.
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. The communication was excellent. They use text messages, phone calls, and email to verify arrival and delivery. Both times they were standing and waiting for us. I like the personal service better than dealing with waiting in line for bell services. It was nice to be able to get a demonstration, and be able to ask questions. .....



We had 2 scooters in each room so we had to park one in the hallway every night. We had no fear because of the theft insurance that in included with Gold's rentals.

I've rented from Gold while staying at WDW hotels and while staying at Portofino at Universal. Valet or bell services handles scooters at PBH. Its much more convenient. Having a Gold rep explain how to use is of some value THE FIRST TIME YOU RENT.

From Golds website
. The Renter also needs to take reasonable steps to ensure the security of the equipment at all times. Insurance does not cover neglect.

Always assume insurance is going to use policy terms against you. You might be wind up being covered BUT leaving a scooter in a hotel hall over night is against hotel policy, and probably against fire codes That sounds like neglect.

 

[Bethctraveler]

We have had two Scooters and have fit both inside the room, even at All Star Sports and that was two Maximas, so it can be done. Granted at All Star Sports we had to move ybe table. But all valid points with Gold Mobility.

Good idea next time will shift the furniture around and bring it in. One night someone unplugged my scooter in the hallway. It still lasted all day but we were worried because it didn't get fully charged.

 

[Lewisc]

You can ask the hotel to remove furniture if you need the space.

Its can be a PITA moving around an illegally parked scooter in a hall. Can be a real issue if you're driving a scooter.
An annoyed guest might unplug your scooter, take your charger or move your scooter.

 

[serenitynow]

You can ask the hotel to remove furniture if you need the space.

Its can be a PITA moving around an illegally parked scooter in a hall. Can be a real issue if you're driving a scooter.
An annoyed guest might unplug your scooter, take your charger or move your scooter.

It’s also a safety hazard in case of fire

 

[serenitynow]

Unfortunately this used to be the case, but DH has spoken with at least 5 people who had their scooter stolen (actually stolen, not mistaken identity) in the past 6 months. In all cases though they parked them outside their hotel room over night to charge and no, Disney didn't take them somewhere, they were legitimately stolen. But the point is that it is becoming an issue, sadly.

Never park a scooter outside a hotel room to charge, not even if you own it. ECV keys are universal and interchangeable. Extra ECV keys can be purchased cheaply on Amazon. Therefore, an unattended scooter left for hours would be easy to steal.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Never park a scooter outside a hotel room to charge, not even if you own it. ECV keys are universal and interchangeable. Extra ECV keys can be purchased cheaply on Amazon. Therefore, an unattended scooter left for hours would be easy to steal.

do not need a key to move. just move into free wheel and they are easy to push in free wheel

 

[Bethctraveler]

You can ask the hotel to remove furniture if you need the space.

Its can be a PITA moving around an illegally parked scooter in a hall. Can be a real issue if you're driving a scooter.
An annoyed guest might unplug your scooter, take your charger or move your scooter.

I let everyone in my group know. I didn't realize all the keys are universal either. Thanks for the information.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I let everyone in my group know. I didn't realize all the keys are universal either. Thanks for the information.

and all can be made to free wheel just by moving a lever so any scooter can be moved without a key. even though I walk with a cane I can free wheel a coworker's when needed it is that easy

 

[Bethctraveler]

We were told sometimes cast members move your scooter if you park them in bad spot to.

 

[Lewisc]

,

I let everyone in my group know. I didn't realize all the keys are universal either. Thanks for the information.

The key you're given with your scooter may not be Universal, the point is Universal master keys are available on Amazon