Is it a nightmare to recover a broken electric scooter?

Riding an electric scooter for months, we experienced a breakdown, and the terrible ordeal of getting it back on the road….

At Mobiwisy, we test many electric vehicles: cars, scooters, bikes, and scooters. Among electric scooters, we had the chance to test the Niu KQi3 Pro, which was high-end before the appearance of the KQi3 Max. The brand sent us a demo model, which we planned to return, but they ultimately let us keep it. Luckily, because I wanted to entrust the daily evolution of a scooter to a novice colleague. And this on a superb model that combines sufficient power for climbs, good autonomy, and excellent comfort.

Niu stores refuse to take responsibility

Everything was fine for a few months until the drama. One morning, the throttle trigger becomes very loose and no longer sends a proper signal to the scooter. Then the Niu KQi3 Pro dies with an “03” error on the screen. We try starting, restarting, repositioning the trigger, but a bad contact is probably to blame.

This is where the desert crossing begins. Voluntarily, I search online to understand how to possibly repair and if others have had the same problem. Yes, many 03 codes appear in the results, but no clues to resolve it without tools or spare parts. I call Niu’s points of sale in Paris to have the scooter covered. All refuse, they only handle the company’s electric scooters. The scooter is not within their scope of expertise. Frustrating.

Impossible repair, Niu scooter customer service in English

Having two repair addresses for electric scooters, I present my breakdown case. The first workshop firmly says no. “We don’t do this model,” the manager tells me. The second is more involved and offers to take the Niu before inspecting it and providing a quote. A week later, the technician delivers the verdict: it’s definitely the trigger. But they don’t have the part or wiring for replacement. They return the electric scooter as is, at no cost.

So I look on Niu’s website to see if there’s a solution. On it, I find an email address to ask questions, on the store page. However, I must communicate exclusively in Shakespearean English to explain the situation – it’s a press sample, so no proof of purchase – and receive two options in return: send the spare part for self-repair or return the scooter. I choose the second option.

A mandatory shipment… to Germany!

On Niu’s “Besender” website, a form generates a case, which then sends a return procedure a few hours later, with a shipping label to print. Yes, you need to put the scooter back in the original box or an equivalent packaging, attach the shipping label, and especially carry the beast to the partner shipping point. And it’s not nearby; despite being in Paris, the collection point is 500 meters away. Impossible with a 1.50 m box weighing over 20 kg.

Fortunately, at Mobiwisy, a colleague was testing the latest DS 3 E-Tense electric he needs to bring back to Poissy, Stellantis headquarters — perfect! We drop off the Niu KQi3 Pro, but we are told on site that the package might not be accepted by GLS. “It looks too big, even if it weighs less than 25 kg, you’ll find out tomorrow whether it ships or not,” they say. The next day, it ships, and I receive a confirmation email. Phew!

A repair lasting a month… but free

Following that, several days of waiting—exactly 9—and then another 5 for the repair to begin. Niu’s tracking is strange, it took less than a minute to fix the scooter! The case advances to the delivery stage, with a tracking link… in German. Do you need to be trilingual to enjoy Niu’s customer service? And I had to wait 10 days before receiving the KQi3 Pro back at Mobiwisy’s office. Over two months of wandering, plus 26 days of procedures, but the Niu electric scooter is repaired without spending a single euro. 

What should we learn from this scooter customer service experience?

Coming from a brand, admittedly Chinese, but with a presence through about ten stores under its name, selling directly on its website in France, customer service is their least concern. And we are talking about a press review unit. I imagine that spending €700 on a device that breaks down five months after delivery without easy coverage and in French is extremely worrying. Still, it has a happy ending because the coverage, which is not very accessible to the non-English-speaking public, worked and was free. A huge waste, because the Niu KQi3 Pro is a very good electric scooter. But due to this reliability and ghost customer service issue, I cannot recommend buying it.

Beyond this model and brand, the world of electric scooters must evolve to survive. It’s incomprehensible to see a device costing several hundred euros with no repair solution, even for a part costing €30. Every car, scooter, or even bike rider can turn to a workshop or garage. Without repair solutions from the brand or workshop, the growth of electric scooters remains in complete fog.

Also read: Electric bikes and scooters, easier and cheaper repairs in 2023