Before you rent from Gold Mobility

[Debbie Jean]

Important update on scooter battery for the Victory. Contrary to what the website says… longevity, extended range and up 8 hours… I am now told they only plan for 6 hours. Weight limit is set at 350 which affects battery life.

Left resort after 9 and was down to 2 bars by noon… been dealing with compromised battery life for several days, trying to manage. Today was the worst so called and asked for a swap out. Was told this was acceptable battery life and no swap would be offered. Furthermore it was my fault for not calling sooner.

So FYI, keep this in mind and be sure you have your charger at the ready at all times. This actually has happened my last couple of Gold rentals. And just as added info I am under 160 lbs and drive like a little old lady. Been renting from them several times a year for years. I think I’m done. Don’t know which is worse… the obvious decline in equipment or what now passes as “customer service”. I think what was best was when he said “So go try a different vendor… you’ll be back”. lol wow! I mean really?

They need to update their website though so it reflects their reality.

 

[CarolynFH]

Wish I could add the Sad emoji too.

 

[LoveToDisney]

Did Gold Mobility get sold to someone else? I am so shocked with hearing the decline of their equipment. There’s no excuse to not replace batteries after a certain number of hours of use. My husband replaced the batteries in my Go-Go Sport scooter. With the right tools, it can be done fairly quickly.

 

[Debbie Jean]

They just sent me a lengthy message I would like to share which they say exonerates them and places blame squarely on you. Just be aware. At no time was I offered anything help or assistance… it is apparently my fault and I need to carry my charger and find a plug ever few hours. Just come prepared. Oh, but they can’t stop telling you how great… the best! They are.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Oh and he told me I should check under the cover for the battery date lol. Call me crazy but I don’t think the useful life of a scooter battery used for intensive Disney rentals can be measured in the same way as a scooter for personal use.

Anyway make sure you come prepared to charge and if you have issues… it’s your fault! I’ve rented at Disney several times a year for decades but they really “schooled”me. My bad.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've noticed that you're not the first person recently who's had less than great service from Gold Mobility lately. And even worse than the service, a very negative attitude by the company which is what upsets me the most. Truthfully, that's why I haven't yet reserved a scooter for my trip next month. Perhaps this is a good time to ask-does anyone have any other companies they've had positive experiences with?

 

[dizneedoll]

After hearing about how great they were for years here, I tried them last year and I wasn't impressed. Banged up crummy equipment and the drop off guy was rude. I've since bought my own scooter but if I had to rent again, I wouldn't use them.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I've noticed that you're not the first person recently who's had less than great service from Gold Mobility lately. And even worse than the service, a very negative attitude by the company which is what upsets me the most. Truthfully, that's why I haven't yet reserved a scooter for my trip next month. Perhaps this is a good time to ask-does anyone have any other companies they've had positive experiences with?

You know I had heard bad feedback recently, too. When they are telling you red bars are not an issue and you are the problem… basically “suck it up”, I think I’ll be looking also.

Unfortunately I’m stuck with this scooter for 5 more days… and no recourse or help.

 

[Evita_W]

Did Gold Mobility get sold to someone else? I am so shocked with hearing the decline of their equipment. There’s no excuse to not replace batteries after a certain number of hours of use. My husband replaced the batteries in my Go-Go Sport scooter. With the right tools, it can be done fairly quickly.

They did indeed and unfortunately, it does seem they have declined from where they were. I am wondering if they have changed away from using interstate batteries for some reason, those were the ones that worked wonders in these scooters. Also, the downgrade on the weight capacity is a concern because the victory 10.2 is rated for 400 lbs.

If they are declining, that is sad because they are needed to keep pressure on the other vendors to do better.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Recent reviews BBB and Google all show the same decline in equipment and service. Frankly the owner response is dismissive and belligerent. Problems are your fault. There is no customer service. Sad. They were my go to… no more. I spoke to the owner… I spend hundreds of dollars to be told off? Nope.

 

[Evita_W]

Recent reviews BBB and Google all show the same decline in equipment and service. Frankly the owner response is dismissive and belligerent. Problems are your fault. There is no customer service. Sad. They were my go to… no more. I spoke to the owner… I spend hundreds of dollars to be told off? Nope.

Yeah, it is sad to see the decline, they were so much better than that.

 

[LoveToDisney]

So where are people suggesting to rent from now that Gold Mobility has lost the top spot?

 

[Debbie Jean]

Received the message below this morning.

I let him know it burned a bar going from the bus stop to the Starbucks at AK. At noon I was down to 2 green bars. I don’t know plugs at this park… finally found one… so I’m using my vacation to sit inside a bathroom charging a scooter. You can see this is not a “problem” for Gold. So be aware when you book that this is the owners perspective. You will get no customer service, bring your charger and be prepared to search for a bathroom with an outlet where you can sit.

BTW, just for fun I’ve been looking over people’s shoulder driving GMS scooters and mirabile dictu they have a full five green bars. Probably just arrived and teleported into the park. Nah. Only a couple of options here. Owner is a liar. Or he has decided to act out on a 73 year old lady traveling solo. But you may have heard of him… he’s the scooter magnate… I think he invented them! At least that’s what he keeps reminding me of…

Never before. Never again

 

[LoveToDisney]

@ Debbie Jean
Just curious, did the ECV always have some Green bars showing (but not all of them since you mentioned getting down to 2 green bars)? Did you operate the ECV with any yellow bars? Thanks.

 

[Debbie Jean]

No. I’ve been renting a scooter at Disney 20 years, more than 30 days a year. I don’t let the dial EVER go to yellow. Except one time many years ago… MNNSHP scooter drained slowly… died near midnight… I did not have the charger, rookie mistake ALWAYS bring your charger. DD and I managed to push it back to BLT where luckily we were staying.

I learned my lesson. At 73 years old I now travel alone and always bring the charger. I don’t do yellow bars. If I’m down to two green bars at noon, there’s a problem with the scooter. Anyone who is happy to ride on yellow bars… have at it! If you rent from Gold, don’t expect any help since the owner himself has stated… see above… that yellow and red bars are perfectly fine. If you have any issues it’s your fault cause they’re the best! Oh, and you can try another vendor, but he knows you’ll come back to Gold… cause they’re the best… oh, did I say that already? lol

 

[LoveToDisney]

i was just asking about the bars because I knew how my own personal ECV acted when the batteries needed to be changed. Even the peppiness of the scooter gets affected. I was not suggesting driving half the day in yellow. Once yellow shows up, I would either be headed back to the hotel or finding an outlet. Sorry you had a bad experience. Perhaps consider buying your own ECV if you rent a lot might be an option.

 

[Lewisc]

My memory, correct me if I'm wrong Gold used to change batteries every 6 months. Now it's yearly.

New owners, in general, need to squeeze money( cut costs and increase prices) to cover the cost of buying the company and preparing the Financials for the next sale.

On demand delivery and frequent equipment replacements may not have been sustainable. I wasn't generally charged for an 8th or 9th day. I'm not sure lowering the rental minimum was a good idea.

A battery which never shows yellow even after a long day is probably overkill.

Buenavistascooters has been in business a long time. A board sponsor. They are the preferred vendor at Portofino Bay Hotel.

Scotterbug upgraded the resort rental ECV a few years ago. Not the best but easy pick up and drop off with bell services. The ECV I rented had an on-board charger. You only needed to carry the cord.

 

[Madteaparty001]

I rented 2 scooters from Gold in October, a three wheeler and a four wheeler for my parents (I think they were both victory scooters?), and the battery lasted all day on both of them, never hit red and we charged them every night. I was nervous leading up to the drop off because the bad experience posts seemed to start up right before then, while it worked out for us I'm sorry you received a clearly defective product. If this is their response the company has clearly gone off the deep end, I'll definitely avoid them in the future.

 

[Debbie Jean]

i was just asking about the bars because I knew how my own personal ECV acted when the batteries needed to be changed. Even the peppiness of the scooter gets affected. I was not suggesting driving half the day in yellow. Once yellow shows up, I would either be headed back to the hotel or finding an outlet. Sorry you had a bad experience. Perhaps consider buying your own ECV if you rent a lot might be an option.

You know I have considered buying many times. But I travel alone and can’t figure out how I could handle a scooter and my luggage. Less than ideal I know.

 

[Madteaparty001]

You know I have considered buying many times. But I travel alone and can’t figure out how I could handle a scooter and my luggage. Less than ideal I know.

They have porters at the airport that can assist you. From google:

To handle luggage with a scooter at the airport, request "Special Assistance" (wheelchair service) from your airline in advance, and they'll provide help from check-in to the gate, assisting with bags and navigating security. At the airport, find a spot to pack your scooter (if needed) and hand bags to the attendant; they'll guide you and your scooter (often gate-checked) through security and to the plane. Always inform the airline about your device and its battery type beforehand.

When exiting the plane they should have someone waiting for you on the Jet Bridge that will assist you.