Driving e-scooters is fun - as the employees of the Stiftung Warentest found out in a comparison of the four providers Circ, Lime, Tier and Voi in Berlin. But bottom line outweighs the criticism of vehicles and business models of the sharing companies.
For example, the testers consider driving with most devices dangerous, especially on uneven ground. "As soon as you drive over edges, cobblestones or humps, the fun is over," says the foundation.
Turning was also a threatening affair. The scooters wobbled heavily, so the driver could not drive with one hand to give hand signals. The testers have shaken it in part so much that "they broke off the trip because of safety concerns and pushed the scooter on the sidewalk."
The best driving characteristics showed the scooters of the supplier animal. The handlebar is high enough for people two meters tall, and the two hand brakes (which also have Circ) are easy to operate. Lime and Voi each offer a handbrake and a footbrake.
The electric scooters also did not fare well, especially on short distances. This is due to the basic fee of one euro, which require the provider per trip. The kilometer prices are 15-25 cents per minute. Bottom line, it can be cheaper to borrow a car or an electric scooter.
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Electric scooter: These models are now on the marketAlso problematic for users are the terms and conditions of some providers. They demand that drivers inspect the scooters for their ability to drive, for example controlling brakes and lighting. But this could not be done properly by customers, complains the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband. Circ have already signed a declaration of discontinuance, other providers want to follow suit, according to Stiftung Warentest.
From the perspective of the testers, the apps also collect too much user data. It is completely superfluous, for example, that smartphones transmit a so-called device fingerprint to the provider. With this record, it can be determined from which smartphone a request comes - and not only from which user. In addition, providers with trackers monitor how customers move in the app.
"For all four providers in the test users pay so not only a high price for the trips," conclude the testers. "They also pay more with their data."
Video: When e-scooters become a stumbling block
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