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E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

bbc.com

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Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#91

I feel horrible for the people who had to scrape together the $700 for a Christmas present for their kids, who won't be getting their scooter (like the person in the article). For most middle class people, that's a lot of money. I second the comments about successful chargebacks, because this will probably be ruining some kids Christmases out there otherwise. :(

I am probably missing something here - but,

- who is scraping together their life on one hand and buying $800 gifts?

- if you're really doing the above, why would you take a gamble instead of buying something currently available?

IOW as much as it is painful to read this, it seems pretty designed for an article rather than real world (am talking averages I guess). If it is real, that's the learning I'd take away more than someone defrauding their customers - which happens everyday :)

Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can quite literally sue anyone for anything. But lawsuits aren't free, and the law isn't on the claimants side here, so they'd lose. So, sure, sue away it is just even more money lost and likely still no scooter or refund to show for it.

> the law isn't on the claimants side here, so they'd lose. That's up to a jury, not an online forum.

It would never go to a jury. The claims of fraud to penetrate limited liability would be thrown out by the judge for having no legal grounding, then they would be stuck suing a limited liability company with no money.

Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#94
I count at least three scooter companies in the capital.

They are all startups funded by quick venture capital. Their scooters litter the street for blind people. They pollute the sound space of the street with battery charging sos sounds. Questionable. There is not much difference from one brand to another. The scooters last about 6 weeks until they need replacement. I question how good is this for the environment?

Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#95

I feel horrible for the people who had to scrape together the $700 for a Christmas present for their kids, who won't be getting their scooter (like the person in the article). For most middle class people, that's a lot of money. I second the comments about successful chargebacks, because this will probably be ruining some kids Christmases out there otherwise. :(

[deleted]

Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#96
post #12

I have read people say that a key difference in entrepreneurship in the US versus European countries is that European company founders are much more likely to be held responsible for their companies' debts and are therefore much less likely to experiment with new businesses at the rapid pace we see in the US. Would that have been true here? If a German startup had raised $150k in venture capital and taken $250k in or…

There's a Germany company, called Relocatly that took money from hundreds of people shipping household goods from Europe to the US -- they went insolvent, our goods were held in port by the actual shipping company and now we have to pay the shipping company despite having already paid Relocately. They took money for shipments even after they already knew they were insolvent. Now our original payments are trapped insi…

That's negligence and AFAIK as a GmbH the general managers/ceo are personally liable.

Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#98
post #94

I count at least three scooter companies in the capital. They are all startups funded by quick venture capital. Their scooters litter the street for blind people. They pollute the sound space of the street with battery charging sos sounds. Questionable. There is not much difference from one brand to another. The scooters last about 6 weeks until they need replacement. I question how good is this for the environment?

Now do cars.

Re: E-scooter company goes bust after spending big on Facebook ads

#100
I don't understand how companies like this think they are going to make money? Electric scooters are a solved problem. When there are too many companies in the same market it becomes a game of who has the biggest bank account to spend on marketing. Clearly they didn't, and they lost the game.
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