NineBot Rant!

[SuperSport]

I just wanted to take a second to Rant a little bit, then I'll feel better.

For the past year or so, I've been a big supporter of NineBot.  When people have an issue, I want to help, and I've always stood up for the brand, even when NineBot has issues.  I tell perspective buyers how to buy the wheel.  They make a pretty nice wheel, and mine has been flawless ever since I bought it.  I've got over 500 miles on it so far.  The problem really started with the NineBot P, but it gets much worse.  I have a friend that bought a NineBot P and got to ride it for 2 weeks before the motherboard fried.  NineBot decided to stop production of this wheel due to this problem, but they have not offered a fix as of yet.  It's been MANY MANY months now, and my friend's wheel is still sitting.  That's $1200 just sitting.

And now, NineBot Corp announces today that they have Terminated Immediately ALL Contracts with ALL European Distributors until further notice.  Some might be picked back up, and some might not.  But, in the mean time, all of these distributors are now stuck with a LOT of inventory that they cannot sell with a Warranty!  You see, you have to be an Official Distributor, or NineBot will not give warranty support.  This is a common tactic with Large Chinese companies.  They get a bunch of Distributors to buy a LOT of inventory up front, and then they drop them.  The Corporation has already gotten their money, so they don't care.  NineBot is worth over 80 Million Dollars, so they aren't hurting in any way.

I'm sure most of you know Ian Sampson from www.SpeedyFeet.uk , he's one of the Distributors that was dropped with a few hours notice.  At this point, NineBot has not told him whether he will be picked up again or not.  NineBot has done this same tactic of leaving their Distributors out of the loop many times.  The Distributors are being asked questions by buyers about delays, shipping times, warranty, etc, but NineBot won't answer those questions.  NineBot doesn't even answer Customer's Questions when they are sent directly.  They let the Distributor take all the heat!   This is so unfair in so many ways!  Ian is one of the Nicest people, and probably THE best Distributor NineBot has.  To be treated this way is incomprehensible.  He effectively put NineBot One on the Map, not only in the UK, but all over the world.  He has spent thousands of hours selling the NineBot Brand and offering free advice and help along the way. He's posted almost 100 helpful Videos on YouTube to help customers of NineBot.  He is probably the fastest responder to questions of anyone I've met with this many customers.  And, he personally answers each and every question.

I'm sorry about this long rant, but I for one will not buy another NineBot product unless Ian is Reinstated as a Official Distributor by NineBot.  And even then, I'm going to have to seriously consider if I want to support this Corporation anymore.  The only reason I can think of at this moment would be to help people like Ian and others so they don't loose their shirts on this raw deal.

Please take a moment to write NineBot and let them know you are disappointed in their decision and you hope they bring back their most dedicated Distributors.

Sales@Segway.com

Sales@NineBot.com

Sales@Segway.Eu.com

If you've gotten this far, thank you for listening...

I did not talk to Ian before writing this, so I hope I have not hurt any feelings, but I felt it needed to be said.

[EUCMania]

Why does ninebot do this? It hurts itself.

[TremF]

Rant perfectly warranted! I am glad you did. Thank you!

What?!?!? OMG if this is right then Ninebot really sucks! 

Ian @ Speedyfeet was fantastic when I was first looking at getting an EUC to help with my mobility issues and I am sure, like other distributors, he has earned them a lot of money and they go and do this? He has been quick to respond and very helpful throughout my time with my Ninebot. As you say the time he has put in, all the videos and worldwide sales!

It's a shame we can't convince people to boycott Ninebot!!!! 

 

Edit - I've sent an email to those addresses you provided but I bet they will ignore it like any other. The only way we can get through to them is if we were able to petition a boycott. Hit them were it hurts like they have their distributors!

[Jag_Rip]

You have any sources for this? That sounds horribly stupid! Maybe they want to sell NB1 through their Segway Network, but still, thats not how to do it! 

[TremF]

Ian, in particular, has done a lot for their rep. Among other celebs he sold a Ninebot One E+ to Lewis Hamilton! Seeing him riding that in the media will have helped sales too!

I've emailed them anyway asking for Ian to be re-instated. I now there will be others that have done a grand job too but Ian is the one you see all over You Tube and Facebook which is why I went to him when I got my Ninebot One E+ last year.

One thing I want to add. As annoyed as we are please don't send them your first draft email  Initially I got out my frustration and the email wasn't too nice BUT knowing that won't help I edited it to be more professional and polite. Hopefully Ninebot will see sense with Ian at least!

[SuperSport]

11 minutes ago, Jag_Rip said:

You have any sources for this? That sounds horribly stupid! Maybe they want to sell NB1 through their Segway Network, but still, thats not how to do it! 

Direct from Facebook:

Ian has personally offered to cover warranties for already sold units, but NineBot is not.

Here is the report of the new office being opened.  This new office is now Fully in charge in Europe.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/segway-opens-new-european-office-in-amsterdam-583758431.html

[TremF]

I've had a response from Ninebot...

"Dear Sir,

We really appreciate every distributors effort in the past few years.

As you know now we've already established the Segway Europe Company who will responsible for the sales in EMEA Region.

So we need to stop all the contracts we signed in Beijing before.

For the contract which still in period, we've already instruct the distributors to Segway Europe"

 

Hopefully they have just severed ties between Beijing and the distributors and Segway Europe will sign them back up again but surely they could have just transferred them? I can't see them wanting to lose the sales and promotional material the distributors, Ian in particular, do for them.

[Jag_Rip]

Intelligently you build up your own network and offer existing resellers to join it, not break all ties for a few months to build up your own and then start reinviting... unfortunately this way will work out for them since there isnt any competition. Customers will still buy Ninebots. They just milked their best selling 3rd party companies this way. And thats a very bad behaviour.

[Rehab1]

@SuperSport A well warranted rant! I own 2 nb1s and I am very pleased with the product so far but this is terrible news for the distributors such as speedyfeet.uk ( not sure if the termination applies to the US market such as Forward California). I wrote in an earlier post @FORWARD california informed me that Segway US decided not to release the NB Pro in the states. Emails were sent for an explanation but no response. Now it appears there is a whole shake up of NB dealerships worldwide. In my opinion unless Segway and Ninebot are filing for bankruptcy I believe they have a strategic dealership game plan.

If you go to online sites such as Ebay, NB 1s are being sold by private sellers claiming to be authorized Segway/NB dealers. This is not the case. Many of these sellers are just mom and pop sites that have a 'get rich scheme' and decided to purchase10 -20 initial units from China and sell them online. With no official service facility these 'false stores' close quickly once they sell their remaining NB 1 product. This casts a negative shadow on Segway and Ninebot when it comes to customer satisfaction and service. I truly believe they will be shifting their corporate dealership paradigm where they sell NBs only to authorized dealers worldwide. Speedyfeet and Forward California should be in great shape. I am not familiar with the other NB 1 dealers. 

I feel horrible that the dealers representing Segway and Ninebot are being put in this position of uncertainty. So stressful! 

[dmethvin]

This seems like a big mistake on Ninebot's part. The independent dealers have done all of the heavy lifting to promote electric unicycles. Dealers have generated excitement about these products through Youtube videos and their presence here on the forum. Those dealers are why a lot of us got a wheel. 

Fortunately for the dealers, there are other manufacturers. If I was a dealer I definitely wouldn't want to be tied to one brand at this point. Ninebot's constant firmware screw-ups, both on the Ninebot One and the Ninebot Mini, could be enough reason to avoid them.

[Jag_Rip]

I guess we all agree, WHAT they are doing is in generally OK, but not HOW they are doing it.

[OliverH]

That's the Chinese way of "Developing markets". Different customers and destroying established sales channels. 

[EUCMania]

I imagine that there is conversation inside seg-nb conference room:

Seg: Hi, NB now we are in the same bed.

NB: Great.

Seg: However, you are still continuing your relation with others.

NB: ?

Seg: For example, you are still selling NBs though other distributors, while not allowing OUR seg distributors to sell NBs.

NB: We had exclusive distribution contracts with these 3rd party distributors in force. They helped us a lot.

Seg: But we are married now, you must cut your relation with any, every 3rd parties.

NB: We can include these 3rd party distributors into Seg-nb sales network.

Seg: No way!

NB: Look at your Seg sales, they are a money drain, they sit there doing nothing, sell nothing.

Seg: Shut up. ( stand up, slap NB's face. kick NB's ball ). 

Fight...Fight....With all Seg sales reps but no 3rd party NB distributors in the conference, Seg surely wins.

NB lying on the ground, gasping for air, no 911 to call.....

Seg: Stop your relation with YOUR exs.

NB: ye.....es 

 

 

[Vik's]

Ridiculous behavior on Ninebot's part! Really rough and senseless treatment of good trusted dealers....

Bad news for customers as well as it will sure as h... be more expensive to buy ninebots now.

[SuperSport]

28 minutes ago, EUCMania said:

I imagine that there is conversation inside seg-nb conference room:

It probably was something like this...  Well said.

Like I say, I just hope they re-sign the Reputable Distributors again, or they've completely lost my faith in them.  If they act like other Chinese Companies, then they are no better and don't deserve my respect or money.  And from now on, they need to keep their better Distributors in the loop on things and not leave them hanging.

[Rehab1]

 I remember being one of the first groups in line to purchase a Segway PT in 2002. The professionalism of the company back then was far superior to the current situation. Does anyone remember the Limited Edition posters Segway provided for the initial $100 deposit? It is proudly hanging in my den.

Just a little history lesson on the Segway:

A US patent for the Segway was submitted in June 1999 and granted in October 2001.The product was unveiled December 3, 2001.  The electric personal transporter was then sold to the public in 2002. Here is the cavaet- In order to take ownership of a Segway PC it was mandatory that the purchaser attend a training class. Once you became certified in properly controlling the Segway you then received a certificate and finally could take your new transport home . OMG have things changed!

Fast Forward 15 years! 

Now you can easily purchase a much more difficult and advanced one wheeled EUC over the internet with no formal training at all!  Amazing!

Another bit of history...sorry...

In 2010 British entrepreneur Jimi Heselden bought Segway Inc., but soon afterwards died after falling from a cliff while riding his Segway PT. The rest is history, In 2015, Segway was acquired by Ninebot Inc. 

I believe Segway may be going back to it's roots. Does anyone know how much control (stock) Segway still owns?

 

[dmethvin]

As much as we all love the Internet and its ability to "disintermediate", we know that there are plenty of products that we still buy that use local dealers effectively. Chinese manufacturers for every product category have been horrible at marketing and support, they don't understand the different cultures and standards. As the early adopters for EUCs we've been willing to overlook all sorts of safety and quality control problems because we're, um, well because we're all either crazy or stupid (whynotboth.gif)! I don't think the average consumer will do that.

A $1,000 Ninebot One is a very different product than a $6,000 Segway x2 and it has a different customer base. I can understand if Segway is selling their x2 directly to police forces, those are expensive fleet sales and they probably cost even more in service contracts. Consumers want more hand-holding, they want to try before they buy, they want local warranty service, they want lessons, they want excursions with other riders. Many existing dealers have been providing those services. Why cut them off, especially when you haven't yet announced another option?

[Jason McNeil]

Although technically we were competitors, I agree that Ian has been a great spokesman for promoting/educating/supporting the Ninebot brand, probably the single most important factor to Ninebot's success in the English speaking countries, & this is the reward they give him for his efforts!?!? It's simply inexplicable...

One of the relatively unknown facts about Ninebot is that they were reputed to have received $1B (yes, that's a capital 'B') in investment from Intel earlier in the year. Yet despite all this funding, cash, growth, look what a mess has been made with the P release, Mini woes, & continued sloppiness with  insufficiently tested firmware. From the outside it certainly seems that they're lacking in that sense of direction & focus that emerging Wheel makers have.  

http://www.intelcapital.com/news/news.html?id=394 

"As if all that weren't enough, Segway-Ninebot announced it had closed a new funding round from Intel Capital and Singapore investment firm GIC. And while the size of the round wasn't disclosed, the company did note it's now valued at north of $1 billion. "

[OliverH]

Ninebot made the decision at the worst time, in sales season. If you like to fuck up business than do it like they did.

This company has no idea how to develope and test hard- and specially software (firmware). It looks like they don't care about reputation. Otherwise they would have learned and initiated a continuous improvement process to fix this nightly build firmwares.

They managed to offer an app which only works if you've having internet access. In case of a tour on foreign ground with no data plan/ coverage of your GSM provider you've no chance to check battery status and so on. Brilliant.

They didn't manage to implement technology from Segway into ninebot one to get it street legal in Switzerland or fight for a special permission in Germany to get street legal status. With this you would define your market. But this guys didn't get this story. The big picture view is missing at most of the manufacturers. Sad but true. 

They could do what they want. For me is Ninebot out of scope since a long time. We'll replace the 9b1 of my daughter this summer.

[Rehab1]

@Jason McNeilNice job uncovering data Detective McNeil! So with that amount of capital investment and significant net worth it might be time for NB to hire Ph.D. grads skilled in firmware programming and demote their current maladroit high school programmers to a janitorial position of tidying up the clean room.  

Sorry to be so crass but corporate's perception of this clear mismanagement of affairs appears to be 180 degrees out of sink with their distributors and consumers. I wonder if Intel Capital has any idea that their capital investment in NB is diminishing as we speak?

Here is Intel Capital's 'Contact Us' info featuring the corporate president and all of the directors:

http://www.intelcapital.com/contact/

I just emailed the Intel Capital's president and the director in China the following message. 

Please join us at: forum.electricunicycles.info and read all of the negative publicity being discussed about Ninebot (Ninebot Rant). 

Since your company has invested north of $1 billion in this corporation you should be aware and very concerned about what the Ninebot distributors and most importantly the 'consumers' are discussing about Ninebot!

[HEC]

1 hour ago, Jason McNeil said:

One of the relatively unknown facts about Ninebot is that they were reputed to have received $1B (yes, that's a capital 'B') in investment from Intel earlier in the year.

"As if all that weren't enough, Segway-Ninebot announced it had closed a new funding round from Intel Capital and Singapore investment firm GIC. And while the size of the round wasn't disclosed, the company did note it's now valued at north of $1 billion. "

I don't know but as I read that it seems more like that afte the investment (of uknown size) the value of the whole company (not the investment) is over $1B ... 

[HEC]

For example this article refers to investments in range of tens of millions which is more realistic than $1B ...

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

It's difficult to tell what the reasons are for this shake up, but it could be to clean house of smaller dealers and consolidate sales through larger distributors.  Big business always has their own good reasons for making certain calls which we may not understand until their plans are fully implemented.  By cancelling all contracts, they can pick and choose players and name new terms, 

They likely will reinstate deals with bigger, well established dealers like Speedyfeet and others so I wouldn't sweat it too much.  Maybe they feel that some distributors aren't representing their brand well enough?  Maybe they want to set up their own stores to keep more of the profit for themselves?  Apple's popularity grew enough that they were able to open up Apple Stores and keep it all within the family.  They have a good product and maintain high prices because there is demand for them.  Maybe Xiaomi wants Ninebot to reinvent themselves and make sure all their product lines are adequately represented. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

[Scully]

I was wondering the same thing, from their end, How would you go about opening a whole retail store line (like Apple) across the whole of Europe - I can't see them being able to scale it quickly enough. 

There is always the option of a franchise? 

Or, Like I said on Speedyfeet facebook page, perhaps they just want to gain control of the market and re-assign the distributors - just to stop all of these rogue re-sellers.... Time will tell

[SuperSport]

7 minutes ago, Scully said:

Or, Like I said on Speedyfeet facebook page, perhaps they just want to gain control of the market and re-assign the distributors - just to stop all of these rogue re-sellers.... Time will tell

I'm all for this, but there's no reason to leave people like Ian in the dark like this. He was just there the day before...  And like mentioned earlier, this isn't the first time they've simply Ignored Distributors.