The man, hailing from Maharashtra’s Beed district, alleges that his Ola Electric scooter stopped working just days after delivery
Sachin Gitte, from Parli, Maharashtra, has staged a unique protest to voice his frustration with Ola Electric – tying a donkey to his electric scooter, and parading it around town with flyers asking people not to trust the manufacturer! The man alleges that the scooter stopped working just six days after taking delivery.
As per an ABP report, Sachin Gitte is a Maharashtra-based businessman, who took delivery of his electric scooter on March 24. However, just six days after, the scooter stopped working, following which he approached Ola Electric. A visit from the manufacturer’s service executive was unfruitful, as the scooter refused to work even after that.
Since then, Mr Gitte has been getting evasive replies from Ola Electric’s customer care despite repeated calls, states the report. This raised a lot of concerns for the owner, as there was no physical dealer network or showroom, even at the district or divisional level, where he could visit to have his problems rectified.
After repeated attempts to contact the customer care failed to generate any satisfactory results, the owner decided to stage a protest and bring attention to his plight. The donkey and the banners have surely helped bring a lot of attention.
This is not the first time donkeys were used to protest against automakers. Similar incidents have happened previously, where donkeys were tied to an MG Hector and a Ford Endeavour. Banners with donkey motifs have been used by a Kia Seltos owner and a Toyota Urban Cruiser owner as well, although no real animals were used there.
Sachin Gitte has also reportedly reached out to the Consumer Forum, complaining that the manufacturer has not repaired or replaced the scooter. He has also urged for an investigation into Ola Electric, alleging that there is no financial protection for consumers from the company.
Ola Electric announced a recall for 1,441 electric scooters on April 24, for detailed diagnostics and health checks after one caught fire in Pune. It should also be noted that several other owners have reported more problems, common ones being scooters driving in reverse unprompted and battery discharging way too quickly.