Alpha Products International, API, X-treme Scooters ripoff bad product, horrible service, crooks Internet

Alpha Products International
X-Treme Scooters
x-tremescooters.com

August 31, 2006

In June 2006 my husband purchased 2 X-Treme X-500 scooters from x-tremescooters.com. Upon receipt of the shipment both scooters were damaged and non-functioning. Scooter #1 had some broken wires and a bent face plate and a plastic control box was smashed. Scooter #2 was DOA, and the batteries would not take a charge. As others have reported, there is absolutely no Quality Control at this place and they are not accountable for the garbage they ship.

There is almost no way to get help from these people. They first suggested that we go purchase new batteries at Radio Shack to repair Scooter #2, which is a ridiculous suggestion. Finally they agreed to send replacement parts for both scooters. Weeks later the replacement parts arrived, but no batteries. We finally got Scooter #1 up and running.

After many more hours on the phone, they agreed to send batteries for Scooter #2, but only after we returned the defective batteries (at our shipping cost!). Almost 2 months after the initial shipment, we finally get Scooter #2 running, but it still did not hold a charge well and is not running correctly. My husband spent many hours trying to get it working correctly and improved things, but never got it completely operational.

One day our 13 yo daughter is riding Scooter #1 and it malfunctions. The engine cuts out momentarily and then kicks back in and the back wheel spun out and threw her from the scooter. We think that the throttle might have gotten stuck. She was thrown onto the sidewalk and suffered many nasty scrapes and bruises. She also suffered a concussion. Luckily she had on a full-face motorcycle helmet instead of a bike helmet. The emergency room said that she might have suffered a significant head injury if not for the motorcycle helmet.

Meanwhile Scooter #2 starts acting up again. It was cutting in and out and the chain that drives the back wheel was catching. Even with the replacement batteries it was still not holding a charge as long as Scooter #1. We decided that both scooters were unsafe and were of poor quality and started pursuing a return.

Luckily we had purchased the scooters through American Express. Amex gave us a temporary credit, which finally caused API to issue us an RMA number to allow us to return the scooters. These scooters weigh about 80 pounds each, so they cost a fortune to send back. We shipped them back to API via UPS Ground at a cost of $75 each ($150 total).

In order to insure that our shipping costs were reimbursed, we shipped the packages back C.O.D. API refused the shipment twice and now these pieces of garbage are on their way back to me. I've told API and Amex that they will be thrown in the garbage if they come back to me, as I don't want them due to poor quality and safety concerns. Amex is aware that the return shipment has been refused, so hopefully this will be resolved soon. Meanwhile I'm out $150 to ship these piles of broken parts and pieces back to API.

Many others have experienced defective scooters, non-existent customer service, and also had their children injured by these piles of garbage that they sell as scooters. These people also have a problem with lying and demonstrate a serious lack of business ethics. They need to be shut down.

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

B.
Atlanta, Georgia
U.S.A.