So, I’m going to post something that isn’t, directly, photography related…BUT, well, it’s my blog, my rules, right? I’m going to post a complaint about a company…a company that has a history of elderly, disabled, and sick folks, a company that ripped off my dad. (Well…if you look at this in the broad sense, this IS about photography–kinda. I get much of my artistic ability from my dad–he draws though, I photograph. He was always there with a camera for me, at Christmas, when I was little and it was all I wanted and has ALWAYS been supportive of what I do and who I am…with all that being said, this post is now totally relevant as a photography blog 🙂 )
Anyway, last night, I took this story to Facebook and Google+. I have received SO many great suggestions as to what to do next, offerings of assistance, links to follow and words of encouragement–however, I’m that person who doesn’t stop until I get to where I want to be. And, well…these guys are still, comfortably, operating so I’m not there yet. Check out our story:
Customer Complaint :: Discover My Mobility, Planet Mobility, Detroit Michigan
I am beyond frustrated. HOW can people, and a company be so terrible to such vulnerable people?
Quick background:
In April 2014, my dad had a stroke. He lost the ability to move the right side of his body, from the neck down. These past few months have been incredibly difficult, as he works his ass off to regain independence. He lives alone, he can’t drive and he can’t work right now. He’s a Vietnam vet, a Harley driver, an athlete, a dad, a grandpa, a friend, a sibling and an incredibly strong person. He’s had mixed diagnoses regarding his long term prognosis but, as of right now, he’s learning to walk WITHOUT his cane and still working on getting that arm to ‘go’. He’s made AMAZING progress so far; driving is his next step to independence.
Current Day Story:
SO…my dad ordered a foot pedal from the company, Discover My Mobility. The idea behind the foot pedal is to is to make it so his left foot can push the accelerator and he can drive again. First, he was sent a link to install shady software onto his computer, to get the tracking number of his product; he never received any invoice or receipt. After calling them, several days after the order was placed–they confirmed his foot pedal would arrive within two days. It did and his credit card was charged. The foot pedal arrived missing pieces, the instructions, and not as pictured. (They don’t accept returns on products that are missing pieces or instructions. Go figure.) So, I emailed them. They never responded. So, I called. They told me that the foot pedal doesn’t come with the base plate anymore and they weren’t sure why it didn’t contain instructions. The sales rep, Mary, told me she would mail them right out, as well as email them to me. I received a PDF version of the instructions, and a week and a half later–the physical copy showed up in the mail. (The FIRST thing she asked during that conversation is if I wanted to return the product. They mail refund checks monthly, minus a 20 percent restocking fee. She never asked who the client was, or his address–in fact, I had to remind her to ask for my address during the call. It was ODD.)
Now that we have the instructions–they don’t match the equipment, at all. (See photo below. This company believes they are the same though.) At this moment, we are stuck with a 300 dollar piece of metal, and they get all the money. I am working to deal with this but they won’t even respond to me. My dad is out the money and set back in his independence.
I have done some digging into the company and found that this company was spawned from a company called Planet Mobility. Their owner, Michael Woods, was jailed in 2012 for defrauding consumers in this EXACT regard. His primary consumer? The sick, the elderly and the disabled. I am attaching links to articles about him below. I am also attaching links to the Planet Mobility Website AND the new, Discover My Mobility website so you can, clearly, see that they are the same. (I can’t find that Michael is involved in the new ‘business’. You can, definitely, see that the sites are ridiculously similar. There’s, obviously, a connection–even their phone number is the same.)
HERE’S WHY I’M PUTTING THIS OUT THERE…Discover My Mobility is a ‘newer’ company and they don’t have the complaints out there like their parent company, Planet Mobility. They pay a lot for advertising on Google and Amazon, so they come up quickly when folks are looking for equipment like this. Getting this out there, having you share it, me sharing it several times (sorry in advance ), will help pull THIS story, the REAL story of who they are in search results. I can’t even stomach the thought of someone else getting ripped off like this. It’s not fair, or right. I’m tech-savvy–this isn’t difficult for me; most of their victims are NOT and they prey on that fact. Discover My Mobility WILL get busted, again, which will kill their search results–but, until then…there’s this.
If you have ANY thoughts as to what we can do next–please let me know. I’ve got this, emails out to the company and I’ve contacted local reporters who worked on their story last time.
If you feel compelled to share this, even just for a little, please do.
Thanks for listening to this vent and thank you, in advance, for your help.
Links, as promised:
Planet Mobility (The original company with the owner who was jailed for defrauding customers):
http://www.planetmobility.com/index.html
Discover My Mobility (The ‘new’ company):
http://www.discovermymobility.com/
Voice News Article from 2012:
http://www.voicenews.com/articles/2012/12/07/news/doc50c20f3e82608215612124.txt
Macomb Daily Article from 2012 (with video):
http://www.macombdaily.com/20120118/more-charges-possible-against-macomb-township-man-accused-of-defrauding-disabled-video
And, just for fun, and in case you needed more proof of their shadiness…here’s their ‘office’. Don’t ya love the ice cream truck, parking lot, across the street?:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.47619,-83.1030472,3a,75y,186.4h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sCCHF2Xh3yrtlpKROqHBV9g!2e0
m. peifer 
So sorry to hear about your misfortunes. First your dad’s stroke and then the rip off. How is your dad doing? I hope he has made lots of progress. For what it’s worth though, your story is the reason I decided not to order from Discover Your Mobility website. I was this () close! While I don’t have any good suggestions on how to get your money back, I would suggest linking your blog in the comments section to the Youtube videos currently still up. Especially the ones uploaded by mwoods51389 (hmmm could those numbers represent his jail number?!…lol). That is how I came to know about the scooter and his website. I haven’t tried linking it myself because I am not computer savvy, but I think lots of people would benefit from your experience. I know I did. I usually thoroughly research any big ticket items but not usually the company I’m buying from. I was lucky to stumble upon your blog. Just thought it would be one additional way to bring his website down.
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Just got ripped off by this company myself. Ordered pedal extenders for my daughter’s car– which, when installed, did not allow the clutch pedal to go down far enough for the car to even start.. Sent the whole package back on my dime. Got the “refund” back and between inflated shipping charges and “restocking fees,” I am now out $100 and have nothing to show for it.
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Wow, I was just about to purchase a patient for our spa for about $2800.00.
Thanks for your input. I believe they may have advertised in the Muscular
Dystrophy magazine. What a shame. Thanks again. Pat
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Well…after contacting several news outlets and the Attorney General–I never heard back from them. No refund, no apology, no trying to make it right–nothing. Until this week, that is–when they called my dad and offered him a refund. They told him I need to take this blog down though. They mentioned an attorney, and court, and now he’s nervous about being in trouble because I told our story, about our interaction, with this company. I didn’t slam them. I didn’t lie. I didn’t do anything but put up a blog on my, personal, website.
SO…I could post all of the screenshots I have of this company’s return policies, and then compare it with what THEY told the Attorney General. I could ask for more shares, and then, after getting hundreds more–take this blog down, with a new blog explaining why I had to take it down. Or, I could just post a few more links about this company. I’m going to guess they aren’t contacting those places for them to take down the reviews.
Now, I know that people change, and companies change–but, these guys haven’t done a THING to show me that they have. SO, I am going to post a few older links, to older review. Yes. The company has changed names–but, the owners haven’t changed. Really though–it’s always up to you who you order from and where you’re comfortable. If something gives you a bad feeling–avoid it. If you don’t care, then go for it. You might get lucky and you might get a great deal.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/bycompany/planet-mobility-a43593.html
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/discover-my-mobility-the-rep-was-incompetent-c770563.html
(Check out Stacy’s comment)
http://www.yellowpages.com/hazel-park-mi/mip/discover-your-mobility-480840914?lid=480840914
http://planet-mobility-reviews.measuredup.com/3016
Also, I have been made aware of this less than one year ago:
Mike & Margot Woods has hurt a defrauded many people and will continue to do it unless the courts stop them.
Planet Mobility
Medical Mobility International
Best Buy Mobility
Lifetime Mobility
Worldwide Seating all out of Michigan.
They’ve defrauded vendors and customers for years.
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Also, you can check out their old FB page and comments on it:
https://www.facebook.com/Discover-My-Mobility-220308668049733/posts_to_page
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Hi Melissa,
It is now March of 2018 and your blog is STILL having an effect on the sales at Discover My Mobility. I was just about to purchase a scooter for $1600.00, had my hand on that BUY button, but something (my habit of always doing research over and over BEFORE I commit to anything over $5.00 LOL) made me say, “Dig some more.” And, here you are and I am crushed…glad I saw this blog as I will NOT buy from them but DAMN!!, I wanted that scooter and all of the freebies that came with it. Imagine this; even after reading all of these reviews I was still going to purchase the scooter as I knew, if I purchased it on my credit card, I could do a chargeback and my credit card company would refund my money. This is why I ALWAYS use a credit card…never debit, never cash; nothing but a credit card. But, my good sense kicked in and I refrained, though I really, really do want that scooter. (sigh….)
I have RA, bones are degrading and I broke my back. After 2 years of rehab I can walk, barely, but then was diagnosed with COPD….never rains but it pours. Murphy’s Law. I need something that fits in the trunk of my car and this was just the thing. Guess I’ll have to keep looking.
My sister is angry with me as she says I over analyze everything…maybe I do, but I’m a widow, retired and that much money is, to me, a whole lot. She’s waiting for me to order so we can go places.
Wouldn’t it be SO nice if we could trust each other. Better world, right?
Thank you SO much for doing this. You saved me tons of aggravation as I am like you; I wouldn’t quit until they were done, kaput, finished. Most appreciated…you did a great service to all of us oldies.!
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Hi Lorraine.
First of all, I am so sorry about your back being broken, and all the pain and aggravation that has followed you since. I imagine that is is really tough to not only be navigating the ‘real’ world with what you deal with on a daily basis–but, then you also have to navigate the internet and watch out for all the scams out there too. I commend you for doing your research on the internet! It sounds like you are listening to your gut on this one.
Now, I do not know how this company is still conducting their business. I have not had any contact with them for awhile now. My gut, along with all of the comments that have been left on my blog for the last few years, tells me that they are probably still doing business in the same ways they always have–by defrauding people who really need help.
While I may not know how they’re doing business–I DO know how small businesses work, and I DO know how the internet, SEO, and social media work.
Here are a few other red flags that I see, immediately, when I search this company:
-Their website is EXACTLY the same as it has been since we ordered. There are no updates. Typically, a website is updated every couple of years.
-Almost ALL of the links to find them elsewhere on the web are dead. They have icons to click to find them on Youtube, Linkdin, Twitter, Pinterest, their Blog, etc., yet the only one that works is their Facebook link. Small businesses depend on social media to stay relevant and competitive. They usually use photos, customer testimonials, business updates, etc., for material to post about. (This tells me they have nothing to actually post about.)
-Speaking of Facebook, they do have a Facebook page. It has roughly 100 ‘likes’. ( However, on their website, it says that they have 3.2 thousand ‘likes’. This is a lie.) They do not have anything personalized on FB. Even their profile photo is cut, and pasted. (I can tell by the white line around the woman’s head.) There is no relevant info. No photos of them. No photos of their shop. No reviews. Nothing. In this day-and-age, that is super weird. (I run Facebook pages for small companies. Social media is my area of expertise. I can understand that with their key demographic, they may not be on Instagram or Snapchat–but, FB is used by many, MANY–both older, and younger. They should be active on there. Even just a cell phone shot of their building, and employees, would make feel better.)
-When I Google search a business that I may be interested in using, for whatever reason–I expect to see about one bad review, per fifteen good/decent reviews. There will always be an unhappy customer somewhere, something that gets messed up, a miscommunication, etc. I understand that. However, with this company, it is about 50/50–at best. For every one good review, there is a bad one, too. Now, being that I don’t trust that right away, I then start thinking that some of those good reviews may come from a friend, an owner, an employee, or from a family member and may not be accurate either. (Friends, employees, and family usually have no reason to purposely leave a bad review–a good one though, yes.) So, the bad reviews actually speak really loudly to me–especially in this case.
-Lastly, everything that comes up when I search them looks like it is paid for–well, all the good, and all their business info is paid for anyway. (It says ‘Ad’ by the search results.) Most companies have a blog, social media, and an updated website to draw in potential customers. These are free things that work by grabbing key words from your search results. (Aka: SEO) Small businesses do not pour all of their money into ad’s–they can’t afford to. So, they work really hard to be awesome at what they do, so customers will say good things about them online. Basically, the internet is their second storefront and it needs to be constantly maintained. This company decided to forgo all of that, and just pay Google for ad’s. This tells me they don’t have enough good stuff to write about, and update the internet on. It also tells me they may be scared to have more social media, and blogs, out there because they can’t control all of the comments pissed off people may end up leaving.
Like I said–I do not know how this company is running these days–but, I DO know the internet, and I do know that those quick things that I noticed (as a trained eye), give me reason to be very, VERY, suspicious about ordering from them.
Anyway, that was a long rant.
Bottom line, take care of you. It sounds like you’re doing a great job of that so far.
Melissa
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Melissa,
Thanks for your kind words. I totally agree with everything you wrote. The leopard does NOT change its spots. I kept looking and read more reviews on all of their ‘DBA’ companies….still the same ole, same ole. The last review I read was excellent….the woman wrote that, after asking a person in this company (recently) to refund her money, he said to her, “Get a lawyer to try to get it back.” She wrote her review and ended it with…”This company has LOVELY customer service.” Had to laugh; it was dripping with sarcasm. More effective than any four letter words she could have written.
I am going to purchase from a brick and mortar company and one that has American made products. I can’t thank you enough for wising me up…..I needed it. Thanks, thanks and many thanks. Lorraine
PS Your dad is VERY good looking!! LOL (Hope he’s well and tell him I thank him for his service!) Oh, and BTW, your photography is awesome…in my day we’d call it, The Bomb, and it is!!
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Thank you for sharing . I had just ordered from “Discover my mobility” (Mr. Woods) just before I saw your article. I was able to stop the order in time and bought from a place in New York with 5 star rating and no BBB complaints. So…thanks again!
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AND…since I’m just commenting away, on all my own stuff right now…here’s my response to their request I remove my blog. I really hate calling this place because I feel like, for safety purposes, I should have ALL of our interactions in writing.
—————————————————–
My name is Melissa Peifer Freeman. My dad told me that he spoke with you regarding my blog.
I can understand why you wouldn’t be a fan of it.
I told our story of our interaction with you, and your company. I have photographic, and/or, written proof of everything that I said in it. I didn’t lie. I never slandered your company. I would never do that. I did, however, put my story out there into the world–what folks do with it, is up to them, not me.
I think that, instead of focusing on my blog–maybe focus on making your future customers happy, so that THEY will write a good blog, and leave good reviews–that way, mine will be buried back down into the bottom pages of a Google search, and no one will even see it. You guys have the power to make your future customers as happy as you have made old ones upset. You guys have the power to bury all of the bad reviews with good ones. Google’s SEO works that way. It’s not my responsibility to help you make your company look better.
HOWEVER, if I had lied to people about our interaction, told them never to buy from you, called you horrible names, or purposely spread false, or misleading, information–I can understand your request that I remove the blog. I can understand why you may even have an attorney request that. At this point though, unless I’m totally missing something, I’m just not getting it.
You have the power, within your own products, customer service, community, vendors, and company policies, to make your company look great. If I were you, I would focus there before focusing on me and what I blogged about over a year ago. (If you ask my opinion, which you didn’t–I would wonder why MY blog is still coming up so high in your search results. You had over a year to blog on your own, to ask customers for good reviews, to encourage friends and family to help make your search results, and reviews, more positive, etc. In fact, again, just throwing my opinion out there–but, instead of paying your attorney to help fight freedom of speech–you could save some money by hiring a PR rep, someone to photograph and blog for you, or someone to help boost your SEO results.)
Good luck to you,
Melissa
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I came across your blog and thought wow, this is crazy (I only wish I would have found your blog a month sooner) I think I made the mistake of buying a mobility scooter, the EW-36 from Discover your Mobility. Com Here it is, not even a month later and I’m already having problems .I call them and no one will return my calls, I text and they don’t respond to my text and come to think of it I never got an invoice or receipt I never got an owners manual or any type of instructions regarding the care and maintainance of my scooter. I thought it was kinda odd. Then I received numerous free accessories and they would of been very useful but none of them could fit or attach to my scooter ! This is no way to run a business ! Haven’t they heard ? You get more Bees with honey than you would with vinegar. I hope these thieves crash and burn ! ! !
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Wow, Octavio–I’m really sorry you’re dealing with that. It’s not fair, at all. I’m sad to hear the business is still being run this way, I always have hope things will change for the better–but, it doesn’t sound like that’s the case with these guys.
They ask I take this blog down–and, I contemplated it, thinking maybe they did change, and maybe I am harming a reputable business? Then, I read what you said and no, it needs to stay up…along with your story, too.
I hope you come to a resolution and your scooter situation gets resolved. You’re absolutely right about the bees and honey–it boggles my mind that a business can be run this way at all.
I encourage you to complain to the Attorney General in the State of Michigan–to their Consumer Protection Division. I was able to fill out a form online if you prefer it that way.
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There is a growing movement to protect consumers who write negative reviews about companies. See if your state has passed anti-SLAPP legislation. Truth is your protection from threats of defamation. Don’t let this company intimidate you. They are bullying you and people should know that.
They will eventually do themselves in, but sadly, they are shrewd enough to prey on elderly and disabled consumers who aren’t always able to protect themselves.
I appreciate your input, which was exactly what I was looking for before I would ever consider purchasing from them. No sale here.
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Thank you for the information, Shonya. I appreciate it so much. I will be checking into that. I’m glad you found this blog before ordering from them. I wish we had better info before we ordered.
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I was seriously cosidering purchasing a rather expensive mobility scooter from this company. I sent two e-mails to their “Contact” key requesting additional information. Both messages were ignored. Yesterday I called them asking if they had gone out of business. I asked the “customer service representative” (in name only) the name of the warrranty repair facility near me. Unbelievably
I was told that “You do not need to know that information, you call us and we will call them”. Still angry today, I found your posts written here. Thank you and everyone for taking the time to comment and clarifying for me that this dealer does not deserve my business!
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THE EW-36 is the biggest piece of crap on the internet. When they come to my store for repairs they have a 100% failure rate. STOP BUYING ON THE INTERNET PEOPLE. THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE ACTUALLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY READ.
GO TO A DEALER STORE
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Thank you Scooters Plus. You and Melissa saved me tons of aggravation. Taking your advice right now. Most grateful. Lorraine Holst
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Hello again, Octavia. I hope this finds you well. If you’re still dealing with this, and would like to talk to a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, there is a man named Ameera who is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot.
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I got ripped off too March, 2016, maybe $4200 for a scooter that came to me that needed re-programming that they can’t do. It is their screw up but it will cost me 20% plus return shipping. I’m not the judge of them but I’m certainly a witness against them on that Great Day.
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I HATE seeing that this is still happening, Jack. It’s not right. It’s not fair. I am so sorry that they happened to you. I do feel like they have a bigger judgement coming, as do you. I encourage you to complain to the Attorney General in the State of Michigan–to their Consumer Protection Division. I did. And, I’m sure it’s still on record. I figure it’s all a process that takes time, but the more people that complain, the more ammo the good guys will have when they finally take them down, for good. (Note: By ammo I mean complaints. Absolutely not anything physically lethal. By good guys, I mean the attorney general, and lawyers — not crazy folks on a vigilante mission. I’m only adding this part so they don’t think I’m inferring anything and try to use it against me someday. Geesh.)
Good luck to you, Jack and take care. Thanks for adding your comment to this.
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Welcome to the internet. Don’t believe everything you read. We have handled dozens of these problems from people that buy medical scooters on the internet.
BUY FROM A STORE FRONT AND PAY A LITTLE MORE AND GET SOMEONE YOU CAN WALK INTO THE STORE AND TALK TO.
I AM TIRED OF REPEATING THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER . DO NOT BUY THESE SCOOTERS ON THE INTERNET. THE CHINESE DUMP 10-20 SHIPPING CONTAINERS INTO THE USA AND THEY ARE JUNK SOLD TO ONLINE BUYERS. THE FDA TESTED AND APPROVED SCOOTERS SHOULD BE BOUGHT FROM A STORE FRONT.
THESE SCOOTERS ARE NOT FDA TESTED
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Hi Jack, I hope this finds you well. If you’re still dealing with this, and would like to talk to a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, there is a man named Ameera who is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot.
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They are refusing to listen to my compliant
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Hello Kathkelcri41. I hope this finds you well. If you’re still dealing with this, and would like to talk to a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, there is a man named Ameera who is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot.
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Thank you for posting this. I came here to check the company before placing the order and found your review.
I already got ripped off by US Medical Supplies in NC and Golden Technologies in PA who are providers for Veterans. The Governor of PA gave them excellence award. Don’t know for what???.
I am in CA. I bought a Golden Technology GC440 scooter from US Medical Supplies based in NCarolina. Paid for 3 yrs. warranty so I don’t have any problems as I am by myself.
I am disabled myself being hit by car in a crosswalk. Dragged 40 feet. Being alive is a miracle as what had happened to me. Have limited mobility. Lost everything. Become minus zero. Being put to the streets for no fault of mine. Lived in a car.
My father is a senior and disabled. He could not walk at all. Needed surgery. Spend out of pocket to buy the mobility scooter for my father so that he is independent. Can go to doctors, can go out to buy food and medicine when I am not there. US Medical Supplies and Golden Technologies send me an old defective scooter which did not run at all. Golden Technologies said they will replace it. Never heard from them. So I said I want the refund as I do not want to deal with them. No body did anything. It’s been 3 yrs. and I am paying storage for the scooter.
I told A/E as I had charged on AE and Golden Technologies rep told AE he has send me a brand new scooter by providing the Fed Ex tracking order to another address 25 miles away from my home. I told AE that is not my address. AE did not believe me when they knew what was my address. They believed Golden Technologies.
I reported to the Att Gen. Consumer Affairs in NC and they send my complaint to US Medical Supplies as it is, acting as the post office. And sending there reply to me. that’s it.
To my complaint, US Medical Supplies lied that I have been using it. I called the ATT General office in NC and the person dealing with the case said they cannot do anything. There hands are tied. Att Generals hands are tied. She told me I have to get an attorney.
The attorney in CA wrote to both of them. Golden Technologies rep lied that there was misunderstanding. They will pick up the scooter and issue the refund. It’s been 3 yrs. nothing happened. Now someone stole the scooter from the carport. We are without a scooter, without money.
There are no laws for the sick, the elderly, the disabled. They are vulnerable. Ridiculous that the Att Generals hands are tied.
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I just had a bad experience as well. My Father who was disabled purchased a scooter from Discover my Mobility and then passed the next day. I called and cancelled within 24 hours and they charged my Mom with a $500 “restocking” fee on a $1,800 scooter. I called and Mike said it was to cover restocking and shipping. We called UPS with the tracking number and they said we didn’t charge them anything for this tracking number. Reading all these stories and just the lack of true ability to shut this company down is terrible.
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Read this post from the Attorney General of Michigan, Its my understanding he might have had jail time or at least probation in New Hampshire or somewhere on the east coast. The original “Planet Mobility” was closed from fraud and lawsuits. He reopened as “Discover My Mobility” or “Discover Your Mobility”
This guys should be shut down. If people only knew what he is. Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility, Micheal Woods Fraud Scooter Discover my mobility
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Loved it Andy, ; )
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Hey pmick999Paul. I hope this finds you well. If you’re still dealing with this, and would like to talk to a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, there is a man named Ameera who is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot.
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I purchased a three wheeled scooter from this company and after charging my debit card the 5-10 business day delivery took 30 days. Recieved scooter on shipping pallet just as it was when it left china. No intructions for assembly and missing pieces. Contacted discovermymobility and after 3 calls recieved missing parts 3 weeks later. Finally got scooter assembiled and started using scooter. 2 weeks later scooter wouldn’t go. Called to use the garunteed on site service and was told “not available in my area. So 3 weeks later revieved part without instructions and 3 hours later got scooter going. After 3 months moved to an area outside Atlanta GA and a brake cable failed. Called again and again no onsite service in area. Another 3 werk wait and recieved pary with no instructions and have yet to be able to instal part. Onsite service garuntee is a false advertised lie. Service after sale is a joke. Contacted company and they won’t take my calls or respond to emails. What to do next???
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Hey Kim. I hope this finds you well. If you’re still dealing with this, and would like to talk to a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, there is a man named Ameera who is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot.
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I seem to be getting a lot of traffic lately, regarding this blog. I am so sorry for all of you who are dealing with negative transactions with them. I post every, single, response I get to this blog–the good, and the bad. As you may notice, there is no good yet. (I’m still waiting. 🙂 )
Now, I do not know how this company is still conducting their business. I have not had any contact with them for awhile now. My gut, along with all of the comments that have been left on my blog for the last few years, tells me that they are probably still doing business in the same ways they always have–by defrauding people who really need help.
While I may not know how Discover my Mobility is doing business these days–I DO know how small businesses work, and I DO know how the internet, SEO, and social media work. It is what I do for a living–I work with small businesses all over the Twin Cities to help them on the internet. I believe in small businesses, and I LOVE to see them succeeding.
Here are a few other red flags that I see (as someone trained in this), immediately, when I search this company:
-Their website is EXACTLY the same as it has been since we ordered. There are no updates. Typically, a website is updated every couple of years. A new photo. A new look. Anything.
-Almost ALL of the links to find them elsewhere on the web are dead. They have icons to click to find them on Youtube, Linkdin, Twitter, Pinterest, their Blog, etc., yet the only one that works is their Facebook link. Small businesses depend on social media to stay relevant and competitive. They usually use photos, customer testimonials, business updates, etc., for material to post about. (This tells me they have nothing to actually post about.)
-Speaking of Facebook, they do have a Facebook page. It has roughly 100 ‘likes’. ( However, on their website, it says that they have 3.2 thousand ‘likes’. This is a lie.) They do not have anything personalized on FB. Even their profile photo is cut, and pasted. (I can tell by the white line around the woman’s head.) There is no relevant info. No photos of them. No photos of their shop. No reviews. Nothing. In this day-and-age, that is super weird. (I run Facebook pages for small companies. Social media is my area of expertise. I can understand that with their key demographic, they may not be on Instagram or Snapchat–but, FB is used by many, MANY–both older, and younger. They should be active on there. Even just a cell phone shot of their building, and employees, would make feel better.)
-When I Google search a business that I may be interested in using, for whatever reason–I expect to see about one bad review, per fifteen good/decent reviews. There will always be an unhappy customer somewhere, something that gets messed up, a miscommunication, etc. I understand that. However, with this company, it is about 50/50–at best. For every one good review, there is a bad one, too. Now, being that I don’t trust that right away, I then start thinking that some of those good reviews may come from a friend, an owner, an employee, or from a family member and may not be accurate either. (Friends, employees, and family usually have no reason to purposely leave a bad review–a good one though, yes.) So, the bad reviews actually speak really loudly to me–especially in this case.
-Lastly, everything that comes up when I search them looks like it is paid for–well, all the good, and all their business info is paid for anyway. (It says ‘Ad’ by the search results.) Most companies have a blog, social media, and an updated website to draw in potential customers. These are free things that work by grabbing key words from your search results. (Aka: SEO) Small businesses do not pour all of their money into ad’s–they can’t afford to. So, they work really hard to be awesome at what they do, so customers will say good things about them online. Basically, the internet is their second storefront and it needs to be constantly maintained. This company decided to forgo all of that, and just pay Google for ad’s. This tells me they don’t have enough good stuff to write about, and update the internet on. It also tells me they may be scared to have more social media, and blogs, out there because they can’t control all of the comments pissed off people may end up leaving.
Like I said–I do not know how this company is running these days–but, I DO know the internet, and I do know that those quick things that I noticed (as a trained eye), give me reason to be very, VERY, suspicious.
Take care, all of you.
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Hey guys, I just left this as a comment on anyone who has posted about being ripped off within the past 18 months, or so…but, if you are here because you have been ripped off too, a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, named Ameera is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot. I know how helpless it feels to have so little control over this situation, and how stuck you probably feel. For me, my dad and I don’t even care about ourselves, or the money we lost–it’s more about making sure others aren’t getting taken advantage of…
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I am so glad I found your blog…I was just getting ready to buy one of these for myself but like one of your other rplies, I don’t do anything without looking up reviews. They are carrying these products on amazon with a bunch of 5 star reviews and there is no way to buy directly from the manufacturer. Its a real shame because I need something lightwieght and foldable like the tzora elite they are advertising. 😦
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I am absolutely disgusted by the horrific service that DiscoverMyMobility has provided me. I ordered a wheelchair from them at the end of February. It arrived with the frame grossly bent, and the handles chipped. I spoke with Michael (the alleged CEO) who insisted that I send pictures to prove the frame was bent, which I did immediately. He claimed that he was going to contact Karman and get back with me. I never heard another word from Michael. Several weeks later I called and spoke with another person, I believe Mary. She was very nice and professional and expediently picked up the ball that Michael dropped. A new chair was ordered and sent. When it arrived, it too was defective. I called once again and was told Michael would return my call. Once again, this never happened until weeks later. And surprise! He wasn’t calling to discuss the SECOND defective chair, he was calling to find out why the lady who can’t walk and husband travels for a living had not yet returned the first defective chair. When I didn’t pick up the phone (we were on a trolley at the time) he called and hung up called and hung up called and hung up no less than five times. I finally gave up getting any information about the two defective chairs and decided I would deal with the manufacturer directly since this place obviously did not care about its customers. I sent the original defective chair back and washed my hands of Discovermymobility…Until today, when I discovered that Michael had fraudulently run my credit card for the second defective wheelchair! This is beyond unacceptable. The hoops that I have had to jump through have been ridiculous. AND I STILL DONT HAVE A WORKING CHAIR! This man is horribly unprofessional. Had he returned ANY of my five calls we wouldn’t be here right now. As it stands, I will be filing a complaint against DiscoverMyMobility with the better business bureau as well as eviscerating them on social media. So grateful for all of their “help”. No worries, I am more than capable of taking it from here! My fingers still work! BUYER BEWARE!
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Sherri Jo, I am SO sorry you’re dealing with all of this. They make you start to feel insane after awhile–but, this is exactly what they do, in hopes you just give up.
I contacted Michigan’s Attorney General too–I suggest going there, as well as the BBB. Also, a reporter over at WXYZ-TV, named Ameera is looking for more recent complaints than mine on this company. His contact info is Ameera.David@wxyz.com and/or 248-763-4026. I can’t promise it would go anywhere, but it’s worth a shot. I feel like a company like this, especially with their shady past, would make a beautiful story for any news station. So, you could always contact a few different places.
These guys are just terrible. Good for you for staying fightin’ mad–you can make a difference in someone else’s decision, and you can save someone else from going with them.
I hope you get a great, working, chair soon–you deserve it! In the mean time…let your fingers do all the talking.
Take care.
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All I can say is THANK YOU!!!! I was just about to order a wheelchair for my mom, after having one bad experience with a wheelchair already…..geez, I’m grateful I found your blog, you saved me from another nightmare. I hope your dad makes a full recovery very soon, don’t give up….may you both be blessed, always.
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Hi Melissa,
The left foot gas pedal you bought for your dad is actually really simple to install all you really need are 4 screws (or nuts and bolts) if you want it even more secure, your dad and just a few minor adjustments. I know because I use a left foot pedal too
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I have just experienced an incredible rip off from this company. We ordered a wheel chair. We called to cancel. The order was on a UPS truck, but not delivered. Mike said he would NOT cancel the order, would NOT contract UPS to cancel (it as UPS advised; they will return any order in transit if seller calls.
We refused delivery of the UPS package, did not touch it yet alone open package, assemble chair, use it.
Mike tells a really big lie to justify the policy. He claims FDA regulations required him to sell anything that left his warehouse as used, thus a $600 charge. He was adamant — said ‘you can look up the FDA regulations”. He was shouting like a petulant child.
We contacted the FDA. Here is their response. This is more proof that MIke didn’t learn from his convictions for fraud and continues to be dishonest, unethical and profiting from the disabled.
Dear Ms. Shankland:
Thank you for contacting the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) DICE@fda.hhs.gov e-mail account.
The FDA does not prohibit companies from selling unopened durable medical devices as new. Additionally, if a durable medical device such as a wheelchair has been removed from its packaging, but is in original factory condition, it can be sold as new. The FDA also permits sale of refurbished medical equipment as refurbished.
The FDA might prohibit resale of an item that must be kept under certain storage conditions (such as refrigerated) if the seller can’t guarantee that the device was stored in the appropriate conditions while in the possession of a customer. This applies primarily to In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) and reagents.
You may want to contact your state’s attorney general’s office’s consumer protection division with your complaint. They might be able to intervene.
If you have further questions, please email them to DICE@fda.hhs.gov. Please do not use “reply.” Additionally, please feel free to refer to DICE’s educational resources Device Advice (https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/default.htm) and CDRH Learn (https://www.fda.gov/Training/CDRHLearn/default.htm) for comprehensive regulatory information about medical devices.
Best regards,
Eva Ellsworth
Consumer Safety Officer
Division of Industry and Consumer Education
Office of Communication and Education
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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December 2018 trying to find a travel scooter was just about to purchase this one but i always do a reviews check before I spend money I really don’t have. Thank you, you’re information saved me from a huge headache.
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This is a horrible company. Do NOT order from them. Customer service is rude and not helpful. They are a total scam. To take advantage of disabled people is the lowest form of evil!! To sell a product to someone without the use of their legs that is foot operated as was told to them upon ordering is atrocious. When we received it and told the driver this was a problem he said contact the company and drove away. The company said if you want to return it it would cost 1400$. 600$ restocking fee, 400$ for driver and 400 for packing and truck! This is a person on a Very limited income. Crooks!
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Please continue to keep this thread running. These Discover My Mobility and Planet Mobility are toxic to the otherwise pretty decent industry. Thank you for fighting the good fight. Freedom of Speech!!
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I bought a Air Hawk electric wheel chair for my dad on his 96th birthday, 8/21. Salesman told me i had 30 days to return the chair if my dad did not like it, less shipping charges and a 20% restocking charge. I just had to get a RMA and ship it to them.
The chair was delivered on 8/15 and my dad loved it. Unfortunately, he took a sudden turn for the worse, and died today a little after 6 pm in CT. While very sad, I called Discover My Mobility and said since my dad died, I wanted to return the chair. I was told that Discover My Mobility would not honor its 30 day money back guarantee because the physical chair would have to be DELIVERED and RECEIVED by Discover My Mobility by next Monday, which is impossible. According to DMM, the 30 day return period INCLUDES shipping time. Meaning that really, there is less than a 25 day return period, NOT the 30 days advertised or described by my salesman. My dad died today, and can never use the chair again. DMM would not give his grieving family until Monday to box up the chair and ship it back? REALLY? I was shocked, but after reading this article and everyone else’s experience, I should have expected no less. All the concern for customers and providing quality service is HYPE. BEWARE! All they want to get your money, and they will NEVER give it back, despite what they say on their website. Jim N.
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I have a scooter from planet Mobility ,and their telephone number is bogus. is not in existence the phone numbers on the internet is not in existence. I guess I won’t be getting it repaired there.
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Useless in tight spaces and hallways. Drop shipped from china and when returned you are hit with 20% re stocking fee which is more than its it’s worth.
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Wow, so glad you put this info up. Was ready to order a $1500 Lexis Light for a vacation with my mom. I’m sure you have saved us a lot of hassle. BTW, it’s not libelous if it’s true. Call American Civil Libertiies Union about how to get free legal representation. Good luck!
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Echoing others: “I was about to order…” One last look after about a year of looking at this company & their cohorts (https://shoutoutmiami.com/meet-paul-bunting-quick-n-mobile-inc/) and I found your warning. The cohort is reselling the items from the parent company, but also doing many seemingly helpful videos. Yet seeing how the cohort responds to online complaints gave me pause. I’ve come across some people who do like the equipment, but the way they treat people & the policies they have are really awful. I started paying attention to how the cohort words anything referring to “FDA certified”. So then I went looking into that and found that he’s wording it very specifically to get around legal hurdles (https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumers-medical-devices/are-there-fda-registered-or-fda-certified-medical-devices-how-do-i-know-what-fda-approved). Only the original version of their wheelchairs is FDA approved, though it was only approved to be used indoors (and it’s technically fraud to advertise it’s ability to be used in a way it’s not approved for, so…), (https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/devicesatfda/index.cfm?db=pmn&id=K170787) to a company out of China (see logos at bottom of the page: https://www.jbh-medical.com/become-a-dealer/), who sells similar versions to several other companies (most of which seem to disparage each other’s equipment, hilariously). I also looked up both companies and the owners on opencorporates.com (seriously, go look… esp all the owner’s names, then look at the addresses…) and saw a whole lot of defunct ‘businesses’. Yet some people have gotten benefits from the equipment and I need something lightweight and powered so I wanted to try the lightweight power wheelchairs, but buying from either company seems like it’d do far more harm than good. So I’m torn. After wasting countless hours on all this, I just keep thinking: why do some people have to be so awful?
Hey, thanks for the info, fellow Minnesotan. I’ll either be buying 2nd hand or seeing what else I can find.
Also, FYI, attorneys general offices can’t do anything unless there are many people complaining about the same problems against a single company with proof, supposedly; though, it’s also likely they just don’t care about certain groups (like the disabled – ex: state agencies in MN have been breaking ADA laws for 30+ years). They’re basically as impotent as the BBB (aka glorified yelp) until they actually decide to put in a little effort. It’s frustrating.
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Please tell me that you still have your blog. Found your blog when searching for info on Discover Your Mobility. So happy I found this. Unfortunately after the fact of doing business with this less than desirable company and CEO. Or should I say I was doing business, he was not.
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