I tried Zoom PEDL (Rent a bicycle) and the experience was disgusting

Our life goes in a circle. A person who used to ride a cycle initially shifted to a 2 wheeler and then to luxurious cars. Why? It was convenient, you see. All done and said, life is reaching to the far end of circle now.

Thanks to the ever increasing traffic and the wish to look Cool and different, the Cycles are back again. This time, its not the people who can just afford it but for the rich and "Young saints" like us wandering in search of something cool, InstaPic Moment type.

So I (just like one of you in search of that Insta moment) rented a cycle to see how good it can feel after such a long time. Opened my phone, found Zoom car is offering cycles via their PEDL app. One can rent a cycle for just Rs 1 per 30 mins. That's just amazing.

Many things have changed from the past. The whole system is automated. No guard was present at the PEDL station. Now one can rent a cycle just by scanning a code via their phone. Another good part was that one need not drop the cycle back to the same station but to any of the on route PEDL station. Loved the concept.

Rent cycles for ₹1 per half an hour

How it Works?

1. Find a cycle at a nearby PEDL station
2. Link your Paytm wallet
3. Scan the QR code on cycle to unlock it
4. When done, Lock the cycle at a PEDL station and End trip

All the cycles on offer are the basic ones and Without gears. That was a little turn off actually as that's something a lot of users may not like.

Keeping all aside, i was really looking forward to my trip.

The Misery of PEDL begins now:

I reached the nearby PEDL station, so happy to again ride a cycle after such a long time. Took out my phone and scanned the code on the cycle. It moved to the next screen showing Unlock, Lock and End trip button. Happily clicked Unlock and then NOTHING HAPPENED. Clicked again and Nothing happened this time too. I mean, what the hell.

At this situation, you look for some help within the app. The app gives you an option to mail them. So i did. I am sure, if the option is available you expect some instant reply in such cases that's why it is there. So I waited but NO reply. 3 mails to them but no reply for 40 mins that i waited for. What a crap!

The worst part is that the moment you scan the code, the trip starts. Please see (Jara Gaur farmaye) that the cycle hasn't been unlocked yet but your time and billing have already started their journey.

Now the "only option left was to just End Trip" and go back home. Simple! That's what i also thought but no, they had something else in the store for such situation.

It will not let me End the Trip too. It will only show one message "Timed out, please try again". So i tried multiple times but the result remains same. By this time, one gets totally pissed off. It's like a trap. I am scared that what if i go and someone else takes the cycle, then i will be the person liable coz as per the system my trip hasn't ended yet.

After spending a total of an 1hr, i decided to just keep the cycle as it was and head towards home.

Zoom PEDL just behaved like an old government office which just refuses to offer any help and the last thing that you can do is to leave that place in disgust.

The misery continuessss:

In case you thought PEDL with their advanced system will atleast offer some help later, you were just proved wrong. After sending multiple mails, I shockingly receive a message asking me to "drop the cycle to PEDL station by 11.33pm to avoid an outstanding".That's a charge they deduct if you keep the cycle with you for the night. But how could i have dropped the cycle back when i have not even taken it. The cycle is already at the PEDL same station and hasn't been moved an inch from there. What could i have done that time? Nothing, so i just slept. Here is the booking that i made:

"The thing to look out here is that My booking has ended at 4.15 am". Now that's weird. I was sleeping so for sure i would not have kept the cycle back to the station at that time. The only way that could have happened is that they realised their fault and hence completed the trip in their system at that time. Then WHY THE HELL deduct money from the user for the same. Totally disgusting. That's a height of worst customer service from Zoom PEDL.

Hence, i decided to write a mail directly to them for the issue. Here is the mail:

This mail was sent on 23rd Jan and after more than a week, i am still waiting for their call or revert on the mail. No help shown to look into the issue at all. Don't know what they really want from the service being offered.

Was it a Tech issue that also showed how bad their customer service is or was it just the worst customer service only. Whatever it was but if it goes like this the user experience will be destroyed soon. #AbBas #NoMorePEDL