Bird dropped hundreds of scooters around the city last August. (Photos by Mike Platania)
Scores of stranded scooters are up for sale on the Southside.
Electric scooters owned by California-based Bird that have been held in impound in Richmond since last summer are being sold at Seibert’s, a Southside-based towing and auction company.
One of the giants of the nascent on-demand electric scooter market, Bird dropped hundreds of scooters around the city in August 2018, only for the city to impound them for code violations.
While it’s still up in the air as to whether Bird plans to relaunch legally in Richmond, the company apparently never returned to town to pick up its scooters. That leaves Seibert’s free to unload them, which it is doing for $105 apiece, according to an email the towing company sent out Wednesday.
Bird did not respond to requests for comment. Seibert’s said it has no comment, and previously have cited a company policy to never speak to the press.
The scooters are available at Seibert’s lot in Southside.
The scooters are being sold as is and will need a conversion device to be unlocked and ridden, Seibert’s stated in the email. The scooters are made by China-based Xiaomi and retail versions sell for about $400.
The Birds are available for purchase at Seibert’s headquarters at 642 W. Southside Plaza Drive. There is no limit on how many scooters an individual can purchase.
This marks the second time Seibert’s has listed Bird scooters for sale, after some were auctioned off last summer.
Meanwhile, the legal scooter rental market in Richmond has gotten off the ground, albeit with only a single competitor at the moment. Florida-based Bolt in June became the first scooter operator to obtain a license to operate them in Richmond, although it has struggled with vandalism of its scooters.
Lime, another scooter operator, has expressed interest in launching in Richmond, however those plans haven’t materialized.
Bird dropped hundreds of scooters around the city last August. (Photos by Mike Platania)
Scores of stranded scooters are up for sale on the Southside.
Electric scooters owned by California-based Bird that have been held in impound in Richmond since last summer are being sold at Seibert’s, a Southside-based towing and auction company.
One of the giants of the nascent on-demand electric scooter market, Bird dropped hundreds of scooters around the city in August 2018, only for the city to impound them for code violations.
While it’s still up in the air as to whether Bird plans to relaunch legally in Richmond, the company apparently never returned to town to pick up its scooters. That leaves Seibert’s free to unload them, which it is doing for $105 apiece, according to an email the towing company sent out Wednesday.
Bird did not respond to requests for comment. Seibert’s said it has no comment, and previously have cited a company policy to never speak to the press.
The scooters are available at Seibert’s lot in Southside.
The scooters are being sold as is and will need a conversion device to be unlocked and ridden, Seibert’s stated in the email. The scooters are made by China-based Xiaomi and retail versions sell for about $400.
The Birds are available for purchase at Seibert’s headquarters at 642 W. Southside Plaza Drive. There is no limit on how many scooters an individual can purchase.
This marks the second time Seibert’s has listed Bird scooters for sale, after some were auctioned off last summer.
Meanwhile, the legal scooter rental market in Richmond has gotten off the ground, albeit with only a single competitor at the moment. Florida-based Bolt in June became the first scooter operator to obtain a license to operate them in Richmond, although it has struggled with vandalism of its scooters.
Lime, another scooter operator, has expressed interest in launching in Richmond, however those plans haven’t materialized.
I thought they started selling these again a couple of months ago? Or is this just another way to get free advertising for Seibert’s?
The article does say they auctioned some off a few months ago, but I guess now they are selling the rest. I wonder how much the conversion kit is.
Are you sure they are being sold for $105, or are they being auctioned?
I bet they “bought” whatever was left over from the original auction which now allows them to sell them.
Their web site says “for sale”.
If you were lucky enough to pick up one of these scooters check out this post on how to get your new scooter working.
https://scootertalk.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=5993