Bolt: Request a Ride 4+

I used Bolt scooters and bikes all over Krakow for several days. I had poor experiences with the Bolt scooters, many being under powered, not recognizing clear corridors between red zones, and misrepresenting the available power.
I had to uninstall and reinstall the app several times, including once just to end a ride because the app froze and wouldn’t let me stop.
I also had the app freeze at the end of a group ride and only let me finish one of the 4 scooters in the group. When I contacted support, they kept asking what error message I got, and either because they didn’t understand me, or were being intentionally obtuse, would not accept any explanation I tried to give. I uploaded photos of the scooters parking spots, screenshots of the 1st scooters’s completion and tried to appeal to them using their own data, it to no avail. The poor app ended up costing m an additional 45PLN, more than the original ride cost and their support team refused to refund my money despite the overwhelming evidence I presented.
I would suggest using Lime or Tier or Bird but never again Bolt.

Leaving a review has an opportunity cost. I don’t want to waste my time leaving a detailed negative review because it’s just not worth my time. For Bolt, though, I’ll make an exception. I decided to try Bolt for the first time this weekend. I was in a rush, and Uber wasn’t connecting me to a driver. I downloaded Bolt, thinking I’d give them a chance to win me over. This was a Friday. Bolt tried to connect me, failed, then reconnected to a driver, failed again. At that point, my Uber had connected so that’s what I used. Flash forward to Sunday. We’re in London, pubs are closing. My wife and I are ready to go home. The bus (love it) will take 45 minutes. Uber will take 20, but costs an arm and a leg. Bolt is half the price, and only adds a couple of minutes of wait time. I select Bolt. A six minute wait turns into a six minute wait. And another six minutes. Three minutes have elapsed, and it’s still a six minute wait. I’ve been connected to a driver - hurray. Except my ride is cancelled. I decide to take the bus. My wife wants to try Bolt on her account. We connect to a driver. A three minute wait turns into a four minute wait. The driver cancels. We end up taking the TfL bus. It’s reliable. I delete the Bolt app. I leave this review. I hope that others don’t make the same mistake. Peace out Bolt, good luck ✌️

Experience: Needed to commute to work, located an hour away. Issue: Encountered a major hurdle with Bolt’s payment system - my debit card, despite multiple verifications with the bank, was consistently declined. Bolt’s system is apparently at fault. Customer Service Response: Lacking effectiveness. Now, there’s an additional 48-hour wait just to attempt adding a card again. Overall Assessment: Bolt’s failure in a basic service aspect - processing a payment - is more than just a personal inconvenience; it’s a glaring flaw in their system. This incident isn’t just about being stranded without a ride; it reflects poorly on Bolt’s reliability and customer service quality. Impact on Bolt’s Reputation and Business: Such experiences can severely damage Bolt’s reputation. In the competitive ride-sharing market, reliability and ease of use are crucial. Issues like these drive customers away, potentially to competitors. Every frustrated customer like me represents not just a lost ride but a loss of trust in Bolt’s ability to deliver a basic service. Moreover, word of mouth and online reviews magnify the impact of negative experiences, further eroding the company’s standing in the eyes of potential customers. Bolt needs to urgently address these issues to retain its user base and uphold its market position.