A Beryl Bikes user was shocked to find his account suspended after using a voucher code created for people living in new flats.
The bike hire operator created the code – now invalid – for tenants in the new Moda flats, in Sackville Road, Hove, under a sustainable transport agreement with Brighton and Hove City Council.
On Tuesday (15 July), a Beryl Bikes user, who asked to be identified only as Rob, found his account suspended for “fraud” after using the code, having received it earlier this month.
Rob said: “It seems excessive to have banned everyone who has used this code.
“They failed to manage the use of the code and now are perma-banning everyone so all of their devices are blocked rather than admitting they messed up a voucher code rollout.
“I’ve been using Beryl Bikes since they started in Brighton and use them a couple of times a week and still have minutes that I paid for on my banned account.”
Rob received a text message that said: “I found out this amazing promo code for the Beryl Bikes – use the code MODABERYL.
“Each one gets you 400 free minutes but you can use the code twice. All the cycling for free all summer.”
Rob said that he did not know what Moda was nor did he understand why Beryl Bikes would declared the use of its promotional codes to be fraudulent.
He said that he was aware of friends who had used the code who now could not set up new accounts.
A legal agreement between Moda and the council, signed in August 2020, included installing bike share stands for at least 20 hire bikes and two year’s free membership of the Beryl scheme.
Moda said this week: “We are aware of a technical issue with Beryl Bikes accounts linked to a code provided to residents of Moda Hove Central.
“We are working closely with Beryl Bikes to provide a swift solution to our residents.
“Moda works with Beryl Bikes as part of an agreement with Brighton and Hove City Council, aimed at promoting sustainable transport and healthy living.
“We remain committed to responsible practice and to providing sustainable transport solutions for our residents.
“We will be updating them directly with any changes to the scheme which is one of many lifestyle benefits available at Moda Hove Central.”
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said: “We have been in contact with Beryl Bikes over an issue with the voucher system for residents of the new Moda development in Hove.
“They’ve informed us they have had to place a stop on the original access codes due to some fraudulent use.
“They will be contacting residents to supply them with new individual codes to make sure they can continue to use the bikes.
“Bike share vouchers are offered to residents of new developments through travel plans and form part of the planning consent. These aim to encourage residents to travel actively and sustainably for shorter journeys.
“This helps lessen the impact of the development on the surrounding roads and we’re happy to see the Moda scheme being well used by residents since its launch in February.”
Beryl Bikes was approached for comment.
Well this story is maybe amusing for those of us who think the Beryl bike contract with the council is not fit for purpose – mostly because it’s now too expensive to use the bikes on a regular basis.
Indeed the council funding of the Beryl bikeshare business is a bit shameful – because of the unaffordable pricing.
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The original concept of a shared bike scheme was brilliant – namely to make bike riding affordable as an alternative to other forms of transport, and the pricing was supposed to be competitive for anyone who might ride home on a local journey, rather than use a car, taxi, or bus.
The original bikes were always available, even when the buses were cancelled, so you could get to where you wanted to be – but try and sign up to an account now, and it’s just another of those ever-increasing monthly outgoings. Like a another direct debit trap.
In truth, the local buses remain a lot cheaper, and the only benefit for using Beryl bikes is where you choose to have a nice open air bike hire ride, for leisure, and without the need to own your own bike – which might easily get nicked when you lock it to railings while you head to the pub.
Bicycle ownership in this city is not easy, and I’ve had two stolen so far. Bike insurance costs have also gone through the roof, and that’s no solution, especially when the police will not investigate any bike theft crime.
But I won’t be using Beryl bikes anytime soon for my essential journeys, simply because their hire prices do not compete with bus ride fees.
Times are also hard. If you advertise a discount code online, giving users a free or cheaper deal, then for sure, that will soon be shared.
These bike hire schemes need a rethink. Maybe the problem is that it’s council funded but then subcontracted out to a private company. Too many tiers of bureaucracy and profit taking.
We also need to welcome the real world of electric scooters, even though, so far, they remain illegal to use.
No political party seems willing to face up to the reality of what people would prefer to do. A bit of vision is needed here.
TL;DR
‘Too long, didn’t read’ is indeed the sad place some of us find ourselves in nowadays. I’m guessing you can’t read books either.
It always amazes me when people revel in being ignorant!
I couldn’t be bothered to read your long comment so I can’t be bothered to read books. Got it.
I purchased an e scooter, £700 no rental dribble, no road tax, no parking tickets, faster than a bus, basically no one with their hand in my pocket. Greener than an electric car and costs about 12p to charge up. Legal in every single country except ours, because they haven’t got round to it yet which is proof enough they are perfectly fine if ridden properly. Job done, no rental nonsense for me. £14million for 600 bikes = massive rip off
I wonder how much of the Brighton userbase just got banned?
377 people!
moda put £150k on the code, and with no restrictions! Then blamed everyone else for their amatuer mistake. Beryl couldn’t remove the code so just banned everyone! Most seemt to be reinstated now, but really poor Comms, customer skills and problem management by everyone involved! To claim it was fraud was libelous and laughably wrong
How much profit are these bikes now making for Brighton and Hove City Council?
I think we should be told.
Particularly if they claim to have no money to keep Schools and Libraries open.
The city cannot afford to subsidise this £13m vanity scheme and should never have spent this amount on its set up in the first place!
It was the greens parting gift to the city. A really big middle finger, the money should have been used to fix the roads or install bike lanes… Nope, handed to a private company to rent out at extortionate rates lol cannot make it up.
Another poorly thought through vanity project which provides a ‘service’ for a small minority,(and even fewer now it seems!). What an absurd waste of time and local taxpayer’s money. We really have the Monty Python of local authorities but without the humour.
It’s common to share generic discount codes – many sites even encourage it as it is free marketing
If you want to limit access, you make each code specific to a person.
This is standard industry and consumer practice. To label the way that people have acted as “fraud” doesn’t understand how the internet works. It shows amateur practices from the company and council
Hopefully, they have now learnt their lesson and will work in the same way as other companies with discount codes