Umbrella-sharing startup fails to predict people would steal all their umbrellas
Yes, even the most
honest person on the planet will jack your umbrella, and now we have proof.
Sort of.
It
was a noble idea: Bring the same innovation that has made bike-sharing an international
success story to all the businesspeople and commuters who need an
umbrella when unexpectedly caught in the rain.
But what
China-based startup E-Umbrella didn't count on is the
fact that, unlike shared bikes, when someone gets a hold of a good
umbrella, they don't really want to let go. According to a report from Caixin Global, the company lost a whopping 30,000 umbrellas after just a
few days.
Back
in May, the company had a plan to roll out 30 million E-Umbrella's in China
and in other countries, according to the Straits Times, but this recent turn may
force a major rethink of the overall strategy.
The system works by
allowing a user to download a smartphone app that then allows them to use a QR
code to unlock the umbrella, which has a combination lock on its handle. To
use the umbrellas, users pay a 19 yuan deposit (about three dollars), and are
charged 0.5 yuan per half-hour of use.
However, while securing
one of the rainbow-colored, smartphone-enabled umbrellas was a breeze,
the Straits Times says unclear instructions on how to
return the umbrellas resulted in many users keeping them.
So
yeah, the company needs a more reliable system. (It's unclear what,
if any, the penalty price is for not returning the umbrellas.)
Despite
the setback, the company plans to continue rolling out more
E-Umbrellas throughout China, presumably with a better means of avoiding more
mass umbrella jackings.
It's working fine in Japan. But then I guess different culture...
ReplyDelete$3.50 USD per umbrella is no bargain for an umbrella in China ($3.00 deposit + 0.50 minimum time). At these prices users could "steal" their entire inventory over and over and the company could probably still at least break even, since they're buying umbrellas by the tens of thousands.
ReplyDeleteIs it not connected to their credit card? So they can keep charging them until they return the umbrella? Or they scan them but do not return it?
ReplyDeleteI bet the rainbow coalition took them
ReplyDeletePut trackers in them
ReplyDeleteIn the words of the famous Forrest Gump, "stupid is as stupid does"
ReplyDeleteShouldn't copy ideas off a tv show like girl meets world. I was thinking the same thing would happen to their project on that show.
ReplyDeleteAh, faith in humanity. Such a cute, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed concept ������
ReplyDeleteAll everyone heard was..."Free Umbrella"
ReplyDeleteThe idea isn't bad, it is just poor implementation
ReplyDeleteWasn't this in an episode of Girl Meets World?
ReplyDeleteYeah that would not work here.
ReplyDeleteThose scandalous Chinese folk...
ReplyDeleteWell duh
ReplyDeleteI thought this was an onion article.
ReplyDeletebike-sharing in Seattle, Washington was a big flop
ReplyDeleteRidiculous
ReplyDeleteStory of my life - Got 3 umbrellas all were stolen :D
ReplyDelete