Well, this is generally a pretty old thread, lol, and it's now Aug 2013! Having just read through this thread, wondering how or if BV Scooters has improved? There were so many negative reviews here. I did follow the above link to BBB and their rating is now an A+,though they are still not accredited. So, does anyone have any more current reviews to offer on BV? I can see by the ads on the dis that they are still in business but it's hard to see how with such poor vehicle service and terrible customer service.
There have been many positive reviews of
Buena Vista over the years - the posters just did not seek out this thread to post them too. For a while after this thread began, I did have a link to it in the disABILITIES FAQs thread - I removed the link after a lot of positive reviews were posted.
They are now one of the Disney featured ECV providers, which means Disney did a review of them and were satisfied with the service they were providing. As part if the bidding process, Disney also had some requirements for service and equipment that had to be net.
As you noted, they also improved to an A+ score in BBB.
Being accredited or not doesn't necessarily mean anything. It is voluntary and businesses have to pay to be accredited, so some feel the fee and having the BBB label is the worth the cost to them (and, these were not ECV rental places, but I have had some less than positive experiences with companies that were BBB accredited and prominently displayed the logo on their site).
Any of the companies listed in post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread are going to provide good service for most people.
I have noted which have a lot of feedback compared to the ones that don't.
You can find the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.
Also wondering, the business with the rain being so bad for using ecv's when it rains... it rains often in FL, so do all ecv's have the same problems as the BV scooters do? I've used the ecv's in the parks, and have had rain on some days and never had a problem or was told anything about using them in the rain, or having to stay indoors if it rains, by the disney ecv cm's.
I also noticed that Walker Mobility was recommended often in the BV thread. Do they still come as highly recommended to use instead of BV?
Just trying to find some much more current thoughts on using BV scooters, so TIA for any responses!
If you check out some of the links to companies in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you will find that most of them use very similar (or even the same)
ECVs.
None of them are designed to be used in pouring rain. Some of the companies are more clear about telling people that than others. People need to think of it as something you would not want to leave out in the rain without protection - like not parked outside in the rain while the user is inside for shows or restaurants.
The most important part to protect is the controls. Some companies provide a plastic cover (basically a shower cap) to put over the controls when it is raining - a lot of repeat ECV renters bring their own. People also protect the controls by wearing a poncho the covers the controls when it is raining.
Also, keep in mind that some areas will be slippery in or after rain, so the ECV will not have as much traction or be able to stop as quickly on wet pavement as on dry. There are also puddles, which may be deeper than they look.