Segway Rentals and Sales

[Billy Kirkland]

My name is Billy Kirkland and I have just opened a new store for Segway sales and bikes plus a tour location on Sanibel Island Fl.
We sold 2 xt and 2 I180 last week. If any one is ever in this part of Fl please look us up.

[austin@SOH]

Welcome to the Segway Community Billy. We just started our dealership last month up here in Hagerstown, MD. Best of luck with your new venture.

Austin Colby
Segway of Hagerstown

[Stewbonz]

Way to go Billy.
Best wishes.


JEFF JARVIS
http://www.thailandsegwaytours.com/

[Markiss]

Billy,
Being just a 'wannabe', I'm not getting much help here in trying to follow in your's and everyone else's shoes in opening a guided tour business. Seems like they just want to bicker with eachother over who's approach is the "right" approach. Would you please help me with the answer to the question - What is the zoning district you are operating under? For example is it Neighborhood Commercial, Area Wide Business, Office Professional, etc.? I'd appreciate knowing what others are falling under so I can approach local council to see about getting an amedment. Thanks for your help.
Mark

[Itsi Atkins]

Welcome to the world of Segways. Since you are in Florida, the best person to answer the question is Tom at Florida Everglide. He is the expert on this subject.

[Snowgod]

For those who don't know the whole story here. Segway Pete was the person who partnered with Billy to start the segway tours and showed Billy what was possible. The local town of Sanibel with help from the local bicycle club had stopped them from operating. Once again it was Segway Pete who was the person who started another Rental operation going. Pete has helped start operations in Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Now Sanibel Island that others accept the credit for. Billy had a succesful Bike rental and deserves credit for his hard work and for getting the regulatory hurdles cleared. I wish Billy good luck as he will surely bring many more new gliders into the fold.

Live Free and Glide

www.whitemountainjoyrides.com

[Billy Kirkland]

Just so you know I bought my first Segway in April 2004 from Riva Sports. I talked to Chris (of Riva) about setting up a rental company. I submitted my first letter to the city of Sanibel to see if I could do tours that same month. I did not meet Pete until Dec. 2004, when he was looking for a location to do Segway tours.
We tried partnering up but the City was taking a long time to go through the permitting process. I could see my way of doing tours would be different than Pete's way. Helmets, safety videos and following the rules I knew the City would set are imperative in a small community, especially the one I live in. So after 2 weeks Pete went his way. Pete was able to do his thing on Fort Myers Beach and I think he is doing well.
The city finally had a vote 1 year later in favor of Segway tours, after I spent alot of time educating city officials and the community about Segways. I suggested the city adopt my self imposed Safety guidlines. The final adoption of the required variance should be next Tuesday and I will be very happy to be conducting eco tours on Sanibel.
I know I have worked very hard to set myself up in this business that I guess you think Pete should have the credit for.
Pete never attended any city meetings for Segway tours on Sanibel.
Billy Kirkland

[Itsi Atkins]

Good for you. I love it when the record is set straight.

[Stewbonz]

Billy, you are going to do very well.

Send me an email if you need anything.

JEFF JARVIS
http://www.thailandsegwaytours.com/

[Raymo]

Hi Every One.
I'm just about to launch a Eco-Tour Business here in Canada.
Would anyone be will to give some pointer..

Thanks in advance.
Raymo Gibson

[Dragan]

Hey Raymo! Good to see you found the site, and the BEST source of info for all things Segway! There are a great bunch of really knowledgeable folks here, and don't forget, I'm only a phone call away too!

Wayne

Segway of Alberta - Calgary
www.mysegway.ca

[Raymo]

Thanks Wayne, for the lead to this site. Joy & Jeff have beeen a great help.

[schlaaj]

Rentals, Rentals, Rentals, I am wondering how people are getting into the Segway Rental Business and not seem concerned about liability insurance. I was wound up to get into a rental niche earlier this year but cooled on the idea because I could not find liability coverage. I have had agents search
and they came up empty handed. A friend who is in the insurance business advised me because there is no track record on liability claims for such rentals, if a company could be found the cost would most likely be astronomical. Yet according to this chat site, people seem to either ignore liability or they have some "other" way to protect themselves. I can't imagine running a rental business without liability insurance.

Comments ??


AJS

[pam]

Most have rental insurance, or are covered under an existing policy on another aspect of their business. Your friend didn't do a sufficiently thorough search, unfortunately. Maybe he only looked at the companies he sells. Also, there may be a difference between renting HTs like renting cars vs renting HTs for tours.

That said, there are places that work without insurance - IMHO they're taking their livelihoods into their own hands, and also the livelihoods of the rest of the renter/tour operators who do have insurance <sigh>. As we get further and further along and there are more tour and rental agencies that open up, that risk assessment will become available.
Pam

[Billy Kirkland]

Went before the planning department today for final vote for segway tours. We will have the permit in about two days. My wife and I will be leaving on June 2 for Lake Tahoe; we will start the tours when we get back June 9. The question for insurance was very easy. The same company that I have had coverage with for now 15 plus years wrote my coverage for tours only the price was 3,500 for the first hundred thousand in tours. That is for 1,000,000.00 coverage if I can help anyone please let me know

Billy Kirkland
"your fun in the expert"

[Markiss]

Billy,
Just wanted to say publicly that I appreciate your willingness to help a "wannabe". Thanks for the phone call and the offer of assistance as we move forward. Best to you.
Mark

[Stewbonz]

Billy, try to make a stop in Truckee and Reno while there.

Truckee would make a great summertime Segway riding area.

JEFF JARVIS
http://www.thailandsegwaytours.com/

[schlaaj]

Thanks for the info on liability insurance. I actually had two insurance agents do some checking and both were willing to look beyond their normal contacts for me. From what I have noted, it seems "Tours" are the one way an insurance company might write a policy. Unfortunately, it is "Rentals" that I want to get into. So I am still at square one.
Thanks to all for your comments.

Art Schlachter


AJS

[pam]

Well, and only you will know your area and what it will bear and what the population is, but I will say that HTs are still so new and somewhat lightweight, that they're really vulnerable to theft. We've had at least one rental agency on the chat asking us to be alert to stolen segs. When they get a lot more ubiquitous, then the "new' will be worn off and I think there will be fewer thefts. (like bicycle rentals in resort areas now).
JMHO.
Pam

[Itsi Atkins]

Try Diamond Insurance out of Philly.

[Raymo]

Hi every one I would like to get a price "ballpark figure" on renting segway's for whole days or up to a week at a time.
My market is more interested in that, just to see for themselves how productive they are on a segway & then They will buy.

[Freddy]

A little message to Raymo in Canada & Art Schlachter
As a large group of tour operators got together in Bonita Springs at last years SegFest for a meeting of our interests in the business, Open rentals were discussed.
Even though it seems like a great idea to rent Segways
It has been Unanimously Agreed that open rentals will not work
1. The Customer when alone will beat the S#*@ out of the HT
2. It will come back Broken
3. It may not come back
4. Insurance is difficult, If you do have a claim you will be
dropped
5. New riders will give the cause, of good ridership a bad name
(They don't care their ride is shortlived )
Thus maybe causing a ban in certain areas
6. Operational cost with the problems would offset profits
7. Open Rentals might have a future when they are more
Commonplace, but for now we all agreed that now is not the
time.
Sorry, but we all have looked at this and the reality is not the best for today.

[Stewbonz]

I did a bare rental one time and the guy broke a handlebar grip.
All my riders now have supervision.
That being said, I used to rent lots of equipment, backhoes, chainsaws etc.,and yes, I beat the crap out of it, but somehow they remain in business and make a profit.

JEFF JARVIS
http://www.thailandsegwaytours.com/

[Segway Shawn]

I saw a few posts about people looking for insurance for their Segway Business. I found that this Insurance company is very reasonable and covers our business for all our needs.

http://www.insuranceforbicycles.com/ or call 1-800-821-9161

Ask for Lora VanDix and tell her Segway Shawn from NM sent you!


Come SegAway in New Mexico!

Shawn@SegwayNM.com

[JasonR]

Hey - I just wanted to chime in quickly to say what a great time my girlfriend Alison and I had on one of Billy's tours this week! I've been coming to Sanibel and Captiva for over twenty years, and I saw parts of Sanibel that I never knew existed. He's an extremely patient and capable teacher, a Sanibel and Segway enthusiast, and really a great delegate for the Segway and its shared place on our bike paths.

So thanks to Billy! We popped our DVD in right after getting back to NYC last night, and it was really a kick to relive a bit of that fun again. :) You can bet I was seriously researching the going prices on Segways today and lamenting the fact that NYC has been even less welcoming to these new machines than Sanibel.

Keep up the great work, Billy - both with your business, and the Segway cause. We really appreciate it... and selfishly want to experience your tour again when we're back!

- Jason

P.S. I'll post some pix from our tour soon - probably next week.

[Mr. Protocol]

There's always a counterexample. Segway LA has been doing open rentals since they opened and haven't had any problems, at least, none I've heard of. Certainly Santa Monica hasn't banned the things, except from the 3rd St. Promenade, where they really don't belong anyway (I wouldn't try that place on a Seg even if I could).

My purchase of a Segway happened ONLY because I was able to try one out on several open rentals before plonking down that much money. I have to think lots of others feel the same.

No, I don't work there, or own stock.