[ohaak]

First set of Ather 450x deliveries in Pune are being done today - Sun Dec 20, 2020. I am getting mine. The address for the new BU Bhandari Ather Showroom is at Shop -15, Lower Ground Floor, Adithya Centeegra, Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk, next to Mantri House, F C Road, Pune.

[gloriole]

Originally Posted by ohaak

First set of Ather 450x deliveries in Pune are being done today - Sun Dec 20, 2020. I am getting mine. The address for the new BU Bhandari Ather Showroom is at Shop -15, Lower Ground Floor, Adithya Centeegra, Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk, next to Mantri House, F C Road, Pune.

Thanks ohaak for the update. Congratulations on being one of the first buyers in Pune. Looking forward to your ownership review. Are there any exchange offers available?

[ohaak]

Originally Posted by gloriole

Thanks ohaak for the update. Congratulations on being one of the first buyers in Pune. Looking forward to your ownership review. Are there any exchange offers available?

B U Bhandari did offer to help with exchanges of old scooter. The new scooter is nice and torque is good. It is for my daughter, so I will wait for sometime to come up with a review.

There were about 30+ scooters with registration complete and being delivered today. Free helmet and chocolates. No printed user manual.

Ather Dot charging station installation at home is yet to happen. I have been promised installation in the next couple of days. Few fast charging points are already running, so that is another option.

[Venkatesh]

Ather 450X Electric Scooter review

https://youtu.be/UZBrRGcAhTk

[ASP007]

Earlier, Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus were produced at a plant in Whitefield in Karnataka. They now shifts to a new plant in Hosur in Tamil Nadu. Ather Energy has signed an MoU with the Government of Tamil Nadu for a 4 lakh sq ft facility from where it will produce the Ather 450 and lithium-ion batteries.



Source

[F1 Freak]

I just noticed that stories of an Automotive Influencer that I am following since a few months now, were taken down within a short period and he then declared that he had to cancel the shoot.




An automotive Influencer/YouTuber/Journalist from Ahmedabad had the Ather 450X for a road test review in Ahmedabad.

He conveyed a lot of informative stuff through the means of his stories and also reported a few issues in the vehicle.




This was supposedly a Test Drive unit which had barely done 1300kms & was filled with issues.



The TD vehicle's screen froze during the drive, how could this be possible?



The condition of the TD vehicle conveys how sad the state of Demo vehicles are in India. If this the initial experience of a customer, then I don't see a reason to invest 1.8 Lakhs in a product that is supposed to last a lot.

Were the stories taken down as Ather failed to take constructive criticism & feedback?

Actually, the faults pointed out were raised against a big automotive dealer in Gujarat, named Kataria Automobiles. It is famous (rather infamous) for their sales, frauds and unsatisfactory customer service.

But here we see the other end of the spectrum where they didn't provide the journo with a proper vehicle and Ather failed to notice that which probably led to the cancellation of the shoot.

At least that's what I think happened.

Yet another case of a Journo succumbing to corporate pressure?


Note to Mods- Please move it to another relevant thread if this isn't.

[pd_scorpio]

Originally Posted by F1 Freak

I just noticed that stories of an Automotive Influencer that I am following for a few months now, were taken down within a short period and he then declared that he had to cancel the shoot.

This is something that I've observed everywhere in Kataria Group.

The Test Drive vehicles are generally never in proper condition. I agree with @F1 Freak that Kataria Group is infamously known in such cases.

Ather could've taken this feedback in a rather positive way and setting an example for all the manufacturers in the industry.

I too believe that Test Drive is a very crucial part of the vehicle buying experience. I recall a few instances where I did not go ahead with buying a vehicle just because I had a shitty experience with the dealership.

[Power Craver]

Don't have any idea about the dealership behaviour but it's for sure that Ather should indulge in this matter and do the needful. The TD vehicle should be in that shabby condition – especially in case of the most expensive scooter on sale. Also, the time and of the influencer/journalist should be valued and shouldn't go in vain.

[SportsMedicine]

Originally Posted by F1 Freak

Were the stories taken down as Ather failed to take constructive criticism & feedback?

Actually, the faults pointed out were raised against a big automotive dealer in Gujarat

Yet another case of a Journo succumbing to corporate pressure?

Constructive criticism should always be welcomed when one is a new player in a sea of automobile manufacturers. It's totally unprofessional from Ather to not accept imperfections whole heartedly and it shows lack of intent.

Regarding automobile dealers, i have always been in opinion of direct company outlets selling the automobile rather than having a dealer. Dealer wouldn't care for company or customers if the numbers are high.

In the sea of auto journalists only few are authentic and reliable. If these things keep on happening i just see a bleak future for passionate journalists. And its not the journalist or company at lost, it's the loss for a customer.

[Utsav3010]

Originally Posted by F1 Freak

But here we see the other end of the spectrum where they didn't provide the journo with a proper vehicle and Ather failed to notice that which probably led to the cancellation of the shoot.

At least that's what I think happened.

Yet another case of a Journo succumbing to corporate pressure?

If this is indeed true, then may god bless Ather! I too follow the chap and his reviews are very neutral and poised, and if Ather/Kataria Group really had an issue with him posting negative stuff about the product, they could have put in some efforts to make the TD/Review shoot more pleasing, rather than cancelling the shoot altogether.

I can only imagine what wrath will a customer face, if an influencer is treated this way.

I am a big fan of Ather, however, such brands really need to stay clear of crooked dealerships in order to succeed. Historically, its a proven fact that a crooked dealer can spoil the reputation of the whole brand, plenty of examples can be seen within the forum itself. Most recently, Autobahn Skoda had to shut shop, just because of the (bad) name they were able to earn in all these years of operations.

[RedlineVJ]

Originally Posted by F1 Freak

I just noticed that stories of an Automotive Influencer that I am following since a few months now, were taken down within a short period and he then declared that he had to cancel the shoot.


Attachment 2117331

An automotive Influencer/YouTuber/Journalist from Ahmedabad had the Ather 450X for a road test review in Ahmedabad.

He conveyed a lot of informative stuff through the means of his stories and also reported a few issues in the vehicle.

Attachment 2117326 Attachment 2117327 Attachment 2117330


This was supposedly a Test Drive unit which had barely done 1300kms & was filled with issues.

Attachment 2117325

The TD vehicle's screen froze during the drive, how could this be possible?

Attachment 2117329 Attachment 2117328

The condition of the TD vehicle conveys how sad the state of Demo vehicles are in India. If this the initial experience of a customer, then I don't see a reason to invest 1.8 Lakhs in a product that is supposed to last a lot.

Were the stories taken down as Ather failed to take constructive criticism & feedback?

Actually, the faults pointed out were raised against a big automotive dealer in Gujarat, named Kataria Automobiles. It is famous (rather infamous) for their sales, frauds and unsatisfactory customer service.

But here we see the other end of the spectrum where they didn't provide the journo with a proper vehicle and Ather failed to notice that which probably led to the cancellation of the shoot.

At least that's what I think happened.

Yet another case of a Journo succumbing to corporate pressure?


Note to Mods- Please move it to another relevant thread if this isn't.

I've experienced this particular dealer a few times. Kataria being "the claimed best" dealer for the biggest brand in our country (Maruti Suzuki) caught in these kind of acts raises lot of questions.

I feel they are so blinded by their sales figures that they forgot about the basics of their job which is treating people well and serving them to their fullest.

I mean this guy was a journo or something who was gonna bring them audience through his content. Aren't people or customers to be hold in high regards in books of a dealer.

Failed to cater once and could be repeated, I really hope Ather takes this into notice and sort it out. Cause a new brand in our country has a very thin rope on which they survive and there's almost ZERO room for error.

I love the brand and their products. Wouldn't want to see their engineering go in vain due to a crappy dealer network.

[Kalash_6324]

So funny story, on literally the second day of this happening, I happened to visit Ather.
Partially aware of the entire saga that transpired with our journo friend and curious about Warp mode, I asked for a test drive after a short and relatively unpleasant interaction with the SA.

What was my experience like with the dealership?
1. The moment I mentioned the Instagram saga, the smile on the SA's face disappeared and her tone took a slight hostile and defensive turn.
2. Misinformation and aggressive response from the second SA upon inquiring about the screen freeze and missing bolts issue with the test drive vehicle, which TO MY SURPRISE WAS THE SAME VEHICLE our journo friend had been lent for a review.
The bolts were still missing and regarding the screen freeze issue, the SA said, and I quote here, "There is a fan underneath the screen which comes on when the screen gets too hot. The fan turning on is what causes the screen to freeze."
Not sure if he understood what I was asking, but come on, come up with a better excuse or just keep your pie hole shut.
3. Got a call a few days later inquiring what my experience was like and the person on call asked me multiple times to share what our journo friend had said about them.
I mean, if you care about your reputation, then do not behave like an enraged baboon when you're criticized.
4. The display and test drive units weren't looked after. Dusty with scratches all over with the mirror unit vibrating.
I really did not want to touch the vehicle and asked them to run a damp rag before I touched it, since I have severe allergies and even the slightest bit of dust can wreak havoc on my nose and eyes.

What was my experience like with the product?
1. In two words, LOVED IT!
2. WARP mode is excellent and addictive. Goes like a bullet.
3. Range anxiety is a serious concern. For a vehicle to be city friendly, it needs to have real world mileage of at least 180 kilometers (that's approximately what my Activa does on a full tank).
Lost 6% charge on a 2.5-3 kilometer test drive, with 3 hard launches in Warp Mode.
4. Suspension of course was on the stiffer side and gobbled up rough patches and even speed bumps at higher speeds, but low speed ride could be better.
5. Build quality seemed solid.
6. Overall a good product if priced reasonably, with better range.
At close to 1.8L OTR just doesn't make sense.
I'd prefer to stretch a little and get a Meteor or CB350 for the enthusiast in me, because that's the only segment of customers its gonna cater to around that price point.

[R-Six]

First for the Ather team, congratulations for bringing in a cracker of an E-bike that can change your perception of electric bikes in general. The Warp mode, I hear, is violent. So, Kudos to that.

But, having a good product is all. In the consumer centric market, lets make sure that you have the right attitude and approach towards the prospects too. Giving such run-down examples to those who request TDs should be the last thing on your priorities.

If the test drive experience is sour, I don’t expect any better once they already had your money. I feel this has more to do with the dealer than the company itself. But, Ather can do a lot more in terms of handling such matters.

And about the dealer in question, less said the better.


Cheers,
R-Six

[hemanth.anand]

Ather had some weeks ago arranged a Warp Vs Petrol event in one of the tracks near Bengaluru. They had pitted their 450x against motorcycles way above it's class. The video of that is out today and it is a wonderful way to make people take notice of EVs and change their perception about EVs

https://youtu.be/1xkIFuAU0Q0

Originally Posted by F1 Freak

I just noticed that stories of an Automotive Influencer that I am following since a few months now, were taken down within a short period and he then declared that he had to cancel the shoot.

Were the stories taken down as Ather failed to take constructive criticism & feedback?

Actually, the faults pointed out were raised against a big automotive dealer in Gujarat, named Kataria Automobiles. It is famous (rather infamous) for their sales, frauds and unsatisfactory customer service.

But here we see the other end of the spectrum where they didn't provide the journo with a proper vehicle and Ather failed to notice that which probably led to the cancellation of the shoot.

At least that's what I think happened.

Yet another case of a Journo succumbing to corporate pressure?

Originally Posted by pd_scorpio

Ather could've taken this feedback in a rather positive way and setting an example for all the manufacturers in the industry.

Originally Posted by SportsMedicine

Constructive criticism should always be welcomed when one is a new player in a sea of automobile manufacturers. It's totally unprofessional from Ather to not accept imperfections whole heartedly and it shows lack of intent.

Originally Posted by Utsav3010

I too follow the chap and his reviews are very neutral and poised, and if Ather/Kataria Group really had an issue with him posting negative stuff about the product, they could have put in some efforts to make the TD/Review shoot more pleasing, rather than cancelling the shoot altogether.

I think you people are jumping the gun and coming to conclusions..all based on an assumption.
Did Ather take down the posts? No
Did Ather cancel the photoshoot? No
Did Ather put pressure on the Journo to do so? No Idea

With all these unknowns, it's unfair to call a company unprofessional or not accepting constructive criticism...just because one journo cancelled a photoshoot. As an owner of Ather (and having faced multiple issues myself) my experience with them has been quite the opposite. Head over to their forum and you can find all sorts of criticism (including mine). Whether they are quick to sort it or not is another topic but at least none are silenced or muted.

That said, A test ride vehicle in that condition is totally unacceptable! I wouldn't put my money on it if I face such a test drive experience. Ather should definitely take this up with Kataria and sort this out. I don't know about Kataria's past but there have been many examples in the past, how one dealer can spoil a brand. Ather has to put more that extra efforts on this as 1, they are still a growing brand and 2, this is the first time Ather have gone the dealer way (Chennai and Bengaluru were completely managed by themselves)

[Zahoor23]

It's important that the TD experience has to be a satisfying one when you are putting your hard-earned money on an electric scooter, especially when it doesn't come cheap. While Ather can't be held responsible for this mess, we really hope they take action on the dealership. It's sad to see him cancel his shoot because of the issues faced. Firstly, not sure why was the bike lent with such minimal charge? When the range is not really high, the least they could do is lend him the scooter with a full charge so that he isn't left stranded in the middle of the review as the range was just 20 km from the pictures.
Screen freezing is a concern while scratches and poor maintenance can be particular to this vehicle. Missing screws? Lol, The entire process feels poorly arranged for him. Since he was a reviewer we have come across this, not sure how many common people come across similar issues which go unreported. Ather - You have great potential with your scooters, please avoid such embarrassing situations for prospective buyers.