It makes good sense to observe the Latin phrase 'caveat emptor' (let the buyer beware) when buying an electric scooter.

There are hundreds of overseas factories flooding the market with poor quality off brand scooters, no brand scooters and clones. Sadly, there are also plenty of unethical dealers here in the USA willing to sell these cheap electric scooters. These cheap scooters are poorly constructed, break down frequently and tend to lack support from the manufacturer or dealer (i.e. replacement parts, warranty and/or service). It's extremely frustrating, very expensive and can be quite dangerous to own a cheap electric scooter. What makes things even worse is that these cheap electric scooters are everywhere. You'll even find cheap scooters sold through 'reputable dealers'.

Fortunately, most of these are mass produced in only a few body styles. That makes them easy to spot. We've put together a list of the worst offenders we like to call 'The Flawed Four'.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE: There are always exceptions to the rule. There are a few manufacturers producing quality electric scooters that mimic these body styles. We'll make mention of the good manufacturers we're aware of below. There are also cheap scooters out there in other body styles, so we'll offer some advice on how to spot them as well.

CHEAP ELECTRIC SCOOTERS TO AVOID (THE FLAWED FOUR)