A Press Association investigation has revealed that major retailers including Amazon, Argos and Currys were advertising e-scooters for use on public roads and paths – despite this being against UK law. The findings, published on Tuesday, show that several big brands and independent sellers promoted privately-owned e-scooters for “urban commuting” and “city riding”, even though such vehicles can only be legally ridden on public roads if rented through a government-backed scheme.
Under current legislation, privately-owned e-scooters are restricted to private land with the landowner’s permission. Using them on roads, cycle paths or in parks risks fines or penalty points on a driving licence. Yet the PA investigation found e-scooters listed on Amazon labelled for “urban commuting”, while a sponsored Google search result from Argos advertised “Commuter E-scooters & City Ride”. Currys had described one model as a “fun, efficient means of getting around your local area”.
“Amazon, Argos and Currys advertised e-scooters for public road use, breaking UK law, before changing ads after investigation.”
After being contacted by PA, all three retailers changed their advertising. Argos said it had “updated wording on a search page to replicate what we already include on our product pages to be even more clear for our customers”. The company added it had removed the sponsored link the previous day, though it acknowledged the change might take time to take effect on Google. Currys said it was reviewing its website “to make sure no product listings suggest e-scooters can be used on public roads or spaces”. The description of an e-scooter as a means of “getting around your local area” appears to have been taken down, and its sales pages now include a note explaining the law. Amazon said its guidelines required that entries state e-scooters are prohibited from public use in the UK and should not show riders on roads or pavements.
The Advertising Standards Authority had already banned a Currys e-scooter advert in 2025, ruling that it “omitted significant information about legal limitations”. The ASA now advises advertisers to include a prominent statement explaining the law, but warns that this is insufficient if the ad still gives the impression the scooters can be used anywhere.
Despite the changes by major outlets, smaller retailers continue to promote e-scooters for illegal road use. One described its products as “a great way for adults to get around the city, zipping between traffic at speeds of up to 15mph”. Another said its “commuter” scooters were “a smart choice for daily travel needs”. None of these pages carried warnings that such use is not permitted in the UK.