Amazon, Argos, Currys and Halfords have been found advertising e-scooters for commuting and city riding, despite privately-owned models being illegal on public roads and pavements in the UK. A Press Association investigation identified major brands and independent sellers promoting the scooters for use in towns and cities, where only rented e-scooters can legally be ridden.
Under current law, privately-owned e-scooters can only be used on private land with the landowner's permission. Riding them on public roads, cycle paths or parks can result in fines or penalty points added to a driving licence. Rented e-scooters, however, are permitted and require a provisional or full driving licence.
“Amazon, Argos, Currys and Halfords were found advertising e-scooters for commuting despite UK road ban”
The investigation found an e-scooter sold on Amazon was recommended for "urban commuting". Amazon said its guidelines require listings to state that e-scooters are prohibited from public use in the UK and restrict images showing riders on roads or pavements. After being contacted by the Press Association, the major outlets 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". However, on Tuesday a sponsored Google search result from Argos was still advertising "Commuter E-scooters & City Ride". Argos said it removed the ad the previous day but acknowledged it may take time to update 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". A product description calling an e-scooter a "fun, efficient means of getting around your local area" appears to have been removed. In 2025, Currys had an e-scooter advert banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, which ruled the ad "omitted significant information about legal limitations".
Many smaller retailers still have pages offering electric "commuter" scooters without any warnings about the law. 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 e-scooters "for commuting" were a "smart choice for daily travel needs". None of these sales pages mentioned that such use is illegal in the UK.
The Advertising Standards Authority advises advertisers to include a prominent statement explaining the law, but says this is not sufficient if the overall ad gives the impression the scooters can be used anywhere. With enforcement reliant on such advice, the question remains whether voluntary compliance will be enough to prevent consumers from being misled.