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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 138 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many people were dissatisfied with the product, frequently encountering broken bikes, flat tires, and issues with electrical assistance. Customers also found the pricing unclear and expensive, with unexpected charges and price hikes. The app was a major source of frustration, often described as laggy, buggy, and difficult to use, leading to problems with starting and ending rides, and inaccurate GPS. The service was consistently criticized for being poor, with unresponsive customer support and difficulties resolving issues. The user experience was generally negative, with many people reporting wasted time due to malfunctioning bikes and app problems. Some people also felt that the company's practices, such as charging fines for parking in designated zones or for bikes that malfunctioned, were unfair and unreasonable.

What people talk about most

Product

Customers express significant dissatisfaction with the product. Many reviewers report that bikes frequently... See more

Price

Users describe negative interactions with price, frequently citing unexpected and high charges. Many... See more

Application

Clients share negative opinions on the app, with many reviewers expressing significant frustration. Consumers... See more

Service

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of service. Many customers express frustration with deteriorating... See more

User experience

Reviewers mention negative feedback about user experience, citing numerous app issues. Many customers report... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If I could give no stars i would. I lived in Brentford for a few years and would always use electric bikes to get around locally. I moved away, and returned to find forest had replaced lime for bike... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Technical issues with bikes last week. Switching on after scanning then shutting down. Tried everything to get the app to work, deleting, installing, switching off phone - nothing is working. App ha... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unclear pricing and recent price hikes not highlighted. App laggy and GPS recognition awful. Bikes often broken and can't end ride. Stupid joke messages when waiting ages for ride to end. Stands unst... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Sadly, I'm yet another case of the app not letting me park due to bugs with their GPS system and being charged a fortune because of it. Clearly parked in a designated parking spot but the app seemed t... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Software Company

Written by the company

We’re Forest. You know, those shared ebikes in London that look like trees. We’re London’s most affordable and most sustainable shared eBike. We give everyone 10 minutes free riding time, every day. It doesn’t stop at 10 minutes though, we offer riders a way to get even more free minutes by watching ads from our conscious-minded partners. We power our operations with 100% renewable energy (which we have done since day 1). We then offset our manufacturing emissions by growing an actual forest, through local and responsible tree planting, in Wales.


Contact info

1.4

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

341 reviews

5-star
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Replied to 98% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 48 hours

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Your bikes are continually dumped on…

Your bikes are continually dumped on the road outside our house blocking access to the pavement and the front door, causing an eyesore and obstructing foot traffic.

If you are going to operate this business you have a responsibility to ensure that your bikes are not causing a nuisance for residents by ensuring they are stored in a designated area.

Sort it out.

1 July 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Tom,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We’re sorry to hear about the issues caused by our riders leaving bikes irresponsibly, this is not the standard we expect.

If you could email us at cs@humanforest.co.uk with the location details, we’ll be able to investigate further and take appropriate action.

Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10 minutes free is a lie

The 10 free minutes are for riding time only. Every ride you take includes a fixed £1.00 unlock fee. This fee applies no matter where you start. However, all the e-bikes say "10 minutes free daily", which is misleading and false advertising.

29 June 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Daniel,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We’re sorry to hear that the information felt unclear. To clarify, the 10 free minutes apply to riding time only, and each ride includes a £1.00 unlock fee.

We aim to be transparent, and all pricing details, including unlock and service fees are clearly displayed in the app before you begin a ride.

Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Happy with my rides

I’m happy with this company. The bikes are nice — still a bit pricey, but overall they offer good value compared to other e-bikes providers in London

23 June 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We're really happy to hear you've been happy riding with us. Just to let you know we also have Minute Bundles, if you are planning on taking longer rides or riding often I would advise checking them out, these are set amounts of minutes you can buy, they can be found on the Menu in the app, there are also no unlocking or service fees when using our Bundles. 😃

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Your bikes keep getting dumped on the…

Your bikes keep getting dumped on the pavement, blocking access to my garden, blocking the way for people with prams, with mobility issues, forcing people to walk on the road.
Your website does not have a page for complaints. Why? You are making money at the expense of the people of London safety and property. Set propper parking spaces for your services at once!

23 June 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Emil,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We're sorry to hear about the issues you’ve encountered with badly parked bikes. We fully appreciate how important it is to keep pavements and public spaces clear for all, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

In cases where you come across a badly parked bike you can report it to us and we can take immediate action by forwarding your request to the operations team so we can relocate the eBike as soon as possible. We will also take appropriate action against the user responsible for leaving the eBike in that location. We have a fining system in place and repeat offenders are banned.

You can report a bike using the following instructions:

1) Locate the "Report a Badly Parked eBike" QR code on the phone holder or the handlebar of the eBike.
2) Scan the QR code using your phone.
3) You will be directed to a live chat where you can submit your report and provide details about the incorrectly parked eBike.

Alternatively, please email us at cs@humanforest.co.uk with the eBike ID, location, and an image of the bike.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ongoing Obstruction from E-Bike Parking…

Ongoing Obstruction from E-Bike Parking – Unacceptable

Since an e-bike parking bay was installed next to a drop kerb leading into a private garage, we’ve had constant issues. Bikes are regularly dumped outside of the marked area — directly in front of the garage, on the pavement, and even in a nearby alley — making it extremely difficult (and sometimes impossible) to access the property.

This is causing major problems for an elderly disabled resident who relies on that access for hospital appointments and daily transport. Despite the location being clearly unsuitable, nothing has been done to stop this misuse.

We’ve had enough. If this isn’t resolved, we’ll be taking the matter further. Companies providing these bikes must take responsibility for where their parking bays are placed and how their users behave. This is causing real-world harm and needs urgent attention.

22 June 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Jim,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We're sorry to hear that bikes are not being parked correctly in one of our bays, and we understand how frustrating this can be. This isn’t the standard we expect from our riders, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

I’ve requested your information so I can review any interactions you’ve had with our Support and Community Champions to see what more we can do on our end.

Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Yer app is rubbish lads

19 June 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Andrew,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

I'm sorry to hear you haven't had a good experience with the app. If you have a moment and you're able to share any feedback with us at cs@humanforest.co.uk we'd really like to hear your thoughts.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The app just doesn't work

The app just doesn't work. The map doesn't display and the app's access to the phone's camera is faulty.

31 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hi there,

Thanks for your review, and we're really sorry to hear you're having trouble with the app.

Could you please email us at cs@humanforest.co.uk? We’ll be happy to go through some troubleshooting steps with you to get things sorted as quickly as possible.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes,
Ashleigh
The Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ended up paying £11 for a short ride …

Ended up paying £11 for a ride from Waterloo to Hackney !!! once I got to my destination, was told need to ride back about 5 minutes to be within the 'forest zone' which added additional cost and time ... once finished and parked additional three minutes of paid wait time were added as the bike was 'analysing itself' !!!

29 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Daz,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We try to be as sustainably priced and transparent as possible with our pricing, and the prices are mentioned in the app before you start your ride.

If you’re a frequent rider or love long rides, we have another money-saving option for you: Minutes Bundles! These pre-paid packages of riding minutes are available directly in the app. They’re a great way to save money if you ride often or need longer durations, you get unlimited free unlocks and no daily service fees when using a bundle!

We also offer a 20% discount on riding minutes to students, NHS staff, pensioners, and Emergency Services.

In our Minute Builder, you can also get extra minutes every day by watching ads, further increasing your savings. 😃

Regarding our operational areas, unfortunately we're not currently operating in Hackney. We’re truly excited about the prospect of bringing Forest and parking bays to every corner of London—it's a dream we're passionate about!

However, dockless parking is subject to regulation in each borough, and the rules can vary significantly. If you find that we’re not currently operating in your specific area, it’s because we haven’t yet secured the necessary permissions from that borough. We understand how frustrating this can be, but please know that we’re tirelessly working to expand Forest’s reach!

We would always advise checking the map before setting off. Red areas are always visible, and grey No Parking Areas appear once your ride begins. To view these grey zones in advance, you can tap on a bike on the map before starting your ride.

Also, just so you know—you can use the magnifying glass icon on the app’s home screen to search for your destination directly on the map.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Hazardous ebike parking

I am not a Forest bike user, but recently have been experiencing issues regarding the parking of these bikes. I now constantly find one parked outside my front drive. Now our daily visitors cannot drive through to park their car. It is not acceptable for these bikes to block residential drive ways, or to be left on footpaths. I personally don't think it is safe to see them left anywhere infront of people's homes. I think this scheme should have official parking banks to keep the bikes out of the way of residential areas and parked safely.

Please let me know when you have resolved this issue.

Many thanks

R.

2 June 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Rose,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

I'm really sorry to hear that bikes have been parked badly outside of your home and for the inconvenience caused. Could you kindly reach out to us via email at cs@humanforest.co.uk letting us know the location and we can have the bikes relocated as soon as possible and also take action against the previous users.

I've added a link to an article below on our parking guidelines and further information on how to make reports.

https://help.forest.me/en/articles/119-badly-parked-ebikes

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I was riding along a busy road when the…

I was riding along a busy road when the bike slowed down suddenly. Massively dangerous. I parked it and got a Lime bike. The camera won’t allow a horizontal picture to end a ride. Not an issue as I won’t be using Forest again

24 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Alex,

Thank you for getting in touch and taking the time to share your experience.

To help us look into this further, could you please email our team at cs@humanforest.co.uk? One of our agents will be happy to investigate and assist you.

Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Forest should be ashamed and nobody should use their bikes until they finally resolve their huge issues.

For months Forest' app has been unable to end rides. The camera keeps crashing the app and worse, sometimes freezing and rebooting the entire phone. This results in daily struggles trying to get to places using Forest and being forced to create support tickets to end rides which sometimes takes hours (14 hours is the longest I've not been able to do anything because nobody responded and ended a ride, whilst I was already on the other side of London trying to get a different bike). Forest should be utterly ashamed.

21 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Jeffrey,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We're really sorry about the ongoing issue you've had when ending rides and for the inconvenience caused. Our app team are still working to fix this issue, I completely understand your frustration.

In the meantime, if you find yourself unable to end a ride, you can pause the ride, and email us at cs@humanforest.co.uk. As soon as we pick up your email, we’ll manually end the ride and return any minutes used while it was paused.

Sorry again for the inconvenience caused and we appreciate your patience while we work to fix this issue.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor and expensive

I started using this service a few months ago, paying £35 for 1,000 minutes, and now those same 1,000 minutes cost £70. Isn't that too high? Is it legal to raise the price to this level in a matter of months? The service is very poor; the app was very slow to take a photo and send it. While doing this, the minutes continue to be charged.

20 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Alonso,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

At Forest, we aim to keep our pricing as sustainable as possible, balancing affordability with the need to ensure the viability of our service. When we do make adjustments to our bundles or pricing, it's only when the previous structure is no longer sustainable for us as a business. We understand how valuable the balance between competitive pricing and accessibility is to our users, and your feedback on this topic is genuinely appreciated.

I'm also very sorry to hear you've had issues ending your rides and we'll pass this feedback onto our app team. In future, if you encounter any difficulties ending a ride, please do not hesitate to contact our Support & Community team right away. We’re here to help, and can assist you in ending the ride promptly. You can reach us via:

Email: cs@humanforest.co.uk

Live Chat: Available from 8am to midnight through the support icon on the app homepage

Phone: 020 8157 7491 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I only use Forest if I absolutely have…

I only use Forest if I absolutely have to. Apart from parking issues, what irks me most are their patronising messages about how to park properly, even when the bike was positioned perfectly. So annoying and patronising in tone. Just communicate normally - preferably after you’ve sorted the numerous issues you have with coverage, the quality of the bikes and the glitchy app.

17 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Michaela,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

I'm really sorry the parking message comes across like that, that certainly isn't our intention, especially when you are parking perfectly. We'll pass this feedback onto the app team so that we can review and improve this messaging.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poorly Maintained Fleet

The fleet is extremely poorly maintained. In one single day I approached 3 different bikes that were available but infact had flat tyres. Batteries are more often close to being drained. Wrote a complaint to customer service and received a textbook response and zero accountablity or explanation on steps being taken by then. The app is a compelte disaster, constantly bugging out, or saying its a no parking zone when its not, bikes failing to lock. Lime is a far superior product and alternative.

16 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Marcello,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We're really sorry to hear you've encountered issues with bikes. We understand how important it is for our eBikes to be reliable. That's why we now ensure all eBikes receive a service at least every 3 weeks to keep them in tip-top shape. We’ll take your feedback on board to improve further. Please do get in touch ASAP if you experience any problems, and our Support Team will be happy to help. 🚴🔧 Just to let you know, you can also create a damage report in the app when you come across an issue. We then go over the reports manually and ensure the bikes are taken offline and any necessary refunds or minute returns are carried out.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Pricing is obscure and complicated and…

Pricing is obscure and complicated and they pretend it's just "x per minute" but then there's service fee and unlock fee. At this point itemise the employee salaries and the rental of their office...
Basically, not really cheap. I get that they have costs and have to pay salaries, but unfortunately is just not cheap enough for me to count on it. Only by exception.

Bikes are often a bit damaged which I would accept if it was cheap - but hey.

They are most popular option where I live hence why I still unlock them here and there, but only by exception.

15 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Gustavo,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

The Daily 10 applies to riding time, and we can confirm that this riding time is added to your account every day you ride. The minutes are activated when you take your first ride and can be found in the Credit section of the app.

If you don't have an active Bundle or subscription, there is a £1 unlock fee before each ride and a daily service fee of 90p that is applied to your first ride of the day.

We apologise for any confusion caused. We strive to be as transparent as possible with our pricing, and this information is mentioned in the app when you first sign up, in the welcome email, and also in the app before each ride.

Just to let you know we also have Minute Bundles, if you are planning on taking longer rides or riding often I would advise checking them out, these are set amounts of minutes you can buy, they can be found on the Menu in the app, there are also no unlocking or service fees when using our Bundles. 😃

We're really sorry to hear you've encountered issues with bikes. We understand how important it is for our eBikes to be reliable. That's why we now ensure all eBikes receive a service at least every 3 weeks to keep them in tip-top shape. We’ll take your feedback on board to improve further. Please do get in touch ASAP if you experience any problems, and our Support Team will be happy to help. 🚴🔧 Just to let you know, you can also create a damage report in the app when you come across an issue. We then go over the reports manually and ensure the bikes are taken offline and any necessary refunds or minute returns are carried out.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

You need docking stations

There are some works on the pavement outside my building and even with the narrow path there are 4 bikes randomly parked, I noticed a blind person struggling to get around. I tried to write to Forest Bike and they want me to download the app to report the issue which I'm not going to do. I'm reporting it to the council instead.

14 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Domenico,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

I'm really sorry to hear that bikes have been parked badly outside of your office and for the inconvenience caused. Could you kindly reach out to us via email at cs@humanforest.co.uk letting us know the location and we can have the bikes relocated as soon as possible and also take action against the previous users.

I can confirm you can report bikes to us without being a user. I've added a link to an article below on our parking guidelines and further information on how to make reports.

https://help.forest.me/en/articles/119-badly-parked-ebikes

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bikes are absolutely terrible and then…

Bikes are absolutely terrible and then they decided to charge £21 for apparently not parking in the right place , rather than tell me I couldn’t leave the bike in that area
On top of that no real person would answer the phone every time I called 1/10 service
Helio

12 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Helio,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

We understand that it can be frustrating when certain areas lack designated Parking Bays, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please note that the availability of parking zones is regulated by each borough, and we are bound by their guidelines. If we do not operate in a specific area, it is because we do not have the right to park there.

For future rides, please do check the map before setting off. Red areas are always visible, and grey No Parking Areas appear once your ride begins. To view these grey zones in advance, you can tap on a bike on the map before starting your ride.

Also, just so you know—you can use the magnifying glass icon on the app’s home screen to search for your destination directly on the map.

I'm sorry to hear you had trouble getting through to our support team. You can reach us via:

Email: cs@humanforest.co.uk
Live Chat: Available from 8am to midnight through the support icon on the app homepage
Phone: 020 8157 7491 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disgusting absolutely disgusting how…

Disgusting absolutely disgusting how dear you steal my money, not let me delete my debit card your app is so bad you need to close down what is wrong with you people I mean AI there is no one to talk to give me back my money and take my card details off your system please please please please please. Really really really BAD

9 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Heidi,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

Would it be possible if you could kindly reach out to us at cs@humanforest.co.uk so we can take a closer look at your account and help you out regarding any charges.

All accounts must have a card on them but you can request for your account to be deleted when you wish.

To delete your account, follow these steps:

Open the app
Go to Account
Select Settings
Choose Request Account Deletion

If you need any assistance with this, please also reach out to our support team.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible

Terrible, app frozen could not end the ride ending up charging me for two miles whilst trying to end ride. Complete scam. How much money are the company pocketing by purposely doing this. Please don’t use.

4 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Lisa,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

I'm really sorry to hear you've had issues ending your ride. Would it be possible if you could kindly reach out to us at cs@humanforest.co.uk so we can take a closer look at your account.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

App freezing constantly

App freezing constantly and continuosly. I have been trying over and over to end the ride as the app was freezing so I missed half of a concert I paid the ticket for. Since last updates it is barely possible to end the ride. I have been using this for years and recently it became completely unusuable. I wrote to customer support without any outcome. So I asked for a refund and waiting for it so I can finally delete the app for good.

1 May 2025
Unprompted review
Forest logo

Reply from Forest

Hello Gianluca,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.

I'm really sorry to hear you've had issues ending your rides. Would it be possible if you could kindly reach out to us at cs@humanforest.co.uk so we can take a closer look at your account.

Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳

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