KingSong: Difference between revisions

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'''KingSong''', a manufacturer of electric unicycles, has been the subject of multiple consumer rights concerns. These issues include the use of software to restrict user freedom and product ownership, notably through mandatory app-based activation that can remotely disable devices. Additionally, the company's mobile application has faced criticism for its privacy practices, with reports of it requiring invasive permissions to function. Furthermore, King Song has been linked to product safety issues after a U.S. government agency issued a warning about a fire hazard with one of its models, which the company reportedly refused to recall.

'''KingSong''', a manufacturer of electric unicycles, has been the subject of multiple consumer rights concerns. These issues include the use of software to restrict user freedom and product ownership, notably through mandatory app-based activation that can remotely disable devices. Additionally, the company's mobile application has faced criticism for its privacy practices, with reports of it requiring invasive permissions to function. Furthermore, King Song has been linked to product safety issues after a U.S. government agency issued a warning about a fire hazard with one of its models, which the company reportedly refused to recall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission |date=2022-07-12 |title=CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using King Song Electric Unicycles Due to Fire Hazard; Fire and Injuries Reported |url=https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2022/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-to-Immediately-Stop-Using-King-Song-Electric-Unicycles-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-Fire-and-Injuries-Reported |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=https://www.cpsc.gov}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==

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The company's use of software-based controls to enforce market segmentation and prevent "grey market" price erosion creates a digital wall that fundamentally alters the nature of product ownership. The ability of the manufacturer to remotely disable a product that has been paid for and sold to a consumer challenges a fundamental legal concept in many jurisdictions: the '''"first-sale doctrine."''' This principle holds that once a copyright owner sells a copy of their work, they lose the right to control its subsequent distribution. In this context, the manufacturer's ability to "brick" a product after the sale is complete is seen by many in the community as '''a violation of property rights.'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Boilerdog359 |date=2020-11-16 |title=Kingsong region locking |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricUnicycle/comments/jvcs8i/kingsong_region_locking/ |access-date=23 Aug 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

While King Song's policy is intended to protect its business interests, the method of enforcement places the burden on the end consumer, who may be an uninformed party in the complexities of the global supply chain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Enro123 |date=2020-08-17 |title=Latest Kingsong debacle of locking their EUCs - InMotion could also do the same. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricUnicycle/comments/ibd413/latest_kingsong_debacle_of_locking_their_eucs/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> Community members have argued that a more appropriate business practice would be to deny warranty or service for grey market wheels, rather than remotely disabling the device itself, a method they deem "unacceptable" and "not even legal". ~~<sup>2</sup>~~ This practice turns a consumer's one-time purchase into a product with a built-in, manufacturer-controlled kill switch, which is a significant departure from traditional models of ownership.

While King Song's policy is intended to protect its business interests, the method of enforcement places the burden on the end consumer, who may be an uninformed party in the complexities of the global supply chain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Enro123 |date=2020-08-17 |title=Latest Kingsong debacle of locking their EUCs - InMotion could also do the same. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricUnicycle/comments/ibd413/latest_kingsong_debacle_of_locking_their_eucs/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> Community members have argued that a more appropriate business practice would be to deny warranty or service for grey market wheels, rather than remotely disabling the device itself, a method they deem "unacceptable" and "not even legal". This practice turns a consumer's one-time purchase into a product with a built-in, manufacturer-controlled kill switch, which is a significant departure from traditional models of ownership.

==='''Remote Locking and Geo-Fencing'''===

As a policy to combat "grey market" imports, King Song implemented a region-locking mechanism that requires the official app for new wheel "activation." Wheels intended for the Chinese domestic market are remotely disabled or "bricked" if an attempt is made to connect them with the app from an international IP address. This policy has left consumers who unknowingly purchased these wheels from unofficial resellers with non-functional devices, sparking outrage within the community.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Vulkov |date=2020-08-05 |title=WARNING KINGSONG PRODUCTS |url=https://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/19378-warning-kingsong-products/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=forum.electricunicycle.org}}</ref>[[File:117716528 1934204426716639 5748934329590208824 n.png|thumb|Official KingSong statement on retrospectively geo-locking wheels from their facebook page <ref>{{Cite web |last=King Song International |date=2020-04-20 |title=King Song Official Notice |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ooE3BRST/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=facebook.com}}</ref>]]<gallery>

As a policy to combat "grey market" imports, King Song implemented a region-locking mechanism that requires the official app for new wheel "activation." Wheels intended for the Chinese domestic market are remotely disabled or "bricked" if an attempt is made to connect them with the app from an international IP address. This policy has left consumers who unknowingly purchased these wheels from unofficial resellers with non-functional devices, sparking outrage within the community.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=@Vulkov |date=2020-08-05 |title=WARNING KINGSONG PRODUCTS |url=https://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/19378-warning-kingsong-products/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=forum.electricunicycle.org}}</ref>[[File:117716528 1934204426716639 5748934329590208824 n.png|thumb|Official KingSong statement on retrospectively geo-locking wheels from their facebook page <ref>{{Cite web |last=King Song International |date=2020-04-20 |title=King Song Official Notice |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ooE3BRST/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=facebook.com}}</ref>]]<gallery>

File:Chat with KingSong representative.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.

File:Chat with KingSong representative.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.<ref name=":1" />

File:Chat with KingSong representative2.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.

File:Chat with KingSong representative2.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.<ref name=":1" />

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-'''KingSong''', a manufacturer of electric unicycles, has been the subject of multiple consumer rights concerns. These issues include the use of software to restrict user freedom and product ownership, notably through mandatory app-based activation that can remotely disable devices. Additionally, the company's mobile application has faced criticism for its privacy practices, with reports of it requiring invasive permissions to function. Furthermore, King Song has been linked to product safety issues after a U.S. government agency issued a warning about a fire hazard with one of its models, which the company reportedly refused to recall.
+'''KingSong''', a manufacturer of electric unicycles, has been the subject of multiple consumer rights concerns. These issues include the use of software to restrict user freedom and product ownership, notably through mandatory app-based activation that can remotely disable devices. Additionally, the company's mobile application has faced criticism for its privacy practices, with reports of it requiring invasive permissions to function. Furthermore, King Song has been linked to product safety issues after a U.S. government agency issued a warning about a fire hazard with one of its models, which the company reportedly refused to recall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission |date=2022-07-12 |title=CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using King Song Electric Unicycles Due to Fire Hazard; Fire and Injuries Reported |url=https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2022/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-to-Immediately-Stop-Using-King-Song-Electric-Unicycles-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-Fire-and-Injuries-Reported |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=https://www.cpsc.gov}}</ref>
 ==Consumer-impact summary==
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 The company's use of software-based controls to enforce market segmentation and prevent "grey market" price erosion creates a digital wall that fundamentally alters the nature of product ownership. The ability of the manufacturer to remotely disable a product that has been paid for and sold to a consumer challenges a fundamental legal concept in many jurisdictions: the '''"first-sale doctrine."''' This principle holds that once a copyright owner sells a copy of their work, they lose the right to control its subsequent distribution. In this context, the manufacturer's ability to "brick" a product after the sale is complete is seen by many in the community as '''a violation of property rights.'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Boilerdog359 |date=2020-11-16 |title=Kingsong region locking |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricUnicycle/comments/jvcs8i/kingsong_region_locking/ |access-date=23 Aug 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>
-While King Song's policy is intended to protect its business interests, the method of enforcement places the burden on the end consumer, who may be an uninformed party in the complexities of the global supply chain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Enro123 |date=2020-08-17 |title=Latest Kingsong debacle of locking their EUCs - InMotion could also do the same. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricUnicycle/comments/ibd413/latest_kingsong_debacle_of_locking_their_eucs/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>  Community members have argued that a more appropriate business practice would be to deny warranty or service for grey market wheels, rather than remotely disabling the device itself, a method they deem "unacceptable" and "not even legal". <sup>2</sup>  This practice turns a consumer's one-time purchase into a product with a built-in, manufacturer-controlled kill switch, which is a significant departure from traditional models of ownership.
+While King Song's policy is intended to protect its business interests, the method of enforcement places the burden on the end consumer, who may be an uninformed party in the complexities of the global supply chain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Enro123 |date=2020-08-17 |title=Latest Kingsong debacle of locking their EUCs - InMotion could also do the same. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricUnicycle/comments/ibd413/latest_kingsong_debacle_of_locking_their_eucs/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>  Community members have argued that a more appropriate business practice would be to deny warranty or service for grey market wheels, rather than remotely disabling the device itself, a method they deem "unacceptable" and "not even legal". This practice turns a consumer's one-time purchase into a product with a built-in, manufacturer-controlled kill switch, which is a significant departure from traditional models of ownership.
 ==='''Remote Locking and Geo-Fencing'''===
-As a policy to combat "grey market" imports, King Song implemented a region-locking mechanism that requires the official app for new wheel "activation." Wheels intended for the Chinese domestic market are remotely disabled or "bricked" if an attempt is made to connect them with the app from an international IP address. This policy has left consumers who unknowingly purchased these wheels from unofficial resellers with non-functional devices, sparking outrage within the community.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@Vulkov |date=2020-08-05 |title=WARNING KINGSONG PRODUCTS |url=https://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/19378-warning-kingsong-products/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=forum.electricunicycle.org}}</ref>[[File:117716528 1934204426716639 5748934329590208824 n.png|thumb|Official KingSong statement on retrospectively geo-locking wheels from their facebook page <ref>{{Cite web |last=King Song International |date=2020-04-20 |title=King Song Official Notice |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ooE3BRST/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=facebook.com}}</ref>]]<gallery>
+As a policy to combat "grey market" imports, King Song implemented a region-locking mechanism that requires the official app for new wheel "activation." Wheels intended for the Chinese domestic market are remotely disabled or "bricked" if an attempt is made to connect them with the app from an international IP address. This policy has left consumers who unknowingly purchased these wheels from unofficial resellers with non-functional devices, sparking outrage within the community.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=@Vulkov |date=2020-08-05 |title=WARNING KINGSONG PRODUCTS |url=https://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/19378-warning-kingsong-products/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=forum.electricunicycle.org}}</ref>[[File:117716528 1934204426716639 5748934329590208824 n.png|thumb|Official KingSong statement on retrospectively geo-locking wheels from their facebook page <ref>{{Cite web |last=King Song International |date=2020-04-20 |title=King Song Official Notice |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ooE3BRST/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-02 |website=facebook.com}}</ref>]]<gallery>
-File:Chat with KingSong representative.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.
+File:Chat with KingSong representative.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.<ref name=":1" />
-File:Chat with KingSong representative2.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.
+File:Chat with KingSong representative2.jpg|Screenshot of a chat detailing a victim's experience with a KingSong representative, who, on behalf of the company, accepted payment for a wheel and subsequently geo-locked the device, preventing the consumer from using it.<ref name=":1" />
 </gallery>