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
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Review summary
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What people talk about most
Reviews shaping this summary
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
I've been using Forest for over a year now, but recently have faced problem after problem. Most recent issue was that I ended a ride as usual, and somehow a new ride magically started and went o... See more
Company replied
I was a strong proponent of forest bikes because it was local. However, the customer service is as good as nonexistent. I had two broken bikes and I was never refunded, even though the app said that t... See more
Company replied
Company details
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
London, United Kingdom
- 02081577491
- cs@humanforest.co.uk
- humanforest.co.uk
1.4
Bad
347 reviews
Replied to 99% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 48 hours
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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.
May 17, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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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.
May 16, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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.
May 15, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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.
May 14, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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
May 12, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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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
May 9, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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.
May 4, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
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.
May 1, 2025
Unprompted review
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 🌳
Wish i'd read the reviews
Wish i'd read the reviews - terrible app kept crashing when trying to end ride. When not crashing it claimed i was in a no parking zone, when their own map said otherwise. 'Help' is a chatbot sending you round in circles. Went from 10 mins early to 10 mins late for an appointment, and i'm still being charged (meter still running). Was first time trying Forest - have never had a problem with Lime, so won't use Forest again
May 2, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Richard,
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 🌳
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Horrendous experience
Horrendous experience. App crashes on you when you're trying to finish the ride. You end up arriving late and stressed everywhere and being charged all the extra time (15 in my case) while the app gets back to life. Today I thought I would give forest bikes a last chance... well...
No one to talk to either nor a functioning chatbot.
May 1, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Mercedes,
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 🌳
Mixed Experience – Great Concept, Poor Execution
I’ve found Forest bikes to be generally very useful. I have a designated parking bay near my office and another near my mainline station, which is extremely convenient and fits well with my commute.
Unfortunately, there are several recurring issues that detract from the overall experience. I’m often notified that I’m “not parked correctly,” even when I’ve used a designated bay. The app’s location function is inconsistent and sometimes fails to register that I’m within an approved parking zone.
The bikes themselves are hit and miss. They’re often poorly maintained—seats frequently don’t stay in position, so it’s essential to check them before riding. The brakes can also be unreliable and don’t always work as effectively as they should.
The biggest frustration by far is the app. Logging in is frequently a struggle, and I usually have to force close and relaunch it several times before it responds. Recently, I haven’t been able to access the app at all. Even after deleting and reinstalling it, the issue persisted. I only found out via live chat that there was a system outage—something that should have been communicated more clearly.
Overall, while the service has a lot of potential, the technical and maintenance issues make it unreliable at times. I hope these problems are addressed, as the concept itself is excellent.
May 1, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello,
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.
We're also really sorry to hear you've experienced issues with the app, and we completely understand how frustrating that must be. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us as we strive to improve our service, and we'll make sure it's passed on to our app team.
Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳
Not worth the price.
I used to subscribe to the 2000 minutes a month bundle for £60. The. They bumped the price up by £10 and now they’ve taken off 1000 minutes so it’s £70 for 1000 minutes.
This is just daylight robbery at this point.
You will lose a lot of customers.
Forest owes its loyal customers an explanation for why it is no longer “sustainable”.
This is scandalous and outrageous.
April 29, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Zubair,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.
At Forest, we’re committed to providing sustainable pricing while maintaining a quality service. Unfortunately, our previous subscription prices have become unsustainable, and we’ve had to make some adjustments. I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
We understand how valuable the balance between competitive pricing and accessibility is to our users, and your feedback on this topic is genuinely appreciated.
Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳
I've spent hundreds of £ on this app
I've spent hundreds of £ on this app, now I'm deleting it. I accidentally canceled my subscription for 2,000 minutes which they don't offer anymore. They refused to reinstate it. I would have spent hundreds more but now I'm swapping to lime out of principle. Bye.
April 23, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Ivan,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review.
Unfortunately, our previous subscription prices have become unsustainable, and we’ve had to make some adjustments. This means that the previous subscriptions are no longer available on our system, so we’re unable to reinstate them.
I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and hope you understand the reason for this change.
Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳
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Can't park near the station
Bikes are generally fine, but it’s getting to the point whereby the no-parking zones mean you can't get near a mainline station!
London Bridge is now a no-go area, might as well get the bus
April 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Steve,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback with us!
The No Parking Area around London Bridge Station has recently been extended at the request of the local council. This area is marked in dark grey on the app during your ride. You can also check No Parking Areas before starting a ride by tapping on a bike on the map.
For parking nearby, we recommend using one of the following designated bays:
Druid Street, SE1 2EU
Redcross Way, SE1 1TA
Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team🌳
Use most days, great service
Use most days, great service. Worth noting that it's normally cheaper to do a bundle than pay as you go - I usually do a 24 or 3 day bundle for short trips to and from the gym, works perfectly for me. Just make sure you're travelling in areas that are allowed before you start.
The photo parking checker doesn't work very well, it always says "good but could be better" and asks you to try again - but you can just resubmit the same photo and it accepts it the second time so this isn't an issue. I'm assuming this flags it to be manually checked which is fine as long as you aren't parking badly.
April 9, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hi Harry,
Thanks so much for taking the time to get in touch and share your thoughts with us.
We’re really happy to hear that you’re enjoying the bikes and that they fit well into your lifestyle. 😊
I've also passed your feedback about the end-of-ride photo process on to our tech team. We're always working on ways to improve the experience and make things as smooth and simple as possible, so your input is genuinely appreciated.
Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team🌳
Two attempts with Forest bikes
Two attempts with Forest bikes. The first time I couldn’t find bike that was listed on map. The bike right in front of me wasn’t showing at all. Second time I managed to get on the bike for a short ride, then spent 10 minutes trying to end the ride, photo wouldn’t pick up. Really frustrating. It’s too expensive
March 26, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Angela,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback with us!
We’re really sorry to hear you had trouble locating a bike, we have passed this feedback onto our app team so we can investigate whether this was an app error.
Regarding your ride, we’d love the chance to look into this further and help resolve any issues. Could you kindly reach out to us at cs@humanforest.co.uk?
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳
Very small and confusing parking map.
Very small and confusing parking map.
Doesn't let me park in a dedicated parking place.
The picture is distorted when taking photo.
Managed to resolve the issue, though the map has restricted places that ARE not marked red!
March 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback with us!
We’re really sorry to hear you had trouble with our map. Our parking boundaries and No Parking Areas can occasionally change, so we always recommend checking the map before starting your ride. You can easily view No Parking Areas by clicking on a bike on the map, and any area outside the forest is shown in red. We truly apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Regarding your ride, we’d love the chance to look into this further and help resolve any issues. Could you kindly reach out to us at cs@humanforest.co.uk?
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳
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Absolute rubbish!!
Absolute rubbish!!! First ten minutes free but they charge you a £5 holding fee everytime and then £1.90 for a 8/9 minute ride!!! So it’s hardly 10 minutes free. Most bikes are falling apart or don’t work at all. Parking areas keeps changing daily, even though I park at the same spot, sometimes it’s a no parking zone and sometimes it’s a parking zone, changes every day!! They blame it on the council, so they say, think it’s more like their tracking systems that’s shite!!
March 6, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Shaun,
Thank you for 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.
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.
Our parking boundaries and No Parking Areas can change from time to time. We would always advise checking the map before starting your ride. You can view the No Parking Areas before the ride by clicking on a bike on the map. Sorry for any inconvenience caused!
Best wishes,
Gareth
Forest Team 🌳
What a rip-off
What a rip-off! If you don’t use the minutes within the allotted time, you lose them. The app crashes all the time. On top of that, I’ve had trouble finding parking near work, so I park far away.
March 2, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Eduardo,
Thank you for getting in touch and sharing your experience with us.
Regarding our minute bundles, the usage time frame is displayed before purchase so that you have all the details you need. After your purchase, the time frame is also visible in the "Minutes" section within the app. We aim to make this information as clear as possible to ensure a smooth experience for our customers, both before and after purchasing.
We’re sorry to hear that bike availability has affected your experience. We understand that parking dockless e-bikes can be tricky at times, especially with varying regulations across different areas. If our service isn’t available in a particular location, it’s because we haven’t yet secured the necessary permissions. Please rest assured that we’re actively working on expanding Forest’s coverage and improving accessibility for all of our users.
We’re also sorry to hear about the difficulties you're experiencing with the app. We’d love to help resolve any issues you may be facing. Could you please email us at cs@humanforest.co.uk?and our team can assist you further.
Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳
I pay £30 pound per month for 400…
I pay £30 pound per month for 400 minutes over 30 days yet on every week of the year forest take £5 per ride and place it on hold from my bank .... I currently have £60 on hold it takes it for every ride even if you fail to use the bike... you get no free minutes despite what it says on the bike. How do you hold £60 for unlocking/ security when you have my bank card on record and I pay in advance..... if you have read this I dare say you will see a bog standard reply from forest being it's the banks fault it has nothing to do with the bank it's forest and their app !!
February 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Forest
Hello Tom,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
The £5 pre-authorisation is a temporary hold placed to ensure there are sufficient funds available to cover any potential ride fees. Even with a subscription, this is in place to cover any additional charges, such as exceeding your allocated minutes. The hold is released by us once your ride ends; however, the processing time may vary depending on your bank. For more specific details regarding the timing, we recommend contacting your bank directly.
Best wishes,
Ashleigh
Forest Team 🌳
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