「借りたものは返して」――レンタルバッテリー「CHARGESPOT」が注意喚起
CHARGESPOT, a rental battery service, has reportedly issued a reminder for users to return borrowed batteries.
This comes amidst instances of forgotten returns or even unreturned batteries, drawing sharp criticism online about "common sense" and "low morals."
The incident highlights challenges inherent in sharing economy services.
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CHARGESPOT
CHARGESPOT is a mobile battery sharing service operated by INFORICH Inc. Launched in 2018, it quickly expanded its stations nationwide to various locations in daily life, such as stations, convenience stores, commercial facilities, and restaurants, making it easily accessible when smartphones run out of battery. Users can download a dedicated app, scan a QR code to rent a battery, and are charged based on the usage time. Payments are accepted via credit cards and various QR payment services. Its convenience and ease of use have garnered support from a wide range of users, from business people to students and tourists.
CHARGESPOT's success is underpinned by the modern societal context of increased smartphone dependency and battery consumption. However, precisely because of its ease of use, issues such as forgotten returns and unintentional taking away have become apparent. This recent reminder addresses the balance of responsibility and morals required from both users and service providers as the service becomes more widespread. It represents a crucial challenge for the healthy development of the sharing economy, where service providers must pursue convenience while also encouraging users to comply with appropriate terms of service, and this warning is part of that effort.
Sharing Economy
Also known as "shared economy," it refers to economic activities where individuals share or exchange their underutilized assets (such as goods, spaces, time, or skills) with others via internet platforms. Typical examples include flea market apps (e.g., Mercari), short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnb), ride-sharing (e.g., Uber), and the current rental battery services. It has rapidly expanded against the backdrop of a shift in values from "ownership to access," which reduces the costs and responsibilities associated with ownership, allowing users to utilize what they need only when they need it.
Benefits include efficient use of resources, reduction of environmental impact, creation of new economic activities, and improved consumer convenience. However, it also faces challenges such as disputes among users, difficulties in quality control, protection of personal information, and, as seen in the current rental battery issue, a decline in morality towards "shared assets" (moral hazard). These challenges depend on how platform operating companies develop terms of service, implement safety measures, and enhance user awareness. For the sharing economy to grow sustainably, the cultivation of users' ethics is essential, not just convenience.
Moral Hazard
A term used in economics and insurance, originally translated as "moral risk." It refers to a situation where, in the presence of information asymmetry, one party takes inappropriate actions because the other party cannot fully observe their behavior. A typical example is when someone, after taking out insurance, becomes less careful about preventing accidents, expecting that claims will be paid out—this is a "change in behavior."
Applying this to the rental battery case, it refers to users falling into a psychological state where they think, "Even if I don't return the battery, there won't be a significant penalty," or "Even if I inconvenience someone, there's no direct disadvantage to me," thereby neglecting their inherent duty to return the item. This problem is likely to arise because of the information asymmetry that prevents the rental service from fully monitoring each user's actions. In the sharing economy, shared products and services can make some users feel that they are "nobody's property," which can incentivize irresponsible behavior. To curb moral hazard, it is crucial to strictify terms of service, clarify penalties, and most importantly, foster users' ethical awareness.