An Auckland Councillor fears Lime customers are being tricked into believing officials don't want the company's scooters on the city's streets.
A temporary suspension was placed on Lime scooters on Friday after the company failed to convince officials they were safe to use.
There have been dozens of reports of Lime scooters suddenly braking on their own, sending riders flying into the pavement.
"We have been clear with Lime representatives that the equipment used on our transport network must be safe for use," Auckland Council chief operating officer Dean Kimpton said.
In response, Lime prompted users via its app to contact the Mayor and Councillors. So far more than 4500 people have sent emails, flooding Councillors' inboxes.
"A petition or a list of names would have been awesome - then we could have seen the support," Councillor Richard Hills told Newshub.
"But right now it's sort of misguided, when Lime knows it's their [braking] issue, not the overall issue of Lime, that needs to be fixed."
Mr Hills said the strategy could backfire, with Councillors less keen on scooters possibly put off by receiving 4500 identical emails.
Lime's message to its users doesn't mention the braking issue at all.
"People who might be clicking the support button are confused that the Council's against Lime in general, when it's just about the defect," said Mr Hills.
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Lime has failed to respond to Newshub's requests for comment since the council said on Thursday it was considering suspending the company's licence.
The council may lift the suspension on Monday, depending on the outcome of a safety report.
Newshub.
