Things To Consider When Thinking Of Buying A Used Mobility Scooter
If you are considering the purchase of a secondhand electric mobility scooter - take a little time out and read our article that covers some of the points around opting to buy a used one rather than a brand new one straight out of your local mobility shop.
Secondhand VS New
When shopping to buy a mobility scooter you will soon see that a high specification second-hand mobility scooter can cost you the same amount of money as buying a low priced, (lower specification) brand new one. As far as benefits go the advantage of buying a high specification model secondhand is that you are getting a higher quality scooter - but at a lower price than when it was first sold!
So, should you buy a new lower specification scooter or a better quality used one?
This decision has to be made after considering what is most important to you. Do you need a "top-notch" scooter or will a lower specification one meet your individual needs?
Do you need to buy a scooter that has lots of distance capability after being recharged? If so you need to look at models that have a large battery pack and with a good distance / time between battery charge intervals.
A big factor that all uses take for granted is reliability. Because of this should you buy a brand new mobility scooter that has a comprehensive warranty, or take a gamble on a used one? Or how about considering the purchase of a secondhand model that has been well-maintained? A well-maintained mobility scooter could possibly be better and more reliable than one that is new and unproven!
Quality OF Used Mobility Scooters
The quality of second hand scooters can vary significantly. You can buy anything from slightly used models to ones that are many years old, and with everything in-between. Some second hand dealer's buy used mobility scooters from various sources, so you will usually have a large variety to choose from.
Remember, above everything else make sure you consider what you will be using the scooter for, and will it meet your needs in the best way?
Should you buy from a dealer or buy privately?
Shopping at a mobility shop or dealer:
Buying a used mobility scooter from a dealer / retailer has it's benefits, one being the fact that most dealers will give you a 3 / 6 / 9 or 12 month warranty on parts, and most are fitted with new batteries at the time of delivery. Warranties covering labour as well can vary from one dealer to another, so check what you are being offered, and before you buy!
If time is not an issue keep a look out for bargains and special offers on secondhand mobility scooters, these come around every so often and sometimes you can take advantage of a reduced price or even enjoy a few free accessories as part of the sale. These could be a protective rain cover, maybe a shopping basket, or even a spare battery pack?
Thinking of buying privately?
Shopping from private sellers:
Classified adverts and online sources such as ebay are two avenues for looking to buy a used mobility scooter. On newspaper adverts and on the ebay website there are many second hand mobility scooters for sale every day of the week. Models are advertised for sale at all price points and with a strong selection of different makes and models.
Shoppers using ebay can narrow down their "online" searching by way of choosing to view models that are within a certain area or distance from their home. If you see a used scooter on ebay that you are interested in don't be afraid of asking the seller for more photographs or anything about its history that you want to know.
If the seller of the scooter is keen to sell - they will usually be happy to oblige and supply these.
Getting it home: Don't forget that if you buy a used mobility scooter from eBay you may have to pick it up yourself, ensure that you have the means to do this unless you have access to someone that can collect if for you.
Finding a local dealer using the internet
In this day and age most dealers of all products including mobility aids have some form of online presence. Those could be by way of them having a dedicated website that features all the products and mobility scooter that they sell. Some dealers choose to not have a website though, with many just advertising online on a website such as Hibu, this is what used to be known as Yell.com. More also choose to have their details listed in local online business directories, for example this could be a directory covering shops in say Leeds, or alternatively Manchester, or any other city or town in the UK.
To find these sources on the internet it is wise to use one of the popular internet search engines such as Bing or Google. Simply by entering the words of "mobility scooter" or "used mobility scooter" followed by a UK city or town, you will be presented with pages of relevant information about "mobility scooters" accordingly.
Asking Friends and Family About Used Scooters
If you have a fair number of friends or relatives in your family it could be really useful to involve them when looking to buy a second hand mobility scooter. As well as them giving advice and helping you with choosing the right make and model to suit your needs, you could also ask them if they know of anyone that has a used mobility scooter for sale!
Sometimes this can be the easiest and cheapest way to buy one! It could be that someone knows someone down the social club or maybe the local bingo or pub that is selling a used scooter - and it could be one that is just being parked-up and not used.
