Buying a mobility scooter can be a costly experience. Prices for new mobility scooters range from $2,500 to over
$10,000. Because of these high purchase prices, many people are tempted to purchase a cheaper used mobility scooter.
There are pro's and con's with buying used, but it mainly comes down to cost.
Pro's of buying a used mobility scooter.
The real only pro of buying used is the cost. If you can find a used mobility scooter with a full service
history that the owner bought new, and it is a reputable brand and only a couple of years old, then you may have
found a good deal. Be wary of mobility scooter brands that have no service or parts backup/availability, or old
mobility scooters that have no history or paperwork. Just remember most used mobility scooters will need a set
of new batteries; these cost between $300-$1500. This cost must be factored in when buying a used mobility
scooter.
Buying a used Mobility Scooter on Trade Me
There are hundreds of used mobility scooters listed on Trade Me at any one time. The price varies between $1
auctions to over $5000. The buyer must be aware that whatever the seller says, 99% of the time the batteries
will need replacing. This must be factored into the buying cost. If purchasing on TradeMe, it wise to only
buy from the original owner, as that way you should have a lot more history and hopefully the instruction
manual, spare key and the original invoice which make the transaction more pleasant. It is very frustratinmg
when you can't easily get hold of a spare key or instruction manual.
Used Mobility Scooter Battery Replacement.
Mobility scooter batteries (there are two) are expensive and considered a consumable. The life span of a
set of batteries is between 1 to 5yrs - which seems quite varied but can be explained. A set of
batteries that have always been kept charged as per the manufacturers charging instructions will often
last longer than ones that don't. Different brands can be expected to last different amounts of time.
Often, used scooters can have cheap batteries in them which usually means they have a shorter life span.
Often a one year old mobility scooter that looks and operates likes it's in perfect condition at first,
will still need the batteries replacing sooner rather than later. The reason for this is that batteries
don’t like sitting idle for even a few weeks, let alone months or even years, and this is hugely
detrimental to the life span of the batteries. In cases like this the mobility scooter will operate for
short distances satisfactorily when you are first getting used to operating a mobility scooter, but once
you try to go further distances, the batteries will fail leaving you stranded. In cases like this the
only option is to replace the batteries.
Some professional retailers like Mobility Plus Ltd will offer used mobility scooters for sale
alongside their new stock. These can be a great deal for customers especially if they come with
a warranty and backup and support.See Mobility plus Aprroved Used here.
Devaluation
Just like when buying a car or a TV, devaluation of the mobility scooter begins from the
moment it is purchased. A rule of thumb is this: In the first year after purchase, a
mobility scooter will devalue up to 50%. This will then slow down to approximately 30% in
the second year, and 20% in the third year. Once a mobility scooter gets over 6yrs old there
is very little value left (EVEN IF IT HASN’T HAD MUCH USE).
