How do I find a good ECV to purchase at a reasonable price?

[swilshire]

I thought about renting an ECV for an upcoming WDW trip, but am considering buying one. I find myself skipping events because I know I'm going to have trouble getting around. My son has Down Syndrome Awareness Group day at the zoo tomorrow and I don't know how I'm going to be able to get through the day. I also bought season passes for Dollywood before my ankle problem got so bad and would definitely go there on Sunday (which is supposed to be a marvelous day) but I'm hesitating due to the walking involved.

I don't know where to start to find an ECV that would be easily portable. I can get around with a cane for the most part, but for places with a lot of walking involved, that isn't working for me any more. I overheard a lady while we were waiting for Beauty and the Beast talking to someone else about her search for an ECV and how she negotiated a really good price. I don't need one for full-time use like hers, but it made me realize how little I know about the purchase process.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sheila

 

[Mrsjvb]

talk to your doctor about durable medical equipment and your insurance to see what they cover and who they work with.

 

[Bete]

A couple of points in both directions.

Most zoos have rental scooters in their parks. Dollywood rents scooters, too. The charge will be around $40/day.

We have debated getting a scooter for a few years and I have to tell you I rather rent; since, we only need them on vacation. I don't want to transport the scooter. I don't want to get it in and out of the car. If you have a SUV it's a little easier in those vehicles. I'm petrified about something going wrong, too. Who will fix it and how much?

If I had to use one on a daily basis I would buy one.

If you buy a used one you may be buying trouble. If you want to buy new I've been looking at Drive scooters. They're cheaper than Pride and for the money seem to be a stronger scooter.

 

[tobikaye]

We just bought my sister a scooter that we are picking up tomorrow. We did a finance plan on it so that we did not have a big payment upfront before our WDW trip. I figure we will pay it off in a couple of months instead of the 12 it was financed.

I figured we would have spent about $400-500 this summer in rentals if we wanted to get out any. It would have been about $200 (offsite rental) for WDW and it is $50/day for Kings Island and our local zoo. We have season passes to KI and go 6-12 times a year.

We were just going to rent for WDW, but I cannot safely push her in her wheelchair right now for local places. She tried her rollator at KI a couple weeks ago, but the heat about did her in due to some of her meds. Our mom has degenerative disc disorder and has had more problems lately so she can borrow the scooter to take when needed.

 

[powellrj]

We bought a used one several years ago from scooteramma when we were at wdw. I had a tzora scooter that I had bought new but broke while we were at wdw. It wasn't as heavy duty as the drive I have now. They are for sale on Craig's list all the time and many times they are almost new and not very expensive.

 

[mamabunny]

You just have to do your due diligence. There's no shortcutting it, really.

Here's some of the things that I took into consideration when doing the research before buying my first personal mobility device:

- price/budget
- new or used? (can I find a used one that I am happy with? and is it worth the money I will save?)
- portability (how much does it weigh? how many parts does it break down into? can I lift the heaviest part of that scooter high enough to get it off the ground and into my car?)
- comfort
- ease of use

For me, price was less of a concern - I was replacing my legs, and I wanted something that I could manage on my own. I knew I wanted a scooter that (ideally) weighed less than 50 pounds so I could pick it up and put it in the back of my car by myself. I also knew that (for some people) the ultra-lightweight scooters aren't as comfortable; a lot of people can't deal with any scooter that doesn't have the "captain's chair" style seating with a full backrest and arms that fold up and down... I didn't need or want that necessarily, so my search turned in a different direction. I wound up buying a used version of my current scooter for about 1/2 price; when my family saw how positively it impacted my life, my hubby bought me the newest upgraded version less than a year later. (so now I have 2 scooters that are almost identical LOL)

You can find all kinds of scooters for sale in all kinds of places - Amazon.com has a great selection, and they show up on Craigslist all the time. Some folks report success getting their doctor to write the needed paperwork for the insurance company... but most of us have to pay out of our own pockets. If you belong to NextDoor, you might have success posting there to search for one; just remember that you may need to replace the batteries (and have it checked over by a local mobility vendor) if you buy used, to make sure that it is safe and will hold up under the kind of use it will get at WDW. (an average of 5 to 10 miles per day)

The scooter that is right for me may - or may not - be right for you. Until you start to learn about scooters in general, it's hard to know what is really right for you.

 

[Bete]

Any true lighter scooter in the 35 to 60 pound category will run $2-3000 new. That's very cost prohibitive for most of us. Usually, these scooters are less comfortable than a standard scooter. Riding on one for a longer period may be trying. Many of these lightweight scooters in this category run with lithium batteries and cost $750 to replace that battery as oppose to a regular scooter battery which runs no more than $300.

You can get a regular Drive model scooter in the range of $600 to $1000 depending on weight capacity and features like having two batteries. Two batteries allows you more time to use the scooter without charging it.

You really have to look at the specs very carefully when picking out a scooter that's right for you.

 

[The Hunchback]

I too bought a used scooter. I bought from Walker Mobility in FL. With Care Medical stopping operation in FL, there may be a glut of scooters for sale there now.

I paid $700 for a heavy duty, disassemble, style. I asked mileage when I bought and age of batteries. My pink scooter was lower mileage and was being sold due to a slight manufacturing default. (Her turtle is actually 1/2 rabbit so slow is all in the hand control). Fine for one owner but a pain as a rental due to each customer needing to learn to drive her.

I have ridden both the lightweights and heavier models and agree that the lighter ones are less comfortable.

Be sure to ask lots of questions and take a long test drive. I had rented the scooter I bought about three months prior to purchase, so knew of its quirks.

Best of luck in finding what is perfect for you.

 

[LindaBabe]

Walker Mobility, from whom I rent my scooters, also sells them. I looked at buying for a while, because I'm down there several times a year but after discussion with John at Walker, decided against it. In order for the batteries to hold a charge, they need to be used and recharged on a regular basis - at least a couple times a month if not more. I don't need one in my daily life, so that wasn't going to happen. Then there's the hassle of transporting it . . . .

 

[DJ!]

Check with your state's Vocational Rehabilitation department. In many cases, if you are working and have a medical need for a scooter, and your insurance doesn't cover it, they will pick up the tab and even can help you to get some sort of lift or ramp for your scooter to be loading onto or into your car. They can also help with repairs.

 

[swilshire]

Thanks for all of the good information. That helps me a lot with the things I need to consider. The tip about needing to use the scooter regularly to maintain the battery is a good one. I have a lot to think about.

Sheila

 

[DJ!]

When I first purchased a scooter, it was because we had moved to FL and had AP's, so renting scooters at the parks was a pain and an expense that made no sense when you looked at how much the price of a scooter was. At the time, I usually only needed a scooter at Disney or large local festivals. I would charge it up and leave it sometimes for months without use. My scooter was in storage at times for up to 6 months and it ran just fine. I have had to use my scooter more and more in the recent years, because my condition has worsened and after 6 years of ownership, I just have replaced my batteries. The best battery advice I can give you is to use your batteries all the way to the red zone and then fully charge it. Don't leave it charging all of the time and don't charge it the first few times without fully running it down to red. That's what I have done and it seems to work for me. YMMV

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

When we bought my scooter, I started by looking on Amazon. I then called a few local -ish distributors. When I found out which ones were available, my husband checked out the particulars of each scooter.

I visited those distributors, taking time to drive various scooters.

We went with what I felt was comfortable and had a battery that lasted longer than an average trip to Epcot.

We ended up with a Buzzaround Extreme.

 

[arminnie]

I bought a Drive Medical scooter from Amazon for about $600 - that's about 3 one week rentals. I've had it for 5-6 months. I do not use it all the time - but I have been very satisfied with it. It's one that breaks down for travel. It weighs 94 pounds total but when broken down no part is more than 35 pounds.

I might have brought something more expensive if I were going to use it daily or weekly. But this is just fine for now. I've used it at WDW, Mardi Gras, and at a large shopping mall. I plan to use it when I visit Crystal Bridges Museum and hiking paths, the World War II Museum, Garvan Gardens, and Bellingrath Gardens.

I am also going to take it to California when I go to my 40 year Stanford reunion. The Stanford campus is enormous (8000+ acres) and I want to be able to show my DH around.

A year ago I was able to walk 3-4 miles with no help. Now I have a neurological problem that really restricts my ability to even walk 10 feet. I do not have knee or hip issues so this has been a complete shock to me to have to deal with this.

 

[johnsgrl]

I bought a used one off of Craigslist, paid $350.00 which is less than the cost of 2 weeks rental. I have had it now for 4 years and use it for more than Disney so I certainly feel I got my moneys worth. I just had to replace the batteries this year and can do 2 park days without charging. Mine is a larger, dual battery one and too big for me to lift individual pieces into my car so I did buy a carrier/ramp that also makes it super easy to take it with me anywhere I go. Between the carrier, scooter and new batteries I still have spend less than 1k, and I have certainly saved thousands off the cost of renting.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Somewhat off topic, but an extension of purchasing a personal scooter. What do you do about insurance?

I've called my homeowner's and auto. Neither cover it, even as a separate rider.

It seems that there are companies in the UK, but not the US.

 

[johnsgrl]

Somewhat off topic, but an extension of purchasing a personal scooter. What do you do about insurance?

I've called my homeowner's and auto. Neither cover it, even as a separate rider.

It seems that there are companies in the UK, but not the US.

It might be because mine is older and not worth as much (in dollars, anyway) but it is covered by my homeowners (theft, fire, liability etc) and my auto policy as a content of my car when transporting. I would have to check to see if I bought a new one that was worth thousands if they would continue the coverage, make me buy a rider or refuse me.

 

[johnsgrl]

don't know where to start to find an ECV that would be easily portable. I can get around with a cane for the most part, but for places with a lot of walking involved, that isn't working for me any more. I overheard a lady while we were waiting for Beauty and the Beast talking to someone else about her search for an ECV and how she negotiated a really good price. I don't need one for full-time use like hers, but it made me realize how little I know about the purchase process.

I saw a LOT of these in the parks two weeks ago, they were actually cute and looked really easy to transport and store and I believe they are under $1500.00. http://evrider.com/products/transport-electric-scooter.html