Mobility scooter spares

In another thread, I mentioned that my mobility scooter had stopped working. I have checked it out and determined that the main control box is at fault. The main PCB is horrendously complex with the compulsory microprocessor and a load of other IC's and discrete components, all surface mounted. I couldn't even start to work on it, even if I had a circuit diagram. I have trawled the internet and found a replacement, but at £400 it's a bit much as I only paid £200 for the scooter, second hand, about 8 years ago. So I have spent £300 on another second hand machine.

While visiting the various sites selling spares for mobility products, I was astounded at the rip off prices they are charging for the simplest of components. Here follows some screen grabs. The bottom of the page show prices from proper suppliers.

Edited By Anthony Knights on 18/07/2021 11:29:36

Yes it seems to be a ripoff all round. I repaired an electric powered wheelchair. Fortunately one that wasn't surface mount and microprocessor controlled.

The owner was quoted £425 plus VAT for the repair. It took me an hour and about £2 of electronic bits. I also fitted two new tyres which cost £15. The agency had mentioned the tyres were shot and wanted another £50 plus VAT for replacements.

Seems the disabled are a good target for the rip off merchants.

Andrew.

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 18/07/2021 12:01:43

Hi Anthony

You have shown exactly why it is important to shop around if you don't want to be fleeced but it is always likely the quality may be to a better spec on some items.

Emgee

My Dad managed to break the switch on the stairlift with his bum, when I phoned up the dealer about a new switch they quoted a price of £180. I got a replacement from RS for 18 pence.

I had a similar experience buying new batteries for my scooter.

Ended up buying some Lucas branded ones at good price and higher capacity.

Jim

Not on the 2 scooters I've had so far. The speed controls were bog standard linear potentiometers. At the prices they are asking you would expect a gold plated IP67 device for use on a nuclear reactor.

Never mind the disability market - this occurs across the whole spectrum of spares to a greater, or lesser, extent.

Car dealerships are some of the worst examples - not necessarily the dealership at fault. They are contracted to supply only ‘factory’ supplied parts, as one of the conditions to be allowed a franchise.

Example : Peugeot 607 drive shaft £80 inclusive VAT (likely a next day delivered price) from a supplier I have used previously, versus Peugeot dealership quote of £450 (likely excludes VAT?).

Cost of item actually needed for the repair - about £3 (the reluctor ring). This option was not offered by the dealership but was by the ‘non-factory’ supplier.

When Mother-in-Law died the stairlift Co wanted £200 to remove the lift - a guy who refurbs and installs paid us more than that to take it away.

These sorts of cases really need highlighting to the media - awful, awful people about

pgk

Before the virus shut down I was a helper at the stroke club, one of the members said he had been looking into buying mobility scooter and told me the local price was close on £3000, which I thought was a lot of money.. At the next meeting the same man told me he had talking to his daughter in Leeds on the phone, and she could buy the same model for close on £2000. Both thought there was some wrong, but did check with the brochures pictures. Later, he went to the original dealer and told him he would not be buying from him as he could buy a scooter from Leeds for £2000, the local deal said I'll match it. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. If any one knows of a disable person with a fault on their scooter they should contact REMAP first, as they can often help out. REMAP groups are dotted all over UK and social services will know if your area has a group. John

I use a push pull hand control system on my car as I'm missing a leg. The hand controls add around £650 to the cost of every car. I used to make my own, to an almost identical design, for about £30. I didn't ever have much money.

Who can justify spending £650 on modifying a £500 car that probably would only last a year before being thrown away in favour of another car which has 12 months MoT on it? Usually the car I was disposing of was being got rid of due to an electronics failure that had eluded a cheap fix.

I think markets that have a captive audience get exploited. My wife put a 3 inch scratch in a neighbours bumper while parking a couple of years back. We went and told them, and they said as long as it was put right at a good bodyshop they didn't think we needed to go through insurance. I wish we had... The list of charges from the bodyshop included £5 for putting a disposable cover on the drivers seat, and £150 to go to Citroen to reset any error messages that "may" occur (not did occur) as a result of unplugging the parking sensors. That small scratch ended up costing us a few grand. But of course, the insurance companies would just pay it normally, so the prices keep rising...

Dick Turbin is alive and well !

Jon Lawes Did you explain to the bodyshop that it was not an insurance job ? I know some bodyshops that will only do insurance jobs

Roy

I did. Dealing with the smarmy manager who dealt with it left me feeling quite greasy and grubby. It was a relatively large chain.