Do I need to use my mobility scooter in my home - indoors?

Where do I want to travel on my mobility scooter?

Do I want a small foldable scooter model that will go on short trips, say to one of the shopping centres here on the Costa del Sol, Spain, perhaps the local supermarkets etc., one that I can easily put in the trunk of a car?

Do I want to use my mobility scooter in the area near my home?

Do I want a 3 or 4 wheeled model mobility scooter?

Do I have to manoeuvre round tight corners in either the interior or exterior area where I live?

Are there any difficult areas I need to access? Consider the area where you live; are the pavements scooter friendly with dropped curbs; or do you have to take high kerbs; is the terrain friendly; is there rough ground; no pavements; is there lots of sand or grass?

Are there many hills that you need to go up on a regular basis? What camber they have, are they steep? Make sure they are not too steep for a mobility scooter to get up.

Consider the amount of work the mobility scooter has to do on hills etc and then consider your weight. It is no good expecting a small mobility scooter to be able to go up steep hills and carry a lot of weight at the same time.

Another option is that you might actually need two mobility scooters, a small scooter for use in the home and trips out in the car and perhaps a larger model to be able to drive around your local area? Have you considered buying a van or people carrier to enable you to utilise a larger mobility scooter all the time?

Where are you going to charge the scooter? Your mobility scooter will need regular charging so you must have access to electricity.

Where can you leave the mobility scooter when you are not using it? Is there room in your house or apartment or do you have a garage or other covered building where you can leave it? If not then consider buying a purpose built cover to keep it dry and clean.

What sort of tyres do I want on my mobility scooter, solid tyres or pneumatic tyres? Solid tyres do not puncture but give a less springy comfortable ride. The wider the tyres the better the grip and stability. What sort of seat do I want on my scooter? Does it swivel to make transferring on and off easier? Does it adjust for height? Does it have forward and backward adjustment?

What to Ask your Dealer

Make sure your dealer offers a home assessment service, you need them to visit to assess your needs and advise on the best scooter for your environment where the mobility scooter will be used, such as narrow doors, too small lifts (The lifts in Spain are very small) impassable steps (you may need a ramp putting in).

What is the delivery time?

Do you have to pay for scooter delivery?

Will the company assemble the mobility scooter for you?

What guarantee is available? Remember in Spain the law is that the company has to give a 2 years warranty.

What after care service is offered, (most companies in Spain do not offer any) do they service the mobility scooter during the warranty?

Do they make a call out charge during the warranty period?

Make sure that the mobility company does have an after care service that is local, there are some companies who when a mobility scooter goes wrong have to send the scooter away and don't even give a replacement mobility scooter whilst you wait sometimes several weeks for the repairs to be done.

Does your dealer offer a try before you buy scheme? Usually you can rent the model scooter you think will be appropriate so that you can try it in your home environment before buying. Ideally they should refund the price of the rental if you purchase the mobility scooter.