Mobility Scooter - Not Mobile - Repair Store Gone No Contact

JustJinny

»»» I have ADHD and Aspergers, and can't summerise without help - so here's the Summary AND the original version, for more context if needed. «««

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SUMMARY:

A Mobility Scooter was bought on 22nd Jan 2025, but developed a fault in late October 2025. Returned to Seller (reputible shop), at 9am on 13th December 2025, for repair …. It is now 7th February 2026, and Seller has been zero contact ever since, in spite of numerous contact attempts, via many different methods. Been practically Housebound because of the absence of this mobility aid. What can I do about it?

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FULL STORY:

I bought (on 22nd January 2025 - a Mobility Scooter, from a very reputable business (with mostly really good reviews), for £1500. They were lovely. Customer Service was excellent, and I was very happy.

By very late October it developed a fault... I rang and spoke to them, but I wasn't well and couldn't get it to them, so with their ok - it basically was used, only twice, on 2 jaunts, one to the post office with a letter, and once to the shop for a single box of emergency meds, and otherwise stayed at home.

On that last trip home, it completely broke down. It slowed right down, the power indicator needle was dancing. the ticking noise off the rear wheels was so much louder than it had been before, the Lights were flashing, it was beeping, and then it just conked out. I had to wheel it the rest of the way home.

It got taken in for repairs, (as while it began to turn on again, it was definitely still faulty), on 13th December, with fully charged batteries. I had a friend drive it over in his car. I couldn't be there as I had very important prior commitment.

Instantly, though, when they finally opened, as my friend was on the door first thing the Engineer turned it on, and said there was no fault, because it turned on…. But after discussion with the Engineer, and that my friend went and rode it about for about 15 minutes around there, to see if it was ok, and it wasn't. It definitely had the faults. The Lights flashed. There was the beeping, the Power kept dropping, or dropping out completely, and the ticking in the back end was even louder by the time he got back to the place. ...

He took it back, and reported what he had witnessed. So the Engineer said to me, that he'd hang onto it. He returned the Charger though, (and said that he did not need it, as he had one in his workshop), and said that he'd ride my Scooter about, to see if he could experience what I had, and the Engineer would get back to me in a couple of days..... And that was the last I heard.

There have been no responses to emails, phone calls, phone messages, or web contact forms.... I can't get there, because of lack of mobility (Taxi quotes, just for one way there, have been around the £100 mark).  My friend who dropped it off, has been away but returns in 2 to 3 weeks, and said he could go there/take me there then... But of course, I do have to cover his fuel expenses, (as I did before), which is also understandable. But I was relying on going one way on foot, and driving it home, and saving that money (otherwise it would be around £40 each way, if I asked my friend), as I'm broke. Lol.  That method would have leave me in minimal physical pain (if I can drive it back via public transport), but financially better off. Lol

But, I am really stuck now, as they are just not responding to my requests for contact.  The year's warranty on the brand new Scooter, has now expired too, while in their hands.  

My Insurance are very surprised to hear of problems from that company, and have said they have used statements from them, in court cases that involved Mobility Scooters, and they are recommended on Which's website, so I just don't know what to make of the situation   .... My Insurance said that I'm just going to have to wait for a response... Which would be fine but for how long do I wait, for what is essentially, my legs.  I don't know what to do about this whole thing.

What I do know is, that I have been pretty much stuck indoors now, since the fault started, and I have things I should be doing, and places I should be going. I also want to go an event in a couple weeks, but I can't do that without my Scooter. I can't afford to hire one either... So I am just stuck indoors. 

I am not going to name or shame the company,  because I don't know what is going on.  And I am hoping it is just an innocent error.   Maybe they have been unwell, or were away for Christmas, and are working on a backlog, or are waiting for spare parts... who knows? ....  but I would have liked an update, at least.

A lady I spoke to on the Trading Standards phoneline, said that they don't do with individual cases…. But they have noted my concerns.

Citizens Advice were not particularly helpful either, and said I should go to the shop myself, (but I can't afford to get there on my own right now). They also advised to do no communication in speech now, but to ask for email responses, so there is an evidential paper trail. So this is what I've done, and on left voicemails, I've told them to respond via Email, and left my Email address, with the spellings of it too. Still no response.

On the last 2 emails, to the company, I have told them, that I require an urgent response. I've had none.

Does anyone know what my Rights are?   They've had it now for 2 months, (in 6 days time).  That is also 2 months of insurance costs lost, when it wasn't even in my area, never mind my home. Insurance said there is nothing I can do, but wait. …. But it really is like someone has removed my legs, and run away with them.

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Any thoughts on what I should do?, or what my Rights might be?

Thank you. 

sheramber

Naming the company would allow people on here to check out the company and maybe give more help.

eskbanker

The year's warranty on the brand new Scooter, has now expired too, while in their hands.

As long as you left it with them while the warranty was active, the fact that it's subsequently expired doesn't change anything.

Do the warranty terms make any commitment to turning round repairs (or replacements) in sensible timescales? If you were claiming instead under the Consumer Rights Act then this requires that a trader carrying out repairs must "do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer".

Are they able and willing to provide a 'courtesy car' style of temporary alternative (appreciate it's difficult to find out if they're not responding) or is hiring one in the interim viable, sending them the bill?

molerat

I am trying to figure out how a distance that would cost £100 for a taxi or £40 in fuel for a private car is coverable with a mobility scooter !

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81874487#Comment_81874487

I was struggling to follow all the detail about logistics but OP does mention "(if I can drive it back via public transport)" and ultimately the distances don't affect OP's consumer rights…

sheramber

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81874491#Comment_81874491

OP also said

But I was relying on going one way on foot, and driving it home,

from being immobile they were contemplating going on foot?

How far is it?

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81874654#Comment_81874654

Yes, there do seem to be inconsistencies, but my point was that there's little value in picking holes in their story, in the context of assessing what their consumer rights are.

pinkshoes

This doesn't make sense.

You've used it twice since you bought it in January 2025 and it broke down on the second use. I don't understand how you've suddenly become housebound given you hardly used it?

And then the £100 taxi each way vs a friend charging £40 each way is also baffling. It costs me £25 fuel to drive the 160+ miles to see my parents and 3.5 hours of driving, a taxi would be FAR more. So is this shop a VERY long way away?!?! Or your friend is massively ripping you off with fuel costs?

Perhaps we could have some clearer details.

How far away is the shop?

You always have the option of a "letter before action" giving them 14 days to make your repaired scooter available for collection.

eskbanker

You've used it twice since you bought it in January 2025 and it broke down on the second use.

I read it as being used twice between reporting the fault in late October and taking it for repair in December:

By very late October it developed a fault... I rang and spoke to them, but I wasn't well and couldn't get it to them, so with their ok - it basically was used, only twice, on 2 jaunts, one to the post office with a letter, and once to the shop for a single box of emergency meds, and otherwise stayed at home.

but again picking holes in all the stuff about distances is surely irrelevant to the question of consumer rights?

powerful_Rogue

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81874702#Comment_81874702

If the OP thought it relevant enough to mention, then it's relevant enough to be commented on. If the OP is going to take this further via issuing a LBA and go to small claims court, they don't want to be confusing the situation.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81874894#Comment_81874894

OP stated right up front that they find it difficult to summarise concisely - obviously a LBA would need careful construction to focus on key points, but posters repeatedly piling on about extraneous details that clearly don't affect OP's rights aren't really helping to establish what those are.