Used Wheelchair
Unfortunately, while freedom of mobility is priceless for disabled people, it isn’t for insurance companies, who sometimes refuse to pay for new wheelchairs for people who really need them, citing the smallest of small prints in their contract.
Getting a new wheelchair can be expensive, specially if the disabled person can’t work anymore or lost his or her job as a result of an accident. Although not a perfect solution, getting a used wheelchair can be a good fix. Also, used wheelchairs are a cheap option if they are to be used for a small period of time. Thus, in case of temporal disability, buying a secondhand wheelchair is much easier and much cheaper than a new wheelchair. Nevertheless, one must not rush into buying a wheelchair, and must avoid compromising essential requirements.
When choosing a used wheelchair, one must first check that the wheelchair to be bought is in good working conditions. You should be aware of your consumer rights before you buy a used wheelchair. For example, the seller must completely describe the wheelchair they are selling and the buyer must be made fully aware of any faults or problems that need to be noticed. If it is possible, a written description should be obtained from the seller before buying, so that if later any problem arises, money can be obtained back more easily.
There are 2 sources for getting used wheelchairs: equipment retailers and private individuals. Buying used wheelchairs from a wheelchair retailer is usually more costly than buying from a private individual, but the wheelchair will usually have received more maintenance and would be in reasonable working conditions.
The “Used wheelchair for Sale” ads, which are on state rehabilitation departments, bulletin boards, websites, and newsletters can be valuable resources for finding used wheelchairs. It is essential to remember that used wheelchairs don’t have convenient warranties or feature customer service. Therefore, used wheelchairs should be purchased with great care. If chosen correctly, not only you’ll find a great used wheelchair, but it would also be a great bargain. Because they were bought cheaply in the first place, these may be discarded when the owner might finds an upgrade or his finances allow him or her to buy a brand new one which might be lighter or have a more practical design.
There are plenty of used wheelchairs for sale through internet auctions such as eBay. But before buying them in ads and auctions, one should educate oneself on the expenses of wheelchairs and its features, in order to get not only something that’s cheap, but also useful.
