A mobility scooter is a significant purchase, often made when the buyer is unfamiliar with the market and the salesperson is a specialist. The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), the trade body for healthcare and assistive technology suppliers, publishes buying advice and a Code of Practice for its members. This guide summarises both, as published by the BHTA. Because the material comes from a trade body, it describes what member dealers commit to rather than what the law alone requires. For the legal side of buying online or second-hand, see our guides to consumer rights when buying online and buying second-hand.
The BHTA’s nine tips
The BHTA’s advice page (last updated 1 June 2022) sets out nine tips for buying mobility and independent living aids safely (BHTA, “Nine top tips for buying mobility and independent living aids safely”). In summary:
- Clear, upfront pricing. The full cost, including any aftercare service, should be explained from the start, with extra costs flagged and an overall quote given. The BHTA describes a large discount available only if you buy the same day as pressure selling and advises avoiding that retailer.
- Check the terms and conditions. They should be clear, in plain terms, with no important information such as extra fees hidden in small print. Any extras or discounts should be written on the quotation, and the buyer should be able to go away and read the contract.
- Expect an assessment. The BHTA says a full assessment is particularly important for powered aids such as mobility scooters and powerchairs, covering the buyer’s ability, environment and activities, and checking the size, weight and manoeuvrability of the product.
- Try before you buy. Try different versions, and make sure the demonstrated product is the same one being bought.
- Bring a friend or relative. A trusted companion can ask questions and look over the contract.
- Do not rush. Shop around and get quotes for several products.
- Visit exhibitions. The BHTA names events such as Naidex as a way to compare products side by side.
- Consider aftersales support. Ask about returns, on-site or off-site repairs, regular servicing and courtesy vehicles.
- Look for the BHTA badge. Membership can be checked against the member directory.
What the Code of Practice commits members to
The BHTA states that its Code of Practice is approved under the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Consumer Codes Approval Scheme, and describes it as the only Trading Standards approved code in the healthcare sector. Members commit to ten principles, which include complying with all relevant legislation, offering no less protection in contract terms than the law provides, supplying goods of satisfactory quality and fit for the purpose specified, being honest and truthful in all dealings, communicating in plain language, respecting the situation of vulnerable customers and not coercing anyone, and supplying products and services only where they fulfil a genuine need. Where a complaint cannot be resolved with the member, the customer must be told about the mediation and arbitration services offered under the Code (BHTA, “Code of Practice”).
The Code also covers advertising and staff conduct. Adverts, including websites and brochures, must not give misleading indications about price, value or quality, and clear pricing must be given, with VAT-exclusive prices made clear. Staff must identify themselves and give their reason for calling, and must not claim or imply medical training they do not have, or claim endorsement by a trusted body unless it can be evidenced. The BHTA’s advice page adds that it audits members and conducts mystery shops, and that a dispute with a member can be taken to the BHTA for independent resolution.
What membership does and does not mean
The BHTA presents its Code as setting standards higher than the law requires, and its advice is to favour members. Membership is a voluntary marker, though: members choose to adopt the Code, and the BHTA’s advice is a recommendation to look for the badge, not a legal requirement. A buyer who has a problem with a dealer, member or not, can also use the consumer help routes that GOV.UK lists by nation: Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”).
A short checklist before signing
- Get the total price, including delivery, set-up, servicing and any battery replacement terms, in writing.
- Confirm that the scooter demonstrated is the model being supplied.
- Ask what assessment the dealer carries out and whether it includes the places the scooter will be used, including the home.
- Ask how repairs, servicing and returns work, and whether a courtesy vehicle is offered.
- Take time to read the contract away from the showroom or home visit.
Questions readers often ask
Is the BHTA a regulator?
No. It is a trade association. Its Code is a voluntary code of conduct for members, approved under the CTSI scheme, according to the BHTA.
Should I feel pressured to decide on a home visit?
The BHTA’s tips say not to rush, to shop around and to avoid retailers using same-day discounts. Its Code prohibits coercing customers.
The bottom line
The BHTA’s guidance for buying a mobility scooter comes down to transparency and time: clear pricing, readable terms, a proper assessment, a fair trial of the actual product, a companion for the visit, no same-day pressure and a plan for aftersales support. Its CTSI-approved Code commits member dealers to standards the BHTA says go beyond the law, but membership is voluntary, and buyers can also turn to Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland or Consumerline for help.
Sources
- BHTA, “Nine top tips for buying mobility and independent living aids safely” (bhta.com)
- BHTA, “Code of Practice” (bhta.com)
- GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”