Second-hand Mobility Equipment, Disability Aids or Rehabilitation Equipment
Please understand that, due to the nature of our business, we are asked dozens of times per month if our store ‘buys second hand equipment’ or if we can ‘sell the equipment on behalf of the owner’. Unfortunately there are almost no circumstances where we can become involved in the sale\consignment of said equipment: there are legal issues (insurance, warranty, liability etc.) as well as financial and logistical reasons why we do not get involved in this area.
It goes without saying that we are sympathetic to your cause and thus I have written an article on how to try and move this equipment as promptly as possible.
- Call your local Independent Living Centre – ILC’s are Government-assisted organisations that help people find a product relating to a particular disability or ailment. They also keep a ‘Second-hand Goods Register’ that people use to list pre-loved items across Australia. So when Mrs. Jones wants to buy a wheelchair but does not have enough money to buy a new one, the Independent Living Centre puts the two of you together so that you don’t have to go hunting for a buyer. This should be the first thing you do because it is a complementary service and an easy one to scratch off the list.
- Advertise on a notice board – The next thing I recommend is to place a few advertisements on a noticeboard. The obvious ones that spring to mind are shopping centres, but there are better places to advertise. A notice on a board located in a retirement village, respite home or other aged-care facility is ideal- the people therein are your target audience and, most times before coming to us looking for a product, may check these boards out first. A bonus is when you sell the products to a resident of a retirement home where the goods are already located- suddenly there are no pickup or delivery problems.
- Selling tools (eBay, Trading Post) – these tools are good for some products and terrible for others. Most equipment is very hard to ship online once it is out of the box, and other times people simply aren’t interested- would you spend $4000 on a scooter that you can’t see first? Probably not. Selling smaller aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches on eBay it is recommended. Larger items should be focused towards a medium such as the Trading Post or classifieds section of your local newspaper.
- Dealers – A long time ago we could not buy large items direct from the manufacturer. We made our name by buying second-hand scooters, refurbishing them and selling on to the next user. There are 101 dealers in the phone book- you could always try calling each one and seeing if they are interested in buying your unwanted machine.
- Last resort – Sometimes you can’t sell these items. Perhaps you don’t want to waste your time, or perhaps the items remind you of a loved one and you want to get them out of the house. Some equipment, hygiene products such as toilet aids or shower aids, shouldn’t be sold after use for sanitary reasons. There are some great places out there (volunteer organisations, hospitals, care facilities etc.) that live on donations from generous members of the public. Be careful- some items cannot be donated to particular places due to health issues (i.e.- St. Vincent de Paul’s will not take used mattresses) so please do not assume that all organisations will take all products.
If you have any questions regarding your existing equipment please feel free to contact us on contact@mobilityshop.com.au. We might be able to supply you with brochures, leaflets or information on a product that we sold you to aid in your sale.
Regards,
Ryan Besso
General Manager