Has anyone here heard of.....

[Disney_1derland]

City Bug ECV's? Description below....

Stable four-wheel CityBug® III electric scooter comfortably takes you wherever you need to go.


Portable "get-about" provides ultra-quiet, four-wheel mobility that's dependable — and fun!
A six-hour charge of the 24V battery provides a cruising range of up to 9 miles or more at a maximum speed of 8 mph.
Thumb-controlled throttle plus a High/Low speed control ensure the perfect pace.
Forward and reverse modes provide optimal maneuverability.


Does this sound pretty standard? I have the chance to 'buy' one for my dad using rewards points but have never heard of them, thought someone here might be able to help.

thanks

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Do you know who the manufacturer is? For example, I own a Solo model made by Ranger All-Season. The specifications of mine call for a maximum speed of only4.5 MPH and I can expect about 25 miles at full charge and full rated weight. This is the exact same model as rented out by Walker's (I bought mine used from them at better than a 50% discount).

Generally a three-wheel is much more maneuverable than a four-wheel and is actually LESS likely to tip over.

Once you find out the manufacturer, you can do more research. You can find out the normal retail price of that model, and then compare it to what they are offering using your reward points.

Another consideration is freight. The ECV would weigh over 100 pounds. Who pays for the shipping. If you, how much (again, either in dollars or points).

If there is a problem, is there a local dealer who can handle it or how would in (or ourt of) warranty repairs be handled.

 

[SueM in MN]

Cheshire Figment has some very ggod points.
Actually, we ordered something from Sharper Image and I saw this item in the Sharper Image catelog that came with our order. Here's a link to the Citybug III page. It doesn't say who makes it. If I were ordering it (even for points), I'd still want to try it first, at least sit on it. The seat doesn't look very comfortable to me. It looks rather small. It appears to be a sit-down version of the scooters that arre popular with teens right now. It doesn't look stable enough fro someone who needs it for mobility (a "be sure to wear a helmet" warning is kind of a red flag that it's meant for "fun" use rather than serious mobility).

 

[Disney_1derland]

my dad needs a very good chair and we are planning to rent at WDW but thought this one might be an option to replace the one he owns (which is basically dead ) Unfortunately, while his doctor thinks he needs it medicare does not so he's not getting a new one anytime soon.

So, this one is not going to be an option for him. Guess I will try to find out if we can get his repaired (it's got a battery weirdness, needs new batteries and the electrical wiring that runs to the batteries needs replacing) and if not we will just rent one.

Thanks again for your answers, they brought up good points that I never would have thought of.

 

[SueM in MN]

If Medicare won't pay for one, another option is to look at the newspaper ads. Sometimes you can find people selling ecvs. Also, sometimes medical equipment stores have used ones for sale or know of people who are trying to sell one.
Good luck.

 

[mamajoan]

I don't know if you have already done this but...

if Medicare denies a powerchair for a patient, this is what we used to do:

Reapply.. have doctor submit a diagnosis which indicates pt's inablity to ambulate for more than very limited distance and or transfers. Have the vendor help with the submission of forms for Medicare approval of the powerchair. They know which buzzwords, terms to help get approval. Stating that the powerchair will be used IN THE HOME is almost always necessary. Patient's independence will be maximized with use of powerchair is important to Medicare reviewers.

As far as replacing a powerchair for a pt that already has one.. I am not sure on the number of years that Medicare is requiring on the age of the powerchair.... for some reason 7 years sticks in my mind....

I agree with Sue.. metro newspapers seem to always have one or two electric w/c and scooters. In fact I counted 4 in last Sunday's paper.. 3 were very reasonably priced.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Disney_1derland]

well, medicare didn't pay for the last one, private insurance did. Medicare won't pay for one because my dad, although he pays for medicare, is also VA eligible. The VA won't pay for one because his mobility is not his primary health concern (they consider his skin cancer his primary health concern). Medicare says the VA should provide the chair if it is truly necessary. It's a tangled mess of red tape. We are going to keep our eyes on the newspaper and the medical store here which has refurbished chairs they take as 'trade-ins'.

Thanks again

 

[mamajoan]

sorry... did not know about the VA factor... it seems that sometimes when the VA gets involved what is happening to your dad is typical.. the tossing it back and forth.. until the patient gets sooo frustrated he gives up.. Which is very unfortunate as your dad and other vets deserve to get good service!

I hope you find what you need, Best wishes on your search. The medical supply store that you mentioned sound like a good start.
I am sorry to hear that your dad's chair died... I wish the folks at Medicare could see how much your dad's life changes when he is without his chair.. sometimes the folks in charge of approving and denying chairs.. just don't get it...

again, good luck with your search.