Buying a Travelscoot Junior From Germany

The process of buying a Travelscoot Junior mobility scooter from Germany and having it shipped to England.

Buying my Travelscoot direct from Germany in July 2019 took about two hours to achieve online. You might be able to do it faster. I'm slow and I didn't know what the process would involve. Hopefully the information below will help speed-up the process if you decide to go this route.

This is the webpage (in English) to make your purchase:
escootershop.de. This is the EU central distribution point for the TravelScoot.

Scroll right down the page to see the travelscoot models available, the full range of accessories, and spare parts. Click on the items you want to buy to add them to the shopping cart. On the main product page be sure to select the model you want from the drop-down menu: the travelscoot deluxe or the travelscoot deluxe junior.

1. BEFORE YOU PRESS THE BUY BUTTON at the shopping cart, the first thing is to establish if you are entitled to buy a travelscoot VAT free. Basically, if you have a recognised chronic disability you can qualify. Full details can be found on the UK Government website.

When you order from escootershop.de in Germany there is a VAT form for UK buyers on their website with the escootershop company details already entered. Here's the link:

travelscoot VAT relief form

Scroll down the page. NOTE WELL the instructions below the form. Download the form, print it, fill in your details, sign it, photograph the form, then upload it to your computer. When you have placed your order (you'll need your order number) email the form to escootershop.de. The email address is on their VAT form.

2. So, you've placed your order and you'll be looking for the pay button on your screen. You may not see one depending on the total cost of your order. If it's above a certain amount (I'm unable to recall exactly what it is - approx £2500 maybe £2600) you can't pay by credit card or paypal. If you don't see a payment button, follow the on-screen instructions to set up an account with transferwise.com (recommended by escootershop.de) so you can transfer funds from your bank via transferwise to escootershop.

3. You will need to supply transferwise with a copy of an identity document. I used my passport. I photographed the internal page which included the photograph, then uploaded it to my computer.

4. All the information you need so you can make the transfer, you will see on-screen.

5. Go to your online bank and make the transfer. Within about 24 hours (can't remember exactly) transferwise will email you with acknowledgement that they have received your funds. 2-3 days later escootershop will notify you that they have received your payment from transferwise.

6. escootershop.de will then notify you that your travelscoot is being shipped via UPS. By signing up for an account at UPS you can track the progress of your delivery.

7. Happily accept delivery of your travelscoot Junior mobility scooter!

In summary, Have your VAT form (if entitled to VAT relief) ready and your identity document. This speeds up the process.

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Use this coupon code to receive a free, small LED light set when you buy a travelscoot: 24175. (Disclaimer: If you use the coupon code, I get a small credit to my escootershop account to set against future purchases.)

Travelscoot Junior - Price UK

The price of the Travelscoot Junior ranges from £2000-£3000. The cost depends on:

1. the accessories you choose to buy with it,
2. the price the retailer is asking,
3. any special offers available at the time,
4. and whether or not the price is VAT exempt due to medical conditions. The VAT rate was 19%. Travelscoot.com have a UK VAT exemption claim form on their website.

I bought my Travelscoot Junior direct from travelscoot.com in Germany. This was cheaper than buying from a UK retailer even taking into account the cost of shipping which was 109 euros. There was also a reduction of 28 euros for pre-payment by bank transfer. Also buying direct from Germany (the Travelscoot is German designed and engineered) meant the full range of accessories was available.

Second hand Travelscoots for sale at a lower price, can be found on ebay but they are most often for the earlier versions which had no reverse mechanism, and had a drive belt on the motor which needed replacing periodically.

Be advised I bought the Travelscoot Junior in July 2019. If/when the UK leaves the European Union, such a purchase may not be as straightforward as it was at that time.

New Travelscoot Junior Mobility Scooter

I purchased a Travelscoot Deluxe Junior mobility scooter and accessories on Monday 22nd July 2019. I bought it from travelscoot.com in Germany from where it was shipped to England, via UPS, in a large, oblong, heavy cardboard box with a total weight of 60lbs.

Be advised, there are two types of Travelscoot Junior: the Shopper and the Deluxe. The Travelscoot Shopper is lighter, has smaller wheels and travels at a slower speed. It's best suited to riding on flat surfaces e.g. across a level car park and around a large shopping mall. The junior version of the Shopper has a very low seat making it ideal for children and those with achondroplasia.

First impression on opening the box is the high quality of the Travelscoot Deluxe Junior. It is larger and more substantial than I had imagined having viewed many images and watched several videos of this mobility scooter.

I'm no longer young but found it reasonably easy to lift the scoot out of the box and assemble it. It helped to have watched the Travelscoot unboxing video above, and though this is the unboxing and initial setup of a full-size Travelscoot Deluxe, it's nevertheless very helpful.