We often get questions from new customers on how to best protect the TravelScoot from theft if the TravelScoot doesn't have a key. As we've said in times past, having a key will not protect your scooter from theft. Criminals can easily lift the entire scooter and run away with it. With the vast majority of mobility scooter ccompanies that use keys to operate the scooter, they do not and cannot verify who legally owns one of their mobility devices. Thefere, they must send new keys (often at a low cost) to anyone who asks.
THE MOST COMMON METHOD OF THEFT
The reality, however, is that we've had little to no reports of the TravelScoot being stolen out in the open. The majority of TravelScoots have been stolen from vehicles (breaking the windows) and garages (leaving them open at night). In the month of April, we had two customers report that their scooters were stolen. The first was stolen from their vehicle in a locked community garage and the second was stolen from their garage. In our experience, smash and grabs and garage theft constitute more than 90% of all thefts.
BE PROACTIVE
So what can you do? This will widely depend on your situation, but let's begin with the most basic. Whether you are a long-term TravelScoot rider or just purchased your scooter, it's important to check if you can add it to your insurance policy, whether it's Home, Renters, Health, or Vehicle. Doing so will not only protect your scooter from theft, but may also cover damage to your scooter if any unfortunate accident were to occur. To report your scooter on your insurance, you will need the serial number. The serial number can be found above the front wheel in embossed numbers, usually beginning with the year, e.g., 2022 (see photo). The model names can be found on our website here. We also recommend writing your serial number down on the inside cover of your manual.
Once your TravelScoot serial number has been recorded and reported, the most obvious thing to do is to bring your scooter inside when not in use. Nobody will be able to steal your mobility device if it is inside locked doors. Criminals are much more apprehensive to break into ones home. They are looking for easy jobs like smash-and-grabs or snatching something out of your garage like explained above. Keep in mind that it is rare for a mobility scooter to be stolen in broad daylight, but you never know. We recommend that you use one or both of the following options to keep your TravelScoot safe, especially when you are traveling.
1. Lock it up if you need to step away from it. Cable locks, such as those you would use for bikes, are an excellent deterrent for would-be criminals. They keep honest people honest. We recommend attaching the cable lock to the left fork of the scooter. If someone were to steal the TravelScoot with our cable lock, for example, they would either have to utilize large cable cutters (which would be very conspicuous and shady) or completely disassemble the left wheel. Disassembling the left wheel would be very difficult because they would need an 18mm open wrench and a 5mm Allen wrench. The hassle and risk involved in messing with our cable lock is not worth it for criminals.
2.Slap an AirTag on your TravelScoot. AirTags are a great way of keeping track of your devices. We recommend placing the AirTag either under the seat (due to how well it blends in to the black plate) or on the right fork. Do not place the AirTag on the left fork. The magnetics in the AirTag may interfere with the magnetics in the motor, thus causing issues with the scooter functioning correctly. Criminals don't really know what they are looking at when it comes to mobility scooters. The TravelScoot has two black boxes on it already, the junction box and the controller housing. Having one more on the scooter won't necessarily be cause for alarm to a thief.
We hope that this blog post has been useful to you. Please be safe out there and let us know if we can help in any way.