A used wheelchair, a secondhand transfer lift, or a commode bought from a neighbor or a classified listing comes with the paper the seller chooses to write. If that paper is a receipt scribbled on a notepad, you have a receipt. You do not have a warranty, and you may not have a clear record of what you bought.
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Before the money changes hands, ask for four things in writing.
What the bill of sale has to name
Write down the seller's full name, address, and phone number, and your own name as the buyer. Record the make and model exactly as they appear on the item's label, not as the listing describes them. Record the serial number if there is one. Write the price paid, whether the item is sold as-is, and whether any warranty applies. If a warranty applies, the paper should say who gives it, how long it lasts, and how to make a claim. If there is no warranty, the paper should say so. Both of you sign.
Read the as-is line
As-is means the seller is not promising the item will keep working after you take it home. Many private sales use that phrase. It does not make the sale improper, but it does mean that if a part fails the first week, the repair and the loss are yours. Ask whether the seller knows of any defect or repair the item has needed, and write down the answer. If the seller will not answer, that refusal is also information you can keep.
Check the label before you check the price
Look for a manufacturer label with the model and serial number, and for the weight limit printed on the frame. Photograph both and keep the photographs with the bill of sale. Compare the stated limit with the weight the item will have to carry, and ask the seller to confirm that number in writing. If the label is missing, painted over, or unreadable, ask why. Do not rely on the listing photo to tell you what the item is.
Look up the serial before the item comes home
Manufacturers and product safety offices publish recall notices that can be searched by model or serial number. Search before you pay, and again once the item is in the house, because notices are added over time. A discontinued model may still work well, but parts and service can be harder to find, so write down whether the model is still supported. The Sources page on this site lists the public offices we rely on for this kind of check.
If the seller will not write it down
Walk away, or buy from a dealer who gives you paper. A dealer's sale of new or refurbished equipment usually includes a written warranty. Read that paper the same way: the coverage line, the length of coverage, the claim steps, and who answers the phone when the item fails. A written promise you can read is worth more than a verbal one you have to reconstruct later.
Keep the bill of sale, the photographs, and any warranty paper together, in the same folder, for as long as the item stays in the house. The paper is the one part of a used purchase that can still help you after the seller has gone.