Visually impaired Redwood City man left homebound for 9 months when scooter repairs stall

ByRandall Yip KGO logo

Monday, February 6, 2023

Shortage of scooter repair parts leaves Bay Area man stuck at home

An 82-year-old remained largely homebound for nine months while he hassled over the stalled repair of his only mode of transportation.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- It was like the height of the pandemic all over again for a Redwood City man. The 82-year-old remained largely homebound for nine months while he hassled over the stalled repair of his only mode of transportation.

You can hardly tell, but Giacomo Messina says he is partially blind.

He lives with macular degeneration, which causes his vision to be blurry.

Joining his friends for a game of bocce ball is a highlight of his week.

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"The first year I started playing, after a year, I had a championship," Messina said.

Messina immigrated from Sicily in his late 20s. He didn't take up bocce ball until he got to the United States.

"I'm half blind but still better than regular people," he said.

For nine months his wife says Messina couldn't play bocce ball or leave his home by himself. His eye condition meant he had to give up his driver's license.

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A scooter he had purchased through Amazon broke down six weeks after purchasing it.

The seller, Spinlife Wheelchairs and Scooters, promised a replacement part that didn't arrive until 7 On Your Side got involved.

"My husband can't go to bocce, and he's just sitting home and the scooter is in the garage in pieces," said his wife Maria.

"April, May, June, July, August -- until last month," he said.

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In December, the couple contacted 7 On Your Side.

Amazon agreed to give the couple a complete refund on their $3,000 scooter.

They used some of that money to take their scooter to an e-bike repair shop.

Messina is now running around again on his scooter.

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Amazon says it's glad that he's "up and zooming around the neighborhood."

Maria said 7 On Your Side works.

"You know I always wondered, do they really do this kind of stuff? Do they really help people? And they sure do, because they helped us," she said.

Maria said she's grateful to Amazon as well for providing a complete refund.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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