Guide
Your device is linked to a previous owner's account. Here's what that means.
Bought a second-hand scooter, e-bike, robot mower or diagnostic tool that still belongs to someone else's app account? It is one of the most common problems with resold devices — and a fixable one. Here is what the link is, what it blocks, and how it comes off.
5 min readUpdated
You bought the device, you have it in your hands, and yet the app will not let you add it. It says the device is already registered, linked to another account, or bound to a different user. The previous owner is long gone, or unreachable, or simply never thought to remove it before they sold it.
This is not a fault, and it is not rare. It is the single most common thing that goes wrong when a connected device changes hands. Here is what is actually happening.
What "linked to another account" means
Most modern scooters, e-bikes, robot mowers and diagnostic tools pair with an app account the first time they are set up. That pairing — call it binding, linking, or registration — ties the device to one account so that it, and only it, can control the device, push updates, change settings and manage security.
That is a sensible anti-theft design. The problem is that the link survives the sale. When the device moves to a new owner, the account does not move with it. Until the old account is released from the device, the maker's app treats you as a stranger trying to take over someone else's property — which is exactly what it is built to refuse.
Why it happens so often
There is almost always an innocent reason, and usually it is simply that nobody knew the step existed.
- The seller forgotUnlinking is an easy thing to overlook, and many owners never realise the device stays tied to their account after they hand it over.
- You cannot reach themMarketplace sellers, house clearances, gifts and estate sales all leave you with a device and no way back to the person who set it up.
- The original account is goneSometimes it is your own device — an old email you have lost access to, a number you no longer use, a login you cannot recover.
What the link stops you doing
Until the device is released, you are locked out of the parts that need the account. Depending on the device that can mean you cannot pair it to your phone, cannot change core settings, cannot install firmware updates, cannot set up a robot mower's boundaries, or cannot use features that check the account before they run.
The hardware is fine. The device works as a device. What is missing is your ownership of it in software, and that is the part the account controls.
What it does not mean
A device linked to a previous account is not, by itself, a stolen device, and it is not broken. The overwhelming majority of these are ordinary second-hand purchases where a step was missed. We only ever act for the lawful owner of a device; if something suggests a device was not lawfully acquired, that is a different situation and we decline it.
Can you remove it yourself?
Every manufacturer has its own official way to release a device from an old account or transfer it to a new owner. What that path is, and whether it applies to your exact device and situation, depends entirely on the brand — and most of these processes are built around the original owner being the one to contact the maker. That is the part that breaks down with a second-hand device, because the original owner is the person you cannot reach.
So it is rarely a setting you can flip yourself. It is a request made to the manufacturer, in the right way, with the right proof, as the lawful owner. That is the work.
The proper way to get it removed
The link comes off through the manufacturer's own process — nothing is bypassed, cracked or worked around, and no one's account is accessed. That is exactly what we do: we take your case through the maker's official unbinding route on your behalf, as the lawful owner, from start to finish.
Start a request and we review it first — you get a yes or no, with the price, before any work begins.
You never need the previous owner's password, email, login or cooperation — and we never ask you for them either.
What you'll need to start
Three things, and all three come from the device itself:
- 01The device's identifierUsually a serial number, MAC address or frame number. Our identifier guide shows where each one is.
- 02The modelAs printed on the device. A best guess is fine; we confirm it.
- 03What you are seeingA couple of sentences on how you got the device and what the app or screen tells you. This is usually what decides how quickly we can answer.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is a device linked to a previous owner's account stolen?
Almost never. The common case is an ordinary second-hand purchase where the seller forgot to unlink it, or where the original account is no longer reachable. We act only for the lawful owner of a device, and we decline anything that looks otherwise.
Can I just factory reset the device to remove the account?
Usually not. A reset clears local settings but does not release the link to the manufacturer's account, which lives on their side, not on the device. That link has to be removed through the maker's own process.
Do I need the previous owner to do anything?
No. The whole point of this service is that it works without the previous owner. We never ask for their password, email, login or help, and we never ask you for them either.
I have no receipt. Can the link still be removed?
Yes. Most second-hand devices come without one, and that is the situation this service exists for. Tell us what you do have and we build the case from there.