Problems with newly fitted stair-lift

CHIHUAHUA

I hope that someone may be able to give me some advice here.
My 84yr old father had a stair lift fitted on 4th December.
He has some mobility problems but can walk with a stick and was finding the stairs to his bedroom difficult - mainly walking downstairs more than going up.

He decided to have a stair-lift fitted which cost £2300 with a 12 month warranty.
I was a bit concerned about him having it fitted as his staircase is very narrow and the tracking doesn't leave much room for an ambulant person to get upstairs (i.e my mother!) but he was insistant.
Since the installation the stair-lift has stopped working 3 times the most recent being today. On the previous 2 occaisions an engineer has called very quickly and repaired it - the first time it needed dismantling and i'm not sure what was wrong - the second time which was yesterday the battery needed replacing and today it has stopped working again.
My father has telephoned the 24hr service/helpline and was promised a call back today which he hasn't received.
In the meantime the stair-lift is stuck at the top of the stairs making it even more difficult for both him and my mother to get up and down safely.
He is very upset and is now saying that he has lost confidence with the stair-lift and wants it removed and wants his money back. He wants me to speak to the company on his behalf.
I'm wondering if he has any rights to his money back as this appliance has malfunctioned 3 times within a month?
Also any advice with dealing with the company? which i'm not particularly looking forward to!
Hope someone can help.
Happy New Year to you all
Chihuahua

Marg

Hello I'm sorry to read of your plight but not able to offer any reasoned advice on consumer issues apart from suggesting you contact your local trading standards office who may be able to help you and/or make sure you have read copies of any paperwork your Dad has from the company before you get involved. (I know how this sort of thing feels & don't envy you)

I am appalled that any reputable stair lift company could ignore a call for help & not send an engineer within a reasonable period of time. What would have happened if your father had been unable to use stairs at all and was TOTALLY dependant on the stair lift? This should be pointed out to the company in any of your conversations.

Hope you get it resolved without too much stress.

Mojisola

This is appalling service! For such an essential piece of equipment, you have to know that it's going to be reliable.

I helped my parents get a stairlift a couple of years ago. They had an assessment first with an occupational therapist so that we knew what type was best. We had three companies send their reps to the house and my parents would have been completely ripped off if I hadn't been there to help. After our experience, I have very little trust in most of these companies.

We were lucky that the company we chose has been very good.

Is there any chance that your parents have been sold a reconditioned stairlift? They shouldn't have been at that price but a new one shouldn't be breaking down like this.

If I was in your situation, I would contact Trading Standards because I would be hoping that I could get rid of that stairlift and get my money back.

Having a stairlift has given my parents back their upstairs rooms - they can now go up and down the stairs whenever they want - so if you can get this sorted out, encourage your Dad to try with a different company. Also, there's no reason why your Mum can't use the stairlift as well, if the stairs are narrow once the track is down.

CHIHUAHUA

Thanks so much for your helpful supportive replies.
The stair lift was sold as brand new but my father was offered a cheaper reconditioned one to start with which he decided against.
The company have now been in touch and are due to call tomorrow with a view to replacing the chair.
My father has explained how unhappy he is and that he would prefer it to be removed and a refund as he has lost faith in the appliance altogether. However the person who he spoke to seemed to reiterate that they will visit with a view to replacing it.
My partner will be at the house when they call (as i can't get the day off from work) to discuss this with the engineer. This will probably be a difficult conversation but i feel more confident now that it is a reasonable request following your replies - so thanks again and i'll let you know how we get on.
My mother refuses to use the stair lift prefering to risk breaking her neck walking up and downstairs avoiding the tracking which takes up most of the stair tread!
My father did have an OT assessment in a vain attempt to apply for funding towards the cost of the installation but was turned down as he has has a downstairs bathroom and was advised to turn his dining room into a bedroom which he didn't want to do. He wasn't given any advice on products but may well have not asked as he is rather proud.
Thanks again
Chi