Custom Built Wheelchair not to Speicifactions

apoole

Hi,

I have taken delivery of a custom built wheelchair (£4134) and the measurement of the chair do not match those on the drawing?

I initial went for a fitting/measurement meeting with the wheelchair company prior to my initial ordering of the chair. A specification drawing was then produced with a diagram of the chair and all the measurements shown.

Happy with the specifications on the drawing, I agreed to the chair and paid a deposit (£1100) and the manufacture/build began.

When completed, I collected the chair and sat in it for a period and noted with the manufacture at this time that the chair seem low to the ground. He measured the height and said it was OK as per the drawing. I therefore signed the collection form and paid the outstanding balance. (the small print on the collection form included the wording 'I agree with the specification and measurements to be correct')

However, when I got the chair home and had more time to look over it. I have found the measurements on the chair in three different areas (footplate, seat height and leg area) do not match the measurement on the drawing and are 5mm out (doesn't seem a lot but when in a seated position it is very noticeable) and hence why I feel lower when sitting in the chair.

What can I do?

i) Can I ask the manufacture to build/make me a brand new frame for the chair as the one I have taken delivery of does not match the drawing? (again, I do not want the frame I have taken delivery of modified to meet the height i.e re-welded or bits added as what was the point of paying all that extra money for a custom built chair).

ii) Can I ask for a full refund as the chair has not been built as per the drawing/request and take my business elsewhere?

Both payments for the chair have been made on a credit card, should I contact the credit card company to put a block on these payments until my above concerns as resolved? (deposit payment was made 6weeks and final balance payment 5 days ago).

Any help/advice is grateful appreciated, I just feel frustrated.

Thanks.

Rainbowgirl84

I would think a 5mm difference would be within tolerance.

pinkshoes

Check your contract. It will say say something about a tolerance for each dimension, so I imagine 5mm will be reasonable on a wheelchair .

Put a 5mm cushion on the seat??

societys_child

5mm too low . . ? That's some precision measuring. Could you blow the tyres up a bit?

Buyers remorse?

neilmcl

Surely if both the seat height AND foot plate are lower by 5mm the actual seating position will be no different and wouldn't be noticeable.

apoole

Thanks for all your useless advice so far.....

As for the guys suggestion for more air in your tyres.... you need to get out a bit more.

In my eyes the word precision engineering means just that, so much for paying £4k for what I thought would be a good job..

mije1983

Doesn't matter one bit what it means 'in your eyes'. Unless you made that part of the contract with the company before production. You need to take pinkshoes advice and take a look.

Although if you have spent £4k I would imagine you read through it, and their other terms, previously with a fine tooth comb. You did, didn't you?

To add, if you take that attitude shown in your above post to the company, you are probably not going to get very far! If the tolerance level is indeed 5mm or similar, then the above posts are actually very useful to you.

wealdroam

apoole wrote: »

In my eyes the word precision engineering means just that, so much for paying £4k for what I thought would be a good job..

That's the first time you've used the word 'precision'.

To what 'precision' was the seller working?

usefulmale

wealdroam wrote: »

That's the first time you've used the word 'precision'.

To what 'precision' was the seller working?

Probably copied it from societys child post to make it sound better.

I'd bet that the wheelchair would expand and contract by that amount between summer and winter.

neilmcl

apoole wrote: »

Thanks for all your useless advice so far.....

As for the guys suggestion for more air in your tyres.... you need to get out a bit more.

In my eyes the word precision engineering means just that, so much for paying £4k for what I thought would be a good job..

Even "precision engineering", which a wheelchair would not be classed as, takes into account tolerances.

hollydays

Why not simply speak to the company and ask for an explaination ?.
It seems too quick to be asking for a refund .
Are you talking about 5mm with you sitting in it ?
Presumably there will be a slight drop once you seated n it?