Stairlift guaranteed before Christmas, cancelled just before

ev8

Hi, looking for some guidance here.

We booked a stairlift with more than enough time for it to be fitted for when a relative came out of hospital and in time for Christmas.

We get a call a week before and first of all the man asks if we've been kept updated of the progress. No, no calls at all. He said he would deal with that in house. Then he goes on to explain that the factory where they order them from had stopped production (he said there was no explanation given) until the new year, so the date and before Christmas that had been promised to us and so many others, was now not at all possible.

On the call we were in shock. We'd had an extremely rough few months due to a lot of medical complications and this was just the last straw. He mentioned that compensation would be sorted in due time.

Since then no contact until yesterday and it can be fitted mid Jan now.

What I'm asking is what compensation seems right? We haven't been offered anything and have no idea as no scope for this. 

Thanks in advance.

pinkshoes

It would be sensible to negotiate compensation BEFORE they fit it!

What were your financial losses? Did you have to hire a carer to lift this person up and down the stairs? Or set up a bedroom for them downstairs?

Compensation usually needs to be quantified e.g. if you had to spend money on alternatives, or you spent 3 hours sorting out a downstairs bedroom so £20/hour x 3 = £60 compensation.

Ergates

Did you suffer any additional costs as a result of the delay?   e.g. did you have to hire/buy any alternative equipment.

Aylesbury_Duck

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

ev8

I don't think there was much more financial difference, we already had a downstairs bedroom set up so she could come home from hospital before the lift was fitted.

It was more just upset and inconvenience. She'd had a hell of a stay in hospital (if I were to detail it, it wouldn't be believed) and she was looking forward to being upstairs for Christmas and be able to was and clean and use the toilet instead of a downstairs commode. She's had to use the commode the whole time, so she's just been upset and distressed about that a lot.

ev8

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

That's great thanks. What would you think is a reasonable amount for inconvenience? 

Aylesbury_Duck

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

That's great thanks. What would you think is a reasonable amount for inconvenience? 

What's the purchase price, and how much is the installation charge?

Am I right to infer a delay of about a month?

ev8

Aylesbury_Duck said:

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

That's great thanks. What would you think is a reasonable amount for inconvenience? 

What's the purchase price, and how much is the installation charge?

Am I right to infer a delay of about a month?

It's a total of just under 4K, half already has been paid as a deposit. I don't have installation right now but can get it.

Yes, in total it'll be a month from when they said they'd fit it (so long as they do install it on that date)

pinkshoes

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

That's great thanks. What would you think is a reasonable amount for inconvenience? 

What's the purchase price, and how much is the installation charge?

Am I right to infer a delay of about a month?

It's a total of just under 4K, half already has been paid as a deposit. I don't have installation right now but can get it.

Yes, in total it'll be a month from when they said they'd fit it (so long as they do install it on that date)

I'd perhaps ask for £200 for the inconvenience of having to use a commode rather than being able to get upstairs to the bathroom, as presumably someone has had to empty this several times a day?? 

Aylesbury_Duck

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

That's great thanks. What would you think is a reasonable amount for inconvenience? 

What's the purchase price, and how much is the installation charge?

Am I right to infer a delay of about a month?

It's a total of just under 4K, half already has been paid as a deposit. I don't have installation right now but can get it.

Yes, in total it'll be a month from when they said they'd fit it (so long as they do install it on that date)

I'll guess that it's about half purchase price, half installation, so £2k installation cost.  Maybe 10% off the installation cost is a reasonable sum to ask for?  The alternative is whether they'll throw in any service plans or upgrades you might otherwise pay for - the value to you will typically be much higher than the cost to them on such things.

ev8

pinkshoes said:

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

ev8 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What extra costs have you incurred to merit compensation?  If you can itemise them, e.g. extra care costs, furniture moving to create a bedroom downstairs, etc., then negotiate with the supplier before the lift is fitted.  Once it's fitted and paid for, you have less leverage.

Compensation for inconvenience, etc. is a goodwill thing for which there is no formula.  If you have a figure in mind, ask for it.  Don't be unreasonable.  Some on here will come on expecting 50% off the price or other ridiculous sums.  A supplier will be making a margin on the price you're paying and any goodwill gesture eats into that margin so a greedy demand will be rebuffed.

That's great thanks. What would you think is a reasonable amount for inconvenience? 

What's the purchase price, and how much is the installation charge?

Am I right to infer a delay of about a month?

It's a total of just under 4K, half already has been paid as a deposit. I don't have installation right now but can get it.

Yes, in total it'll be a month from when they said they'd fit it (so long as they do install it on that date)

I'd perhaps ask for £200 for the inconvenience of having to use a commode rather than being able to get upstairs to the bathroom, as presumably someone has had to empty this several times a day?? 

Yes, someone has to go up and empty it very regularly and also someone else has had to sleep downstairs instead of in a bed (on the sofa) so help is available in the night as well.