Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Reconditioned Stairlifts

Reconditioned Straight Stairlifts

Over the last few years prices of new stairlifts have fallen considerably. It is now possible to buy a new stairlift for around the same price that a second hand lift would have been 10 or 15 years ago. Consequently many perfectly serviceable stairlifts are being scrapped.


Dolphin Mobility currently have in excess of 100 straight stairlifts in stock, ready to install. Most of the lifts we have are Stannah, Meditek and Bison Bede, many are only a few months old.

For a limited time we will supply and install a second hand straight stairlift in the South-East of England for £900, including a 2 year parts and labour warranty in office hours (With most new stairlifts you only get 12 months). The only extra you may have to pay would be for a power point, if you don't have one that we can use.

Reconditioned Curved Stairlifts

As Stannah's largest Trade Customer over the last 10 years, Dolphin have also built up a large stock of second hand Stannah 260 stairlifts. Unlike straight stairlifts a new track has to be made for your staircase. Whilst many companies use re-fabricated tracks, we will have a new track designed and manufactured by Stannah to fit your stairs precisely. The cost will vary according to the length of track required, but will start at £2800 including installation and a 12 month guarantee.

The list on the website is a selection of our current stock of reconditioned stairlifts, which are available from our branch in Surrey, covering London and the South-East. Most other branches will have second-hand units available, but prices and availability can vary. These prices are supeceded by the offer above

All our straight reconditioned stairlifts include the rail, up to 4 metres in length, installation, and a one year parts and labour warranty. The price does not include power point or options such as hinged rails

In the event we do not have a rail of suitable length in stock, we can supply a new rail at an additional charge of between £150.00 and £250.00 dependent on manufacturer.

Long wait for Hounslow stairlifts

Elderly and disabled residents are waiting up to two years for improvements to their homes as waiting lists continue to soar, new statistics reveal. Read more

Monday, September 15, 2008

Dolphin Stairlifts BT Tradespace

For more information on Dolphin's products and services visit our new BT Tradespace pages.

Dolphin Stair Lifts - Kent

Following the recent retirement of Ian Elford from the Kent branch. Matt Pettet has been appointed as Managing Director of Dolphin Lifts Kent. Matt has worked at Dolphin Mobility in Chobham for the last 16 years. Starting as a trainee in 1992, he worked his way up to Operations Manager in recent years. Matt has worked on a huge range of Stairlift products over the years. The experience gained over this time will be invaluable as he embarks in this exciting new role.

We all wish him the very best of luck, and look forward to working with him and supporting him as the Kent Branch grows in the coming months and years. Dolphin Lifts Kent cover the County of Kent outside the M25, and the East Sussex towns of Hastings and St Leonards on Sea. Matt will be offering the complete range of stairlifts from Stannah, Minivator, Bison Bede, Meditek and Freelift, together with a wide selection of other products. For more information please contact Matt on kent@dolphinlifts.co.uk.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Devon Trading Standards successfully prosecutes stairlift fraudster


This article appeared on the Devon Trading Standards website.

From Adrian Lane, Exeter 383262, April 16, 2007

A PLYMOUTH man has today pleaded guilty to seven charges relating to breaches of the Theft Act, Trade Descriptions Act and Consumer Protection Act, adding to two charges he had already admitted under the Fair Trading Act and Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.

Nigel Warren Roach, 34 years old, from Peverell, was remanded in custody until 11 May for sentencing. The hearing at Plymouth Crown Court came at the end of a long and detailed investigation by Devon County Council Trading Standards Service, assisted by officers from other authorities in the region.

Roach posed as a stairlift repairer/installer and set out to take advantage of the vulnerability of elderly and disabled 'clients'. As a result of his criminal activities, a number of them lost considerable sums of money.

Roach's attention was brought to the notice of Devon Trading Standards in June, 2005, when a complaint was made by an elderly couple who had been deprived of their savings and left stranded without access to all floors in their homes. Further investigations disclosed that Roach had preyed on other victims.

Roach advised that their stairlifts were irreparable and by this and other means, got customers to order expensive and unnecessary replacements which were then not supplied. Customer confidence was gained by various advertisements Roach had placed under the name of Delta Services, a company he created in 2005 while he was an undischarged bankrupt. These adverts showed the logos for two well known, major manufacturers of stairlifts in the UK. Unknown to potential customers, Roach had neither contracts to supply the products, nor permission to use the two trademarks. More importantly, customers never received the new stairlifts they had paid for. They not only lost their money, but he also took away their existing stairlifts.

Peter Greene, Devon County Council's Fair Trading Manager, said: "In a complex web of deception across Wales and the South West, Roach used a variety of false names and addresses and even fabricated a partner, Neil Richards. He then claimed Richards had vanished, blaming him for his business problems. He charged customers VAT when often they were exempt from this payment due to their disabilities. The VAT number he used on his documents was fabricated."

Councillor Brian Berman, Devon County Council's Executive Member for Communities, said: "Most people do not think that if they invite a person into their home they will fall prey to such unethical tactics. Roach cynically preyed on the vulnerable and this court case will put a stop to his deplorable activities. I think it is a tribute to the dedication and professionalism of Devon County Council's officers that this man was finally brought to justice. "

Any Devon residents who consider they have been duped by a fraudulent business and require advice should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or log onto www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Stairlift could help council

This stairlift related article appeared on the Knutsford Guardian website.

A STAIRLIFT could be installed in an historic building in Knutsford to make it easier for the disabled to attend meetings.

Knutsford Town Council is considering investing in a lift so they can slide up the stairs to the first-floor council chamber where councillors currently meet twice a month.

Town mayor Jennifer Holbrook revealed the council’s plans after a former mayor, now a member of the public, claimed the council was breaking the law by continuing to meet at the 160-year-old Council Offices in Toft Road.

Barbara Austin said the town council needed to change its venue to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

She said it was impossible for anyone in a wheelchair to get upstairs and the staircase itself could be difficult for older residents.

“None of us are exactly Olympians at the moment,” she said. Councillor Holbrook said the council had originally planned to move into the Tourist Information Centre’s office downstairs, but that idea had to be scrapped when Macclesfield Borough Council shelved plans to move the information service to the nearby civic centre.

However, Miss Austin suggested the council could meet elsewhere, such as the Jubilee Hall in Stanley Road.

“I want to know what you’re likely to do,” she said during public question time.

About four years ago the town council switched its meetings to the Cranford Suite at Knutsford Civic Centre to comply with the new disability discrimination laws.

But councillors gave up on that venue because of poor lighting, noisy air conditioning units and trains rumbling by.

They then started meeting in the civic centre coffee bar.

But the noise of people queuing for the cinema eventually forced them to abandon that idea and they moved back into their original council chamber.

At a meeting, former town councillor Brenda Guite said the debates were still difficult to hear.

She suggested installing a speaker system in the chamber.

But Councillor Holbrook said there might be an easier solution.

“Should I ask all the councillors to speak up?” she said.