Here is a summary:
- Don't buy a stairlift from someone who tries to make you buy that day.
- If a salesman is pushy be very wary, they may not be nice to deal with once your stairlift is installed.
- The cost of stairlifts can vary greatly for exactly the same product. Call around to compare prices.
- Find out how much the firm charges to attend breakdowns.
- Some companies will not attend to your stairlift unless you take out an expensive contract.
- For most straight stairlifts you shouldn't have to pay a deposit because the stairlift can be used elsewhere if you need to cancel your order.
- Curved Stairlifts require a deposit to be paid owing to their bespoke design.
- A lot of stairlift companies sell leads to other companies this could leave you facing expensive call out charges in the future and make it difficult to get problems resolved should something go wrong with the stair lift.
- Be wary of firms that start to reduce their prices after they have left your home. A common tactic is to say they have a special managers offer if you agree to order now. This is usually a sign that they have inflated their initial price.
- If you are getting several quotations, make sure they are 'like for like' quotes.
- Does the company have local engineers in case your stairlift breaks down?
- Check what is included in the warranty, eg: does '24 hour call-out' mean call out attendance 24 hours a day, or within 24 hours?
- Firms that do a lot of of national advertising on television, in glossy magazines and in national newspapers often charge their customers a lot more to cover their marketing costs.
