Quick rants about stair lifts

[Glenisla4]

Mum now settled into her care home, quite pleased so far. Staff are lovely, she seems fairly content, the relief is surprising for me. I no longer find myself jumping every time the phone goes, all a lot calmer, thank goodness!
Now faced with dismantling her home, our family home. First step is to find a new home for the stair lift. Only three years old, bought at some cost, and I now find that nobody will buy them back and we may have to pay to have it taken away. I have a feeling that some of the companies selling them, usually to elderly people, maybe taking advantage or is that me being cynical? I am trying to realise as much as I can to help pay care home fees and it seems wrong, on so many levels, that this expensive piece of equipment may end up at the dump.. I would rather it went to someone who needed it than for that to happen !
Any ideas?

 

[BeckyJan]

I have just googled 'stairlifts on Ebay' and there were some results - it may be worth you investigating if you are up to Ebay selling.

The alternative is to advertise it locally as there could be some folk happy to remove and re install. It depends alot on whether your stair lift is a straightforward one or not. Our church did buy one second hand but it was just straight with no curves or bends. Also we had some competent handymen who knew how to deal with it.

Hopefully others will come along soon with other ideas.

 

[SueP]

SueP

Hi,

I am in the same position as you in clearing my Mum's home. Mum's stairlift is also ony three years old and I just can't get anything for it even though it cost £1400. I phoned the company that installed it and they said they would take the motor away free of charge!! What sort of deal is that as I know they will sell it to someone and make a huge profit. I've looked on Ebay and there are loads of stairlifts for sell and no one is buying so it looks as if I will have to give it to the company that installed it after all. Unless anyone has any other ideas!!!!

 

[Katrine]

I would suggest Freecycle/Freegle or a local mobility centre or charity for the elderly. I've posted before about why there is so little second-hand value for stairlifts. If you got yours for only £1400 Sue then it was probably a reconditioned unit, as the cost new can be much higher. Glenisla, can you take the view that your mum had 3 years use out of the stairlift and it helped her to stay at home for longer than otherwise? I would think that 3 years use is quite a long time; when you look on eBay the general impression I get is that most people have them for less than a year before they can no longer use them. Same goes for bath lifts and motorised adjustable beds.

We don't buy these things expecting to get our money back, we buy them to assist someone's mobility. Unless you are unhappy with the quality of your purchase, or the service contract, I think you just have to take the view that it's more water under the dementia bridge, along with the incontinence aids, special clocks and telephones and all the other expensive stuff we fork out for.

 

[Glenisla4]

You are right, Katrine, I do look at it that way. It just seems sad to have to junk it when people in need are having to fork out such a lot of money, I would rather they took ours for free but I do understand that it is quite a technical thing to fit. I will try some charities and see if they are interested

 

[rajahh]

I suggest freecycle. too. I havegot rid of quite a few things we no longer use.

Of course you get nothing for it but it also does not go onto landfill.

and Yes someone may take it amnd make money on it but in the end you get rid of it, and in a ecological way.

Jeannette

 

[PeggySmith]

They are a rip off but what else can you do? We've just had one installed for MIL so all the information I have is fresh in my mind. We could have leased a straight one, it's the curved track which has to be custom made for every staircase that causes the problem. Sigh.

 

[nita]

I have the same issue. Mum is now downstairs and only used the stairlift for 6 months. I bought it for £2,000 a year ago and Acorn say they will help you sell it but they charge £485 to reinstall it for the buyer, which would be deducted from whatever you asked for it. The help they offer is to give you pre-written adverts which you can place in local shops. They will handle all enquiries and the payment.

I too have looked on eBay and see they are going for a lot less than half price and seem to be difficult to sell. I have been advised to try gumtree or preloved but again they are on offer for very low prices.

I think I will have a go at selling it and, if not, will give it away, perhaps on freecycle.

 

[FifiMo]

Can I suggest you maybe ask your local SW dept if they know anyone who would benefit from one. Reason I suggest this is that it is nigh on impossible these days to get a grant for one so SW dept must be aware of those in need who have been turned down!

Other than that I'd go with free cycle I think.

Fiona

 

[jenniferpa]

It's an ongoing problem with chair lifts. They are absolutely vital when you need one, yet as soon as you purchase one they are essentially valueless.

 

[Beenie]

Hi, when we cleared my uncles house we put his on ebay, it was only a few years old and in perfect condition, we managed to get £250 for it nothing compared to what it cost but better than nothing!

 

[DozyDoris]

I can't remember the name but.....

we had the self same problem. I delved into the good old net and found some companies that will buy stair lifts from you and come and dismantle and collect. We got £250 for my parents lift. It had to be still assembled and working when they came but they were really good
I'll try and find the company but don't give up yet!

 

[trisha45]

stair lift

My husband had to have a stair lift fitted 23 years ago. It was social services that had it put in for him. We havent had manyproblems with it . Now he needs one even more now he has dementia . The local council have now taken up looking after chairlifts. I and my family have struggled for over 2 years to get a new one fitted . Engineer says its unsuitable and they cant source part .Council are adament that we cant have anew one . I think after 23years we have had our wear out of it . Why cant these people take the unwanted lifts for a fee and put them in homes of people who cant afford 1500 pounds . It makes me mad when i think of people who need them but cant get help.

 

[DozyDoris]

This might be them

Managed to find my searches from then, I think this is the company I used
http://www.associatedstairlifts.co.uk/buy-back-and-storage.html

 

[Jayne61]

When we needed to get rid of mum's stairlift, I contacted the company who originally put it in. They don't buy them back but they did have a scheme where if we sold it privately they would come to dismantle it & fit in the buyers home for us. There was a fee for this, I can't remember how much but we just included it in the price we asked for the stairlift. Because we did it through the company they gave a guarantee to the new buyers, I think for about 3 months, & also the option of them buying an extended guarantee & servicing, I don't know if they took that option. I know it is another money making scheme for the compnay but at least we knew that it had been fitted properly & the new buyer would have some comeback if there was a problem, & they got it for a fraction of the price of a new one. We were just glad it went to a good home!

 

[Onlyme]

Stairlifts and expensive wheelchairs seem to become valueless as soon as you take delivery. Even if they never sit in it the company won't give you anything for them.

Perhaps this is something that needs looking into?

 

[SueP]

I have just phoned the company that Dozydoris suggested and they are coming to take the stairlift away on Monday and giving me £100!! Not much I know but at least I will get something for it and I will buy Mum a new dvd player for her room so we can watch some of the old musicals. So thank you Glenisla4 for starting the thread and everyone else. It made me think about how much we have used the stairlift including loading it up with all the stuff when clearing out Mum's house. Whem my dad was alive he used to send Mum up breakfast on it and many times the grandchildren have been up and down on it.

 

[Bedelia]

I had this problem too. And in my case my mum's lift was 8 years old (altho barely used and still in good working order), so no-one would buy it. Generally, if they're over 4 years old, no-one will pay you for it, even tho they initally advertise as "We buy any stairlifts!".

If you advertise on Freecycle or eBay, you might find a taker, but who knows how long it would take. And the main thing is to make sure it's someone who can remove it safely without damaging your property or the electrics. In the end, I paid a firm from the Midlands £75 to take it away (can PM anyone details, if they want). Such a waste. It cost over £4,000 new in 2004 to be made to measure (and that was a straight track!).

 

[Glenisla4]

I wish there was a charity who could remove them and recycle to people who maybe couldn't afford them but really need them. I can understand that the practicalities of this would be difficult and expensive, specialist engineers, safety checks and space to store, but it does seem such a waste.
I have accepted that there is unlikely to be any return but I have detailed my brother to dismantle and remove it, I would rather use the money saved for something nice for Mum.
I must admit, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the responses I have had from the companies that seem very happy to install them but dont really want to know later on (not all, I may add, some of the smaller companies have tried to be helpful) They are, by the nature of the product, often dealing with frail elderly people, the hard sell doesn't seem at all appropriate.