Summit / Harma Warning

Note to any customer of a Summit / Harmar Dumbwaiter.

Summit / Harmar has sent out a Warning Notice of a potential product hazard with the Ascent Dumbwaiter. In some cases the 1/8" steel cable was not crimped enough to prevent the cable from slipping out and causing the cab to fall on the slack device. If the slack device was not tested in the field by the installer, it could not be functional and allow free fall of the cab.

Most Installers and Mechanics know that it is not safe to climb into a dumbwaiter hoistway without first securing the cab overhead, but for those self installed or contractor installed units or a unit that a handyman is maintaining, there is a real danger to be aware of.

If you have a Summit Ascent Dumbwaiter, please conact your installer or Summit Lifts before you operate the unit to confirm the required repairs, if needed.

Our company will be calling all customers to set up a time to make the corrections, after we get them from Summit.

Questioning failure rate

Today I talked to Mr. Updike in Grove, Oklahoma. He said his Acorn was not working and the Freedom Town Stair lift company he bought his Acorn from was out of business. His unit was installed 10 months ago. I wonder if this was the 1 of the .033% failure rate claimed by my Acorn rep.?

I will follow up to be sure he gets help and the full Warranty from Acorn.

Supporting Humor - It's just Nut's

Even Squirrels can tell a bad Acorn by looking at it!




This photo was circulated in Dallas at the NAEC elevator convention. While NAEC is a non-partisan group that promotes safe and well managed independant elevator companies and has no connection with this statement, there were many in attendance who were concerned with Acorn having a booth at a trade show where the whole point of meeting is to have better and safer installations.

If you reseasch "Acorn complaints" you will quickely see where there is a lot of buzz about the quality and integrity of the Acorn / Brooks products, both in the US & UK marketplace.

Bait & switch & Fraud

Alex George has proven how low Acorn Stair Lift will go to sell more lifts. I was an Acorn Dealer until this morning. Last week I was contacted by my new Acorn Sales person. She wanted to know how she could help and if I needed any lifts?

I asked her if she would send leads for people looking for lifts in Missouri or Arkansas. She did not know how that worked. Alex said many months ago that he would support dealers and provide leads and dealer support. Now when an internet consumer clicks on the "Dealer Locator" they fill out information and then are sent literature with no local dealer information, but a 1-866 # to a DIY call center.

I requested information and to verify if I even showed up as a dealer. The literature never mentioned a local company. When I inquired with the call center, they tried to sell me a DIY stairway lift for $ 3,400.

I asked about installers, but they insisted that I could do the install with "Only a screwdriver and a wrench". I asked my Acorn rep. if she could install a lift with only a screwdriver and a wrench, she said "Well, no". The DIY telesales girl was confident she would sell me a DIY stair lift if she kept telling me how easy it was and how great the Warranty was. "Lifetime warranty" she said. I asked if they would keep sending me parts if it failed to work. She said..well the main drive system is lifetime, but the other things are one year. She said they have a .033% brake down rate. I really wanted to tell her about all the local vicitms of their fraud, the disable elderly who spent what they had to maintain their independance at home and had been left high and dry by Acorn when the unit failed in 6 months.


After I talked to the DIY sales girl, I talked to my Dealer Rep. and asked about these tactics to fool customers about the easy of installation and warranty. She had only been to the other building where DIY was once or twice. It is little wonder why they have had trouble keeping sales reps.

I asked my sales rep to have Alex contact me if he would and to my surprise he called in just a few minutes. Seemed a bit angery. Called me a lackey for Matt Harper. I know who he is, but am certianly no lacky for him, he revoked my Acorn Dealership and told me I would need to write my letter to the Atty. General and a letter of apology if I ever wanted to be an Acorn Dealer.


I now know where I stand as a dealer of Acorn. I hope you now know where you will stand if you consider being a customer of Acorn Stair Lifts.

Used Stair lifts Cheap?

I just talked to a man near Branson, Missouri. He was looking for some parts for an Acorn stairlift. He had just bought 2 "used" Acorn lifts for his split level home. The only problem, his wife can not bend her knees so the two "cheap" used stair lifts are of no use.

He saw the Perch stand up unit and was hoping to get a retrofit parts kit to make a perch stand and ride. We discussed the viability of his wife being able to stand on the moving lift and the possibility that she could lose her balance and have a tumble. This is a difficult position to be in.

Do you think the California company that sold him 2 "Used" lifts for the $1,750 (price of new units) will have any sympathy and realize they neglected to do enough evaluation over the phone or by email to really assess his wife's needs in a lift? Does this man have any viable recourse against this type of fraud and incompetence?

It is sad when companies like Acorn / Brooks take advantage of people who really need the help of someone who cares enough to visit their home and review all the appropriate factors before selling a much needed access accommodations.

I continue to cry out Caveat Emptor . Buyer Be aware. Online sales are as ruthless as they get.

Your Warranty is only good if you can find the person who sold it to you. Good luck!

Elevatorexpert

Stair Lift for sale $499*

Internet DIY Stair lift scams drive down consumer price awareness. If I advertise a really low price just to get traffic and never sell or never have that unit to sell, is that wrong?

It would seem that the Internet scalpers have found a good living selling Stair Lifts from their living room. When I see the * or a note of clarification after a price, I immediately think, "Here is the real price or why your unit will cost more."

Brooks Stair lift = US Stairlift (Oddly enough not a US company) is offering a $1499 Stairlift price, but when you see the note, it only covers a 7 step used unit and only in certain areas and may already be sold and on and on. If you are not familiar with British sale tact's, it is not uncommon to see outright fraud just to sell a unit.

I had a manager get all excited about a new British scheme to offer a 100% money back guarantee. It had an official looking certificate that boldly proclaimed the Money back offer, but after you read the actual certificate you still paid their costs if it was removed.

If you are looking for a Cheap product, buy the online specials with little expectations and you won't be disappointed. Check before you buy to see if your Internet dealer has anyone to install or service your unit. Get a quote on what they will charge if you need service. My most recent call was from a Summit - Lift / Harmar buyer who had a unit less than one year old that she could not repair her self and the nearest service person was 4 hours away in Lake Lottawana. It was going to cost her $600 for a service call.

Her original price was $ 2600 her service call was $ 600. So her actual cost for the cheap lift was $3,200. $ 400 over what the local dealer would have charged and serviced at no charge because it would have been under warranty or just a $ 65 local service call.

Just remember Internet promises are virtual.

Elevatorexpert

How many experts makes an elevator company?

In the last two weeks I have been asked to finish 3 projects that were started by Elevator Companies? Both companies had some long term connection to the elevator business, but were either one man operations or one elevator mechanic and a helper or family member.

While one Arkansas company may have had a real business licenses, it still relied on just one man. the internet now offers an even greater source to inflate a companies real assets and capabilities. Country Home Elevators proudly shows photos on its website of the Corporate office, 6 company vehicles, 6 installers, accounting staff, 3 full time salesmen, Actual Elevator Installation Insurance and current elevator training certificates CET-s and educational programs for technicians.

Again, what does it take to make an elevator company?

Elevatorexpert

Everyone's an expert

As new manufacturers come into the elevator marketplace, the need to sell units will begin to outweight the functional safety and strict requirements for certified installers. The pressure will drive the lower end manufactrurers to offer home elevators to just about anyone. While there are capable contractors, there are also many more incompetent ones.

Having installed over 500 elevators, I have a good understanding of contractors and their lack of focus on specifics. If I had only 50% of the expenses that contractor spent re-doing hoistways because they could not read the plans, I'd be rich.

While I hope that direct sales of residential elevators never happens, I know the need and greed of companies when they get in a bind. They will make short term decisions that sell units in spite of the long term liabilities.

Keep this in mind. You would not trust a roofer or a carpenter to repair the brakes on your childrens school bus. Right? Why would you allow a plumber to install your home elevator?

Just like the (No name elevator company) guy; He did not know if his unit had a line rupture valve or what would happen if the line did rupture and cause the uncontrolled decent of the car and your family and remember the zip tie on the slack safety?

Elevators are not furniture in a box that only require a screw driver to assemble. Although I would guess there will be an internet salesman selling elevators in his underwear in india or North Carolina who will convincingly market just this application.

Be safe and think about what could happen.

Elevator Expert

Home elevators - Maintenence required

Unlike many home appliances, residential elevators are designed to be serviced. Like any mechanical device, elevators have moving parts the new to be clean and have proper lubricants on the frictions spots.

As units are worn in, the limits and stop switches may need to be adjusted. Many home owners never learn the proper operation of the elevator and therefore assume that errors in operation are signs of a bad installation. If your installer does not provide an operational turn over and explain the diagnostic tools to operate your elevator, ask for an operational turn over and review your owners manual.

Each manufacturer has a diffrent type of diagnostic tool to deterimne errors in operation. Learn about your elevator and be sure all safeties are in working order.

Keep your home safe - maintain your elevator every six months.