Do you feel as though you may have been pressured into buying a stairlift? Our survey reveals shopping for a stairlift may not have been as simple as everyone had hoped…
Our latest research has exposed sharp-selling in an industry that’s catering for the most vulnerable people – and we’ve been told that straight from the horse’s mouth.
We surveyed 530 people who had bought stairlifts and found that around four in ten had experienced at least one sharp sales practice after getting quotes. The list includes pressure selling, pressure to choose more expensive options and an excessive number of sales calls.
Furthermore, a quarter of people who had bought a stairlift (rather than getting it from the council or a private seller) told us they’d negotiated a lower price. Now, we all like a bargain, but buying a mobility aid for someone who can no longer negotiate the stairs isn’t quite like going to your local electrical store and haggling over the price of a laptop.
No games, just stairlifts
The industry code outlaws practices such as the company offering a high price with the offer of a discount. That’s because it’s important that people buying at a crisis time aren’t pressured into a wrong decision. Is a negotiable price really what people want, or would they rather have the clear, upfront prices the industry code promotes?
After all a stairlift is not a cheap buy, with a new one costing over £2,000.
One in seven stairlift-owners told us that they’d felt under pressure to buy – with a quarter of people who’d used one of the big three companies feeling pressured. One person told us:
‘Originally I applied to an advertisement which invited one to receive a free ‘independent booklet.’ As a consequence I received numerous phone calls from the company for about two years.’
What do you think about sales practice for equipment and aids for older and disabled people? Have you experienced any dodgy selling practices or did you have a very positive experience?
Loading ...
