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StairBusters.com

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StairBusters.com Reviews (1)

StairBusters.com is a Veteran-Owned Home Accessibility Company with locations in Pittsburgh and Erie, PA. Our company specializes in making homes handicapped accessible for people with disabilities. StairBusters.com has been in operation since 1999. Since our founding, we have been providing quality...

products and services for disabled and elderly people throughout the tri state area. Our primary products include Stairlifts, Residential Elevators, Custom Ramps and Vertical Wheelchair Lifts. StairBusters.com has received numerous awards for community service and customer satisfaction. We have hundreds of positive reviews and an A+ rating with the Revdex.com.We value customer satisfaction!Initial Summary:[redacted] is dissatisfied with the installation progress of a Vertical Platform Wheelchair Lift she ordered for her husband. The progress of the project was slowed due to changes SHE made to the configuration of the platform AFTER this lift was built. Our company does not manufacture these lifts, we order them from our manufacturer in Canada. She elected to make changes after the lift was completely built and ready to ship. This action pushed production way back and added costs. At some point, she decided that she no longer wanted our company to continue the installation and requested a full refund from us even after we delivered and began the installation in her home. Mrs. [redacted] contacted another wheelchair lift company and then decided to go with them, well after we had already delivered her equipment and started installation. We felt that we could compromise with her on a solution, but that a 100% refund is unrealistic. We have a complete timeline of events as well as an email chain showing all of her requests and our responses to accommodate her. Unfortunately, we have noticed a pattern of inaccurate timelines and information from Mrs. [redacted]. She is not at all truthful in her statements and we have the documentation to prove it. Mrs. [redacted] claims to be a victim, however she is quite shrewd and deceptive. She states our company is deceitful and that we take advantage of the elderly. We never once lied or misled and we wouldn’t still be in business after 18 years with an A+ rating from the Revdex.com if we took advantage of the elderly.Timeline:On September 25, 2016, [redacted] contacted our company to come to her home and perform an evaluation for a wheelchair lift in her garage.An appointment was set up for Friday, September 30, 2016 for us to come to her home and evaluate her garage situation for a vertical platform wheelchair lift.As the owner of this company, I personally met with [redacted] in her home and we discussed many different options for a wheelchair lift in her garage. We discussed a straight through platform, a 90-degree platform and all the construction considerations for each. She requested that we install a straight-through platform lift going from her garage floor, elevating up approximately 35 inches, and exiting onto a premade platform in her garage that housed a freezer and some shelves for pantry items. She stated that this layout required the least amount of construction, saving her costs, while still allowing access for her husband, who is using a manual wheelchair.She also stated that she would have the freezer removed and the pantry shelves eliminated so that her husband could turn as he exited from the wheelchair lift and enter their door with no problems.We also discussed overhead clearance issues where the lift would be installed. The ceiling was a bit lower where she wanted the Wheelchair lift to be installed. A person riding on the lift in the standing position would have to bend down because their head would come in contact with the ceiling as the lift was going up. I informed her that this was not an ideal location, however, she stated that her husband would always be in a seated position in a wheelchair and that the overhead clearance issue would not be a factor. She clearly stated that she wanted the lift here, despite the clearance issue, and against my recommendations.I also discussed with her the options of having an interlock gate at the upper landing so that when the lift was in the down position, nobody could accidentally fall off her platform. She agreed and we included it on our initial price quote. (Document 1 and 1A). Please look at this quote closely, as she stated in her letters to you that we tried adding this item later as a way of sneakily padding ours fees! We strongly suggested this safety gate from the very beginning. She requested we remove it from her quote as you will see in our emails!! It is unbelievable for us to see her write in your letter, “again, there was a pattern of recommending an unsafe installation and later charging more to make it functional”. Our very first quote to her included the gate!On Saturday, October 1, 2016 I emailed a message to [redacted], (Document 1 and 1A), and included an attachment with a price quote for the vertical platform lift and the upper landing gate and a remote call button that we had discussed for a total cost of $7215.00. The upper landing gate ($1195.00) is clearly included.On Monday, October 3, 2016, [redacted] responded (Document 2), that she would like a quote that did not include the call controls and the upper landing gate. She stated that she would prefer to use a plastic chain and latch in place of the expensive upper landing gate. Her words are clear, “In an effort to bring down the cost, we are considering using the chain and latch at top of ascend”. As well as “would it be possible to add the call send control if needed at a later time”.In response to her request, on October 6, 2016, I sent her a revised quote (Document 3 and 3 A), that did not include an upper landing gate or the call buttons. The amount of this new quote was for $5600.00.**This is significant, because [redacted] chose to remove items from the quote that I told her were important for safety. She assured me that she would manage just fine with a chain in place of the gate. At this point it appeared to me that she was trying to shave costs off this lift. Not uncommon.Shortly after [redacted] received our revised quote, she agreed this was the configuration that she wished tohave. She asked if we would try and contact her insurance company, [redacted] healthcare, to see if they would pre-authorize payment for this lift so that she would not have to pay for it out of her for her own pocket.StairBusters.com attempted a pre-authorization for coverage with [redacted] healthcare and we sent multiple correspondences back-and-forth trying to see if [redacted] healthcare would pay for this vertical platform lift.On November 14, 2016, [redacted] healthcare sent us a denial of medical coverage notification,(Document 4 and 4A). We informed [redacted] that [redacted] healthcare would not cover the cost of the wheelchair lift that they requested. This unit would have to be purchased out of pocket, which is the normal payment method. Almost no insurances pay for this type of equipment.On November 22, 2016, we received a 60% deposit payment from [redacted] for the wheelchair lift as previously configured in our quote. (Document 5 and 5A). Her check number 1658 was written for $3360.00. **PLEASE NOTICE that with her check she included the older, original quote,(Document 5), which shows her personal marks scratching out the upper landing gate and the call send buttons. It also shows her handwritten note, thanking us for trying to get it approved through her insurance.On November 23, 2016, we placed the order with the manufacturer, for the exact lift that [redacted] requested. This lift was a straight through platform with no upper landing gate and no remote call buttons. The total of her order was for $5600.00.The manufacturer informed us that production of this lift would take approximately 2 1/2-3 weeks and that it would ship to us on December 16, 2016.I informed [redacted] that we would be receiving this lift around December 16, 2016.During this time of production, [redacted] had a builder come to her home and through several revisions, decided that it would work better if we changed the orientation of the platform. Instead of using a straight through platform, she elected to change to a 90-degree platform. To accomplish this, we would have to have the manufacturer change the platform at the factory. Also, she would have to have a carpenter modify her garage landing to fit the new style platform.** This is the first change that [redacted] requested for this wheelchair lift AFTER it was already built.I told her that her lift was completely built and ready to ship to us, and that any changes in the configuration of the platform at this point would cause it to be delayed for approximately four weeks. (This production was taking place very near Christmas). I also informed her that any changes to the configuration would probably incur additional costs, as a 90° platform costs more than a straight through platform. I also informed her that since the lift had already completed production, they would actually have to remove the old platform and change it to a 90° platform and therefore would incur a change order fee as well.[redacted] decided that she still wanted to change the lift and we told the manufacturer such. The additional cost was $1000 above what we had originally agreed upon. These changes would also cause her lift to be put at the back of the production line and take approximately 30 days to complete.She agreed. She agreed to the increase in price, and she agreed to the additional time that it would take to have it completed. She stated that the additional production time would allow her carpenter to complete his changes as well. The manufacturer informed us that the new ship date would be January 24, 2017 for the revised platform.During this second time of production, for the changes to take place, [redacted] requested that we give her a price on adding back the upper landing gate. This upper landing gate had been included in our very first quote, but she requested that we remove it for cost savings. Now she thought she wanted it back on the quote. She seemed upset that it would cost more money to add this gate, even though it clearly showed a cost of $1195.00 on her original quote, (Document 1A).** Possibly adding the upper landing gate would be the second change requested by [redacted].On Friday, January 27 our technicians delivered the revised wheelchair lift to [redacted]'s home in [redacted]. Upon unpackaging the crate, it became evident that the manufacturer had mistakenly shipped us the original straight through platform and not the revised 90 degree platform that we had requested. We informed [redacted] about the mistake from the manufacturers and arranged for the manufacturer to send us the additional parts to convert the straight through platform into a 90° platform. The parts arrived two days later but [redacted] would not let us install them.It was at this point when our relationship with [redacted] took a turn for the worse.She said that this mistake was unacceptable and that she had waited long enough, to which I responded that the lift was ready to ship well over a month ago but she decided to make a change which caused all of these extra delays. Her changes are what initiated the entire delay of the lift and it also allowed for the mistake to be made at the manufacturers.The manufacturer graciously agreed to credit [redacted] for the additional charges to remake this lift because of the mistake in shipping the wrong platform. They sent us the parts for free so that we could modify it into the platform that she wanted. Instead of charging her $1000 extra.they credited the entire amount. This means that [redacted], because of her inconvenience, would get a 90-degree platform absolutely free. We felt it was the right thing to do. We requested that the manufacturer give her the 90-degree platform for free.Unfortunately at this point, [redacted] requested that we stop working and wait. She told us she was not sure if she wanted to order the upper landing gate and wanted time to make this decision.It was not until later on when her son contacted us, that we learned [redacted] called another company and decided to use them because of her dissatisfaction with the timetable so far. Again I tried to explain to her that we were ready to install her lift a long time ago but that the changes she made created this additional production time.She was adamant at this point that she wanted us to remove our lift from her garage and refund her 100% of her money.She would no longer even talk to me directly, she had her son from [redacted] state call us long-distance and act as an intermediary.I informed her son that we had already paid for this lift, we had already spent time and labor delivering it and setting it up into her garage. The reason it was not completed, is because she changed the configuration and wanted her builder to have additional time to modify her garage platform for a 90° lift.When I informed her son that we could probably make some arrangement to pick up the lift but keep some of the money for our time and labor, he stated she would most likely obtain a lawyer and try to force us to give her 100% of her deposit back.I told him that it was unrealistic to request a 100% refund after we had already paid for this lift and spent a lot of time driving, delivering and installing it. The installation is not complete. It is not complete because she would not allow us to complete it.At some point, [redacted] became so irritated with this entire situation, most of it brought on by herself and her changes, that she decided that she no longer wanted to deal with our company and she would prefer a different vendor provide it for her.Currently, [redacted] still owes us a balance of $2240.00. for this lift. We offered to modify it into the 90° platform that she wanted and we would finish the complete and safe installation of this lift in her garage and accept her final payment once she was 100% satisfied.She has ignored us 100%.Final Summary:At this point, I would be willing to allow [redacted] to keep the lift that she has, and waive a portion of the balance due. However, there is certainly no chance that we would refund her deposit since that money went towards labor and purchasing the lift. We are already going to take a loss with this offer that I am extending to her. Please understand that we purchased with our own money, this lift for her, the way she wanted it. Her deposit did not totally cover the cost of this lift purchase nor the associated labor and travel time. We assisted in getting it changed for her, and agreed to solve all of her concerns. Our technicians delivered and began installation of this lift in her home. We have spent countless man hours to order and re-order, call and resolve, and even tried to help her get funding up front from her insurance company.[redacted] decided to stop us from completing her project. We wanted to, and still want to, complete it for her. She hired a new company half way through our installation and decided to drop us. Unfortunately, she should have made that decision well before she gave us a security deposit and we ordered her equipment and incurred costs. [redacted] made several poor decisions, against our recommendations, and after thinking it through, wanted to make changes. She blames us completely of course, but our emails and price quotes show a different story. The one main mistake which falls to us, is that the manufacturer, during her product change (in the Christmas rush), sent us the wrong platform. Not directly our fault, but our responsibility to fix. By then Mrs. [redacted] simply wanted to use someone else. She did not allow us to correct and complete the project.I am a United States Army Infantry Veteran. I started this company 18 years ago to help elderly and disabled veterans stay in the homes they love by adapting their homes with accessible equipment. Our company is certified by the federal government as a VOSB, Veteran Owned Small Business. I do not employ deceptive sales tactics or shady schemes. We don’t have to! I love what I do. My wife and my son both work at our company as well as 10 other employees with families. We strive to service all of our customers with dignity and excellence. I understand that not every transaction goes 100% smooth, and sometimes things get less than pleasant. BUT, we have NEVER left any customer hanging. We are not out to deceive or mislead. This particular customer chose to not allow us to complete her project. Unfortunate. But we tried to get it done. She chose to hire another company mid-project, so of course she wants a refund, she paid someone else to start from scratch.As I stated earlier, Mrs. [redacted] claims to be a victim, however she is quite shrewd and deceptive. She states our company is deceitful and that we take advantage of the elderly. 90% of our business is with the elderly. We never once lied or misled and we wouldn’t still be in business after 18 years with an A+ rating from the Revdex.com if we took advantage of the elderly.I am happy to answer any questions or clarify any facts. Anytime.We hope she considers our offer.ThanksAndrew M[redacted], OwnerStairBusters.comAlso, it is true that we never responded to her lawyers threats. Our company has an excellent reputation and history of great service. The misinformation the she has disseminated to her attorney was not worthy of a response. It is full of false accusations and incomplete and inaccurate information. If she wants a resolution, then she will have to talk to us about one, not threaten us behind a lawyers letter.

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