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Acorn Stairlifts

Acorn Stairlifts review: price fraud 5

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4:26 pm EDT
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We had an Acorn Stairlifts representative come out to our home, as we were thinking about getting a stairlift for my mother who lives with us. She is 80 years old, and suffers from breathing problems and can no longer walk up and down the stairs. Mom weighs slightly over 305 pounds.

We decided to buy the stairlift, but we were told that because my mom weighed more than 294 pounds, we would have to pay extra for a heavy duty model. The extra cost was $250.00. We agreed, and the representative wrote up the order.

When the installer was putting in the lift, I asked him what was the difference between a regular and heavy duty model. He laughed and said, "This sticker that I'm going to put on the unit"...At my amazement, I asked the installer if he was serious. he replied, "yes...it's a little known gimmick that Acorn uses to pad the cost of the stairlift..."

This is outright fraud, and done to a senior citizen. How can this company get away with this practice. They charge extra for a heavy duty model, and then install a regular unit with a sticker on it...they are selling a product that doesn't exist, and charging extra for it as well.

I can only hope that the Attorney General here in New Jersey ends this type of fraud and deception.

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RAcornbigotted
Orlando, US
Apr 09, 2015 8:20 pm EDT

I used to work for Acorn in their call center. They have a whole department that calls people back on all in home surveyors to offer deep discounts. The call center sales people can discount the cost down to $1500 to $1700 if you just remain interested and keep balking at the higher quotes. They all work on big commissions, so the inside sales people on the phones are willing to go that low and make it up in volume. It is a great product, but over-priced.. Keep holding out until you get them down to under 2K and you will get a good deal on a good product.. The management at the call center in Orlando is very shady. The manager, Dana Mckinney is also a bigot and they have very discriminatory in their hiring practices. They keep the f.t headcount low to avoid some of the federal regulations. THe UK office seems to be much more inclusive and not as bigoted and homophobic as the Southern Baptist preacher's daughter Dana is. She is a hypocrite in her beliefs, smokes and drinks when out with people who do, but acts holier than thou when she is with her church folks.

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Unhappy in Westchester
Mamaroneck, US
Jul 10, 2013 7:23 pm EDT

I called ACORN at the recommendation of my mother's physical therapist (95, stroke, stuck upstairs). A sales woman came out the next day. All I wanted was an estimate, which they would not give on the phone. She measured, talked my ear off, then gave an estimate, and said there was a significant discount if I gave a $900 deposit immediately. We don't even know yet if my mother will be able to use it. Also, they offered a 0 interest payment plan, but only if I signed that day. I was almost ripped off by Sleepys two weeks ago. (I paid for it, found a better bed across the street, and went back to cancel, and suddenly they were able to knock off $200; then I did cancel and got a call offering another $50 off their supposed rock-bottom sale price. I ended up paying more for a better bed from a family-owned business across the street, but at least I didn't feel manipulated and ripped off.) I was practically having a break down at the moment since I had just been told that the $8, 000 improvement to my mother's pool made it dangerous (see AAA pool liner complaint) so I couldn't see my way to putting down the money that moment. I had no idea when I called for an estimate that I would have to start paying right away. A friend negotiated for me. I got a reprieve until 7 am tomorrow and was about to call when I decided to look here. The saleswoman said without the deposit by tomorrow, the price will increase and there will be no payment plan. I am curious to see if they call with a better offer. What is a better company in NY metro area? Westchester county?

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NTrent
Dover, US
Aug 30, 2012 11:34 am EDT

There is really no set price on the Acorn stairlifts. The salesman, come to your house and depending how big your house is, what your neighbor hood looks like, how you carry yourself ($$$) how easy going you are and so on, they can sell you a lift for what they feel you will pay. I know all about what goes on at Acorn stairlifts. If you need a stairlift in the New England area, I have a company that sells services and installs Acorn lifts. I have been dealing with them for many years. All lifts have been the same price no matter who you are. They are honest, reliable and do great work no matter what.
I have to say more about them, because, they truly love helping people (I mean that) and go above and beyond to make you lift install one the best experiences you will ever have.

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rml910
Augusta, US
May 28, 2012 4:52 am EDT

I'm in the process of getting quotes from all of these companies. Thanks for sharing your experience. I will definitely keep it in ming.

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Dana McKinney
Orlando, US
May 13, 2012 8:10 am EDT

My friend saw a an ad on television for a business that manufactures & markets a product that transfers an individual up their steps by riding on a seat that is hooked up to a motorized unit. This business is named Acorn Stairlifts originating from The U.K.. They rent office space here in the U.S., however their product is created in Europe, as it were.

He telephoned the 800 number in the television advertisement, & a measuring technician arrived at his home allegedly only to measure his staircase & leave him an estimation. I was sitting there whenever all of this took place, therefore this is not a 3rd party report of what transpired.

The price for the lift was $3500, which was more than Elgin was prepared to pay. The surveyor, who sounded more like a salesman, tried many ways to convince my friend to buy his lift that day, but Elgin wasn't ready to purchase yet. The Acorn rep finally left, after which, Elgin and I had a conversation about the whole sales pitch. Elgin decided that he wanted to wait and just think about spending that amount of money.

Four days later, the phone rang at Elgin's house, and it was Acorn Stairlifts again. They claimed to have a cancelled stairlift order at a warehouse in NJ, and that they could let him have it for only $3000 if he could put a deposit on it that day. Elgin was not in a position to put a deposit down, so he passed on the offer. Then, 10 days later, another person from Acorn called Elgin, and told him that they were having a special private sale, and that he could buy a new Acorn Stairlift for only $2500, the alleged best price on Acorn Stairlifts. Elgin asked the person on the phone how the price could go from $3500 down to $2500 in only 2 weeks. The person on the phone didn't offer a believable answer, so Elgin just hung up on them.

My friend eventually bought a Bruno stairlift, due to the fact he could get local service and get it at a better price than the Acorn, even after all of the questionable discounts that they offered. Occasionally it's just better to buy from somebody that you know and can rely upon.

Had my friend bought the Acorn when the salesman was there at his house, he would have been ripped off for $1, 000.