Used Stair Lifts

The used stair lifts market should not be overlooked, particularly for the consumer for whom financial constraints are paramount. Also called reconditioned stairlifts, these units do carry with them a few problems, or at least points worthy of serious consideration. This article will give some brief, but important, information regarding this option.

It is true that the base prices of used stair lifts are lower than those of new stairlifts, however, there are three points to consider:

I. The installation of the stair lift chair may account for a significant portion of the cost; it is not uncommon that 20%-50% of the final price is from the installation. The purchase of a used stair lift does not alleviate this cost, and so the benefits of a lower base price are lessened.

II. Reconditioned stairlifts may not come with the options or customizations that you would prefer, and some require an extra sum in order to be modified. Thus, it may be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for.

III. Finally, there is the argument surrounding maintenance costs. It is not clear whether a used stair lift ends up costing more or less than a new stair lift; those in the know in the industry are divided; and the problem of bias comes into play on this contentious issue. Some argue that a newer unit will require less maintenance; while others maintain that stairlifts need to be 'broken in' to work well, so that a lot of maintenance in the first few years of ownership is unavoidable but then subsides in subsequent years. Nobody knows the answer to this, but it is clear that parties will argue this or that point of view in correspondence to their personal stakes; thus be wary of those who push a little too hard on this point.