Pre-Owned Wheelchairs - The More Affordable Option.txt

==== ==== For more information on Pride Wheelchairs please check out; http://wheelchairscenter.com/ar/pride-wheelchairs.php ==== ====

Buying a pre-owned wheelchair saved us thousands of dollars when my husband Steve was recovering from a massive stroke. Even though he has a manual wheelchair paid for by Medicare and his Medi-gap policy, it really limited him (and me) whenever we went somewhere which required a lot of walking.

I looked for a pre-owned power wheelchair because I knew Medicare wouldn't pay for another new wheelchair so soon (once every 5 years), and I was trying to save some money. Our local retailer only rented used wheelchairs, and our county Aging and Disabilities Center didn't have any. I checked out another agency that had a "closet" of used durable equipment for people with disabilities, but they had very old electric wheelchairs and a few run-down scooters. In that condition we'd have to stick several hundred dollars into them for new batteries, and that still wouldn't change the poor condition they were in. So I started searching online for used power wheelchairs.

Here are a few tips I learned: Use the website's contact page to ask for help to see what type of response you get. This is an indicator of the type of customer service you will get.

I left messages asking questions on several websites, and requested that they contact me with more information. Surprisingly, only one website owner followed up and called me, and it was the very next day. This wheelchair sales person was so friendly and helpful...not pushy at all. She answered all my questions, and when she had to check on something, she was faithful to call me back or email me with the information.

Find a website that is user friendly and knows what they're talking about.

The website I dealt with was not only user friendly, it also offered a questionnaire-type feature called Find My Perfect Electric Wheelchair to narrow down the search for the type of wheelchair that would best meet Steve's needs. With that information, the salesperson could check her inventory to locate the right product.

Look for a company that purchases very lightly used wheelchairs and refurbishes them into likenew condition.

The wheelchair we bought was pre-owned by the family of a man who never used it, so it was in pristine condition.

Request to see pictures of the exact wheelchair you are discussing, not one just like it.

The company I dealt with had several pictures of different angles of the specific wheelchair I was considering. From those pictures I could see its features and what kind of condition it was in.

Make sure the company can modify the wheelchair according to your specific needs Steve needed a right-handed joystick, a leg rest to elevate his left leg, and an arm trough for his weak left arm instead of a regular arm rest. They gave me a price for these changes, were happy to comply with our specifications, and had the personnel to make the modifications.

The company should request measurements to make sure the wheelchair is sized properly.

I was a little nervous about purchasing a used power wheelchair without Steve being able to sit in it first, but it was sized perfectly for him. I was asked to take measurements of his legs to make sure the seat was the right size before we ordered it.

Talk to someone who uses the type of wheelchair you need, and ask for tips or suggestions before you make a purchase.

A friend of mine who is confined to a wheelchair offered some good advice. She said to get new batteries installed right away, and make sure the tires were solid core (flat-free) and not pneumatic. She's had a few flats in the most inconvenient places, and they were hard to fix.

Fortunately, our wheelchair already had the hard core tires on it, so there was no extra charge. But we did order new batteries and the company installed them for us. After comparing the price of new batteries with local retailers, I knew we were getting a good price for them.

Ask about the warranty and return policy.

Our wheelchair had a 30-day performance warranty that stated if it failed to perform according to the manufacturer's specifications, we could get it repaired or return it for a refund at the seller's expense. There was also a 10-day satisfaction guarantee that stated if we were not happy with the wheelchair, we could return it for a refund at our expense.

Exactly one week after I ordered the Pride Jazzy electric wheelchair, it was delivered right to our door. It was packaged and crated very well, and it was in excellent condition. It looked brand new even though it was already 5 years old. The only adjustment I had to make was to the back of the chair so it would be the proper tilt for Steve's back...a very easy modification.

This pre-owned power wheelchair was purchased at less than half the cost of a new one including freight charges to ship it from Virginia to Wisconsin. My husband loves it because it allows him to go places and have some independence. On a full charge, the power wheelchair can go 15-20 miles, depending on the terrain. The top speed is 5 miles an hour, which is faster than I can walk.

The only other thing we needed was a way to get the wheelchair into our Ford Excursion, and that's a whole other story.

Kathy Boncher is the wife and caregiver of a 2008 stroke survivor. She offers hope and encouragement to others going through similar illnesses, and has posted videos and pictures of her husband's stroke recovery journey at StrokeSurvivorBlog.

Contact Kathy if you have any questions, and see the innovative wheelchair ramp system made for their SUV that saved them thousands of dollars.

Copyright (c) 2010 Kathy Boncher. All Rights Reserved.

Article Source: http://wheelchairscenter.com/ar/pride-wheelchairs.php

==== ==== For more information on Pride Wheelchairs please check out; http://wheelchairscenter.com/ar/pride-wheelchairs.php ==== ====