When the time comes to buy a stairlift for either yourself or a loved one, you’ll more than likely be starting from scratch when it comes to choosing a company to install one for you.
Word of mouth speaks volumes so if you know anyone who’s had one installed recently it’s always worth asking them who they used and what their experience was like.
And there are a lot of other things to look for when buying a stairlift, to ensure you select a reputable, reliable stairlift company.
We have 12 of them listed here for you…
1. Look for reviews
Once you’ve found a few stairlift companies it’s always worth taking the time to read any reviews they’ve received online. Are they on a review platform such as TrustPilot or Feefo?
The company will likely display reviews on their website (like we do!) so start there. But also search on Google to see if any others appear for the various review platforms out there.
Reviews are a great way to get a feel for a company from genuine customers before you even reach out to them.
2. Look for both new and reconditioned options
Look for a company that offers both new and reconditioned stairlifts.
Opting for a pre-owned stairlift can save you a lot of money vs. a brand new lift. But we appreciate, whenever you buy anything second hand, there’s always the worry that it won’t be as reliable, as durable or as easy to get fixed as a brand new one.
That’s not the case at Leodis. Our reconditioned stairlifts are always models currently in production, come in ‘as good as new’ condition and are fully tested to make sure they’re in perfect working order before being installed.
For added peace of mind all of our reconditioned stairlifts come with the same comprehensive parts and labour warranty as our new models (2 years for curved stairlifts and 12 months for straight stairlifts).
3. Look for an established stairlift company
Did you know, anyone can start up a stairlift company as the industry is not regulated? It’s another reason why it’s important to do a bit of digging to ensure you pick a reputable, established company. If they’ve been trading for a long time, it’s a good indication they know a thing or two about stairlifts.
We’ve been established over 30 years now!
4. Look for a free no-obligation survey
Every reputable stairlift company should offer a free no-obligation home survey.
It’s a necessary step for obtaining the measurements needed for fitting your stairlift and providing you with an accurate quote. You should NEVER have to part with any money at this stage and you should NEVER feel pressured into committing to buying either.
At Leodis, we don’t do pressure sales – we leave you a brochure, a price for both a new and reconditioned stairlift and then we LEAVE YOU ALONE!
5. Look for genuine 24/7 call outs
It’s really important that the company you opt for offers a genuine (emphasis on the word genuine!) 24/7 call out service.
You never know when you might need some assistance with your stairlift and it makes a huge difference having the reassurance you can contact an engineer no matter what time of day or night for some help if needed.
6. Look for a local, independent and family run business
A family run business (like Leodis) means friendly, reputable, professional and never far away if you need us.
We’re a team of expert engineers, so whatever challenges your stairway presents us with – straight, curved or even outdoors – we’ll find a stairlift to match.
7. Look for advisors, not salespeople
We specialise in just stairlifts. That means you receive expert advice from specialist installation engineers. By nature we’re not salespeople and we never cold call or use high pressure tactics.
We leave you alone with a fixed price for you to consider your options in your own time.
8. Look for a fast installation
We’re talking 24 to 48 hours from survey to completion.
Look for companies who offer a quick turnaround on both straight AND curved stairlifts.
Some companies will fabricate a made-to-measure track which can take a few weeks to manufacture. Our curved stairlifts use an innovative modular track which is set on legs screwed to the stairs, so no re-decorating will be required.
It means we can install your stairlift quickly and easily, normally within 24 hours.
9. Look for rental options too
Deciding to have a stairlift fitted doesn’t have to be forever.
A stairlift can be needed for a number of reasons and for varying lengths of time. With that being said, you might want to consider renting a stairlift instead.
Before you go down the rental route, be sure to work out the total lifetime cost of renting the stairlift vs buying it outright. There will be a point where renting ends up costing more than buying so make sure you take this into consideration and ask the stairlift company for help making this decision.
Here at Leodis we have a one-off charge to cover supply, installation, removal and the first 2 months rental, followed by a small monthly fee.
10. Look for companies who can offer buy backs
A reputable stairlift company should be able to buy back your stairlift should you no longer need it. This will be subject to certain criteria.
We offer a buy back programme on the stairlifts we sell such as the Bison 180 curved stairlift and the Minivator Handicare 950 Straight stairlift, subject to the lift being less than 2 years old, in good condition and as long as it’s in an area we serve.
11. Look for companies supporting their communities
Finally, look for companies who support the communities they work in through donations, fundraising, volunteering and the like.
This obviously isn’t a deal breaker when making your final decision on which stairlift company to choose, but it shows, “this company really cares”.
At Leodis, we pride ourselves on our commitment to giving back to our communities.Our fundraising for Dogs Trust is one of the ways we can do just that. Over the past three years we have raised close to £10,000 for Dogs Trust and it’s something we’re extremely proud to shout about.
At Leodis we like to think we tick all of these boxes but if you require any more information, please call on 0800 542 6045 or email [email protected].
