Stair lift aftercare question

I have had a stairlift for many years and the last one I bought from a large company (big mistake) because the amount of money they wanted for eg 4 years warranty was horrendous.

With my present stairlift, for under £100 a year, it is serviced by a local company in the next town and if it broke down in between I would ring them. I have not had to yet but I know the cost would be reasonable.

I bought my first stairlift from a small company which this large company took over.

If you want any more information please feel free.

Thank you Charleygirl5.
You’ve given me something to think about.

I looked at quite a few and ended up going with Stannah. They were the only ones who could fit a rail to our staircase as the treads were different heights. They were pleasant when coming to quote and not pushy. I took out a four year warranty and it gets serviced every year and never had any issues. You pay the four year warranty upfront so it bumps up the price, but after that, nothing to pay. Their customer service is very good as well,

What about second hand, local shop does reconditioned, even putting a new seat on- come with a guarantee- £1000 less. Don’t forget your vat free allowance if registered disabled

Just to add, you might be eligible for a free one from the council as well. It can be a very slow process though and I needed one in a hurry.

We also had a stairlift fitted by a well known company for my late husband and we did pay for an extra four year warranty. My husband died 11 months after taking out the warranty, so I asked the company for a refund as the warranty had not yet started. They refused to refund the money so I took it further, made complaint after complaint, went on review sites giving them a terrible review and finally they got fed up and paid back the four years unused warranty payment.

I would take out a warranty again especially on the stairlift as my husband needed the stairlift and if it had broken down he would have been stuck either upstairs or downstairs. It was expensive but it was also peace of mind. Do ensure that any used years are refunded if possible.