Did you / do you have a wheelchair nightmare?
Two public service announcements.
1. I was recently contacted by Karen Shell, Director of Branch Services for National Seating & Mobility. They are the DME (sales / distribution arm for “durable medical equipment”) I use for Pearlsky’s wheelchair. She has read this blog and contacted me about the total nightmare that her company can be at times. We had a very good conversation. She absolutely wants to hear from anyone with either good or, more importantly, bad experiences with NSM, National Seating & Mobility.
So, give her hell. Just be nice, be factual, but let it go.
Send an email to kshell@nsm-seating.com
2. A lawyer called me today (getting used to that … but I digress). He has a client with a heck of a tale, but the punch line is that he is putting together a lawsuit against Sunrise Medical, the manufacturer of Quickie and Zippie wheelchairs. The basis of it concerns repairs and warranties. If you have had an experience you think he should know about, and he would love to, send me a BRIEF summary and your contact information via the contact page and I will pass it on.
I’m delighted Sunrise is being taken to task. While I’ve so far managed to avoid Quickie/Zippy, I was furious when, many years ago, Sunrise prevented the sale of a fine German wheelchair that was being readied for my daughter. All the measurements had been taken, everything decided, we were waiting for it to be shipped—and then Sunrise bought out the company and wouldn’t let the order go through. It was such a great chair….
History I hope will repeat itself. In the late 1970s E&J enjoyed a monopoly on the wheelchair industry. A critical mass of angry people with a disability treated poorly by E&J had enough. Small companies popped up all over California that made high quality rigid frame wheelchairs. E&J was subject to a DOJ antitrust investigation and the monopoly they enjoyed was busted. Many technological leaps forward were made in the wheelchair industry. Leaps that E&J had squelched for decades. I hope that Sunrise medical will suffer the same fate as E&J in large part because they do not care one iota about the products they make. Known design flaws exist and forget about customer service. Once again a critical mass of angry wheelchair users exists. Once again small companies are popping up and advances are being made in wheelchair technology. And who is squelching this development? Sunrise Medical.
Hope you and pearlsky have found a minivan and are off having an awesome adventure. I got error messages yesterday when trying to view website that made my heart miss a beat. Anyways, hoping you guys ok, sending respect from the other side of the pond. I wish all parents were as awesome as ou.
Whatever it is you’ve been up to that’s kept you away from the blog,I hope it’s going well. Have a great Thanksgiving.
I hope you and Pearlsky are doing well! I miss you!
I’m a Jill-come-lately to your blog…I will confess to reading the archives, bit by bit, but was too shy to comment. I, too, hope that you and Pearlsky are adventuring together.
Missing your voice.
I hope you and Pearlsky are doing OK. I just wanted to let you both know I think of you often and wish the best for you.