Acorn Stair Lifts

I just wish I had seen this site before I bought my two 130 outdoor stair lifts . Everything all others are saying is correct. The chairs are very unreliable, and Acorn’s service contract is outrageous. You basically pay for a complete chair every 4 years. It’s still cheaper than having them come out fix them. $250 initial fee, plus parts and labor. I have had my lifts for 16 months and have had to replace a control board twice, transformers twice and both sets of batteries.

It’s not even the money that really bothers me, it’s the fact that when I get to my beach house and can’t get up the stairs because they don’t work after spending $8000 + it really gets me mad. You then call them and they tell you it will be a week before they can out to fix them! What’s the point of having them? I have outdoor models. The transformers have failed twice which then kills the batteries which are not warranted!

The transformers are clearly marked for indoor use only and all Acorn says is these are all they have. It doesn’t take an engineer to figure out why they keep failing. Indoor use only, installed outdoors on a beach?? If I actually would be stranded if these didn’t work I would be in big trouble. Do not buy these if you are in that state because I assure you that you will be stuck. Maybe this time the fix will work and they will actually run. All I can do is hope.

I've had this chairlift for 3 years and have had 3 years worth of trouble. 3 times now the handle has completely broken off(one left 2 times on right) causing me to lose balance and almost coming out of chair. So far only thing has been minor scratch and bruising. Now do not expect to get any empathy from Acorn as all they care about is there bottom line and how mauch $$$ they can get out of you.

On Friday 11/29/19 I was on hold for 3-8 minutes only to be told to leave my name and number and someone will get back to me. (as they say they realize your time is valuable). I left message at 11:30am EST and did not hear anything from them. I finally called back and hit the option for billing and my call was answered immediately. (again $$$). The person I spoke with was rude and immediately went defensive. I was told I should have had the seatbelt on to which I replied "you have to get into the chair first and get seated before putting on a seatbelt". #2 I was told by agent that I was too heavy for chair, if the armrest handles were breaking that much and I should have the chair lift that supports 300 pounds or more.

The unit that was sold to me is for 300 pounds plus or at least that what was told to me by original sales representative. Because it supports 300 lbs plus it is a "straight" stairlift; in other words it will not make a curve as you see in the ads. So I have to climb(crawl is better word) up 3 stairs to the landing to get into this chairlift. There is only 1 year warranty and the best of the warranties (I'll be nice) is $595.00 per year and does NOT cover the battery, which had to be replaced after about 2 years of use.

One cannot fix this stairlift on your own as no other place sells their parts. Back to rep I talk to after he got my info and contract/invoice number he put me on a 3 minute hold. Once back he had done a 180% in his tone of voice, however the first available time that it can be fixed is Thursday Dec 5, so I'm with a broken chairlift for 6 days.

Now in the other 3 calls it has taken anywhere from 3-5 days for someone to come out. What Acorn needs is staff that has a spouse, relative, or friend that has to use one of there chairlifts and see what their tune would be like when they encountered the problems I and my spouse have had with this chair.

I've decided that I'm going to shop around, get reviews, and warranty info on other stairlifts because the next time this chair breaks down for any reason I'm going to (or at least my younger nephew) take the damn thing out and put it in the street for trash to pick up, because ACORN will charge you to take it out; I know as we were going to have carpet replaced and Acorn told me that they'd have to come out and uninstall it, then reinstall and you guessed it they would charge $$$$ to do it to the tune of close to $800.00, if I remember correctly.

Needless to say carpet did not get replaced. This is the last time I'm calling Acorn to fix something that should be sturdier that what it is (cheap plastic) as I'll get nephew to get it out to street and buy another one from a company that DOES NOT HAVE THE NAME ACORN and has reps that treat their clients in a much better way than the cold hearted sales staff I've talk to. The only person that has been extremely nice, courteous and caring has been the person that has come and fixed the unit. Stay far away from this company if you want peace of mind for your loved ones or friends. I have pics of broken parts and the $595.00 warranty and pics are posted on a google review.

What they don't tell you about the warranty... You only get one free service during the one year warranty. If you need service and they don't find a problem you have to pay the $250.00 trip charge. This is a horrible warranty. My mom's lift began making a noise and then we were advised that she had already had her one free call for service. When she declined to have the lift checked they asked her if she could make it up the stairs without the lift. Swindling elderly people on fixed incomes!!!

We had a stairlift installed at my parents house 3 years ago. Installer was good, lift worked well. This year the gas spring on the bottom fold up section of rail failed. We where told there is not a replacement gas spring available and would need to replace the whole rail (at a cost of close to $1,000). I removed the gas spring myself.

Acorn USA told me there was no part number for that spring. Did some research called U.K. and Scotland was able to track Acorn part number, Acorn USA would not sell me the gas spring, asked the local rep. She called them and they would not sell her the part either. I feel like they don't want people to fix a simple problem, they would rather up sell elderly or disabled people, make them pay for the whole rail system even after I tracked their own part number. I feel this is very dishonest and for that reason would not recommend ACORN.

Ashamed of myself for doing hardly any research. I thought my wife, who was in the hospital with a badly fractured leg was going to require a lift as soon as she got home. I got bids from three different companies, Two of them had their salesman out that day.

Acorn couldn't have their salesman at my home for five days(I should have known then!). I preferred to do business with had a three to four week delivery time as did the second company. I mistakenly chose to await Acorn's bid, since there was now no hurry. The acorn sales man showed up on time and, unlike the other two salesmen who spent most of the time finding out what I wanted, began a rather hard sales presentation. He took measurements of the stairs and presented me with the price.

I asked him when the unit would be installed and he said that uponmy giving him a check for $2800 he would get in touch with the office to find out. I told him, "no thank you, and thanked him for his time. I walked to the door and opened it. He took the hint and left. About two hours later, the Acorn salesman called and said he pulled some strings and could get the unit installed the next day. Relieved that I could have a lift ready when my wife came home from the hospital, I told him,"let's do it". He said he would be by in 30 minutes to pick up the check ( I should have known then!). He came by, and I asked him why the Harry to get the $2800 if the payment in fulll was due tomorrow. He said something about company procedure.

Ok, but if the installer is not here by 8:00am as promised, I would be cancelling the check (I really didn't think the installer would show up). Yet, he did and did a quick, clean, and professional job. He told me to try it. I did, and found it to be molasses slow when maneuvering the two landings and the two ending sections. I told the young man that this was not at all what I needed. He said I needed to call the number on the chair because all he did was install per the salesman's spec. He asks for the balance which I reluctantly handed over (I should have known then!).

The people I spoke to in Florida (the main sales office) said the there was nothing they could do, and that I should please re read the contract and I would find that they had met all of their obligations (to their management perhaps, but most assuredly not to the customer). I am ashamed for having done business with this company. They are only interested in selling their equipment and, according to the reviews I've since read, their equipment is sub par.

7/12/2019 This stair lift was purchased 2/11/2019 So a purchase of $9,950 is 5 months old and not working. We called for service on 7/8 and the soonest they can come to repair is 7/16. For people with health problems, who purchased help, what are they to do SAFELY while this is not working? I'm sorry I did not read all these reviews before I Purchased it. My BIG mistake.

Your company is shameful in the way it hard sells with scare tactics the most vulnerable of customers. And frankly if your product was any good those warranty plans wouldn't be necessary would they? To have a back up battery die within 9 months of purchase causing the unit to beep continuously is bad enough but then to not be able to get a service person out for THREE WEEKS is disgusting. Just throw a comforter over the chair to muffle the sound was the advice. Now William, our account advisor calls constantly trying to sell an extended warranty plan. Each call gets more and more threatening with the high costs of just keeping the chair operating, all the while referencing our recent repair needs. Again, doesn't speak highly of your product now, does it?

Would give them a 0 if I could. I paid $5000.00 for a lemon Totally misrepresented their service. They are in Colorado and get handymen to install and they know nothing about them. Mine worked for 3 days. Getting a repairman is a major problem. They came out once and it ran for another 3 days. Would not take it back or exchange it and I have it laying in my basement. I bought a Stannah for $3000.00 and have had it 12 months now and never a problem. Bought locally with in-company service if needed 24 hrs. Never buy from Acorn. Don't believe anything they tell you.

Purchased a 130 on a Friday and they came to install the following Tuesday. Purchase price was $3500. Saw on the company website that there was a special for $3000. Called a company rep immediately and he said he would honor that price until he realized that the installer was in the process of installing the unit, then he said there was nothing he could do so I had to pay the original $3500. I feel the sales person misrepresented the item as she should have known about any special pricing or sales and I also feel that the company should extend their special pricing to anyone that purchased the item during the time frame the special was in effect, not just to the ones who ask BEFORE the installation starts.

The unit sold for outdoor use is the same as the indoor model. Frequently inoperable as a result. Atrocious is an understatement when describing service. Service policies are expensive and very necessary. Hard to believe that they are able to continue their enterprise. Truly awful. Avoid!!