Leslie,
Well, at least you are up-front about it, which counts for something with me. Of course your news doesn’t help me, but you’re doing what you can. I’ve been an Invacare customer since their first power chair in 1981 under the name of Rolls-Invacare, and our history has been checkered. Invacare does not communicate directly with its customers as a rule; they funnel everything through their dealers even though it creates a communications gap. That makes your email refreshing and even a little touching. I have to wonder if Invacare is slowly changing its ways.
In any case, you are correct to expedite those parts because I am immobilized without them. My new service dog doesn’t understand this at all, and she’s growing increasingly restless. A restless German Shepherd is not a nice experience. I average about seven miles daily, if that helps communicate how active a power chair user can be. I understand you are a CSC, not a tech, but I’m still going to ask you a few questions after giving an explanation.
I am aware that the usual arrangement is for Invacare to ship new parts in exchange for the damaged ones, but that’s not what we’re doing this time. You see, my last chair was a Mk IV Storm Arrow (the equivalent of this 3G Storm Torque 3), and I kept it running for 13 years partly by keeping two sets of electronics in rotation. When one set failed (as they do, Leslie), I’d have my people swap the sets and send the bad one into Invacare to be rebuilt for me.
Now you can guess what we’re going to do. We’re going to restart that same procedure with this chair. I realize that Invacare is going to charge full price for the set you’re going to hot-shot in that case, and I don’t know yet how much my insurance will help if any. Still, I have to start the rotation in order to not be immobilized again in the future, even if I must foot the whole bill. Thus, what’s the current price for my type of electronics? What is the charge to repair/rebuild/refurbish a set (since my current one has to come back to me in good order)?
That’s enough to get you started. I really would like to converse with an Invacare technician also. As you can tell, I’m not your typical disabled person. I’d do my own servicing if I was physically able to. In all honesty, I’m technically inclined, with a Computer Science degree and about 20 years of working experience so I probably know a thing or two about the Mk6i that might not be in the technical database. I’d like to compare notes about a few things.
Rest assured that you will be hearing from me again soon. I finally found someone civilized at Invacare, and I’m inclined to fully utilize the communication channel. This was my first–and likely my last–chair purchased through an insurance company, and Great American Scooter wasn’t especially expert in ordering these so-called rehab chairs. Configuration mistakes were made, and I bear a lot of the responsibility for not scrutinizing the purchasing order line-by-line. All that can be done now is to change what can be reasonably changed. We’ll need take it in small steps after the chair is working again, because I really don’t think my insurance company will help pay for the corrections. At least I now know Someone who speaks “Invacare Turkish.”
Scott
