EDEALEARS

You're filthy rich or hardworking or pulling out the credit card, avoiding the never-ending insurance hassles by buying your own powerchair. And price counts - a thousand bucks saved is money in your pocket this time. Like most savvy consumers these days, you hop on the Web, finding that the E-dealer located across the country can hook you up with that kick-ass new powerchair for 25% less than retail, free shipping, free batteries included - Man, it's a sweet deal.

Six weeks later, you've got your new chair out-'n-about, and there's a problem: Maybe 6 of the lights on the battery gauge are flashing, and the chair won't move; or, maybe there's an odd clicking noise coming from a drive wheel when you turn; or, maybe the fork seized up when you hit the first curb; or, maybe the seat needs adjusting. In any case, you're no powerchair engineer or rehab specialist, but your chair is under warranty, so you call your local dealer. "I'm sorry," he tells you, "we only service the chairs we sold. Call the dealer you purchased your chair from."

So, you dial an area code nine states away, and the E-dealer says, "You need to call the manufacturer for warranty service."

And you're beginning to see that the sweet deal wasn't so sweet after all.

"It's your dealer's responsibility to service your chair," the manufacturer says.

"But I bought my chair via the Internet. The dealer is across the country," you say.

"Our chairs aren't supposed to be sold over the Internet," the manufacturer says, "we want you to have the best service, from fitting to warranty, which can only be obtained from a local dealer."

"But, I called my local dealer," you say, increasingly frustrated, "and he won't service my chair."

"That's right," the manufacture says. "The way the industry works is that when you purchase a chair, service and warranty work is included in the price - your selling dealer was paid to service your chair, the local dealer was not. Powerchairs aren't like cars, you can't take them to any dealer for service."

Put simply, Pal, you're screwed. You may have saved a grand, but you've got a chair sitting in the corner of your living room, going nowhere, days and days away from getting fixed, awaiting resolution between the drop-shipping E-dealer only interested in your cash and the stymied manufacturer striving to provide proper service despite a dead-beat dealer. And the thought of being able to call the slow-but-trustworthy dealer of your last chair now seems like a dream (though, if you had asked, the local dealer probably would have cut you a break for cash, coming close to the E-dealer price, with real service!). In the end, let us hope the manufacturer comes through for you, providing a rep or local dealer's services. In the meantime, you're left without the mobility you need.

Now, some E-dealers boast of nation-wide service contracts, through a dealer network or manufacturer representative in your area. But, again, the caution you must heed is that you may receive poor service at best, no service at worst. Several E-dealers and manufacturers have regional service centers or network dealers that aide Internet buyers, but the term "regional" or "network" is the key - whether you're in Los Angeles or Seattle, Salt Lake City may be the designated place for your chair's service, an impossibility of service for most consumers. Further, the concept of a manufacturer representative showing up at your door may not be so clear - a local appliance repairman or tractor dealer may be hired by the manufacturer to service your chair if your not in a true rep's area (the last guy you want trouble-shooting your controller is the Maytag Man, but that's a likely scene).

The point is, if you need fitting or service or a warranty for your next powerchair, the Internet is the worst place to shop, period - there are too many variables that can leave you stranded, turning your dream chair into a nightmare experience. If you want to save money, shop local dealers, bargain them down, and roll away with a great chair, at a great price, with great service - you'll sleep better knowing service is only 2-miles and a phone call away.