Shopping Alternatives for Wheelchair Parts

I use a stripped-down manual wheelchair for simplicity and reliability.  Even so, wheelchairs need tires.  After ten calls over several weeks to my local vendor, Nu Motion nee ATG Rehab nee Wheelchairs NW nee Care Medical, trying to get tires only to find out on the last call they did not even have the tires I needed in stock, it is time to buy tires online.

It was handy to use the vendor when they were located a mile away and would bill my insurance company directly while getting parts in a timely fashion.  Now they have moved well off the freeway interchange and won’t even return my phone calls.  They got a new computer system that has the wrong address for me—even though I have lived in the same place for 20 years.

I was going to use a different vendor in Seattle that was a hassle to get to.  They merged their service and support with my previous vendor.   That call transfer to service got quickly disconnected—when I hung up on the recording letting me know of my new “choices”.

 I could not find the tires I wanted online after hours of searching nor could Gregg’s Greenlake Cycle find them or a comparable tire from their suppliers.  Frustrated by the 10^th effed-up phone call, I went back online and searched through the wheelchair parts suppliers to finally find one with the tires I wanted in stock.  They can have it delivered the next business day in only phone call.  Guess where I am going to shop in the future?

I have yet to place my first order since they closed before I called late this afternoon.  Tomorrow morning, I will have new tires on the way.  I have to use my wheelchair every day.  I try to make service and support for it as invisible as possible so I can use my time for other activities of daily living besides calling crappy vendors for hideous customer service.

I am grateful for shopping alternatives.  I will order new tires in the morning.  It feels good to be empowered with alternative buying options for  such a vital component in my efforts to maintain an independent life/style.  Thank you Google and http://www.sportaid.com.