Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Got It!


YAY!!! Here it is!

I ended up getting a Pride *Go Go Ultra.* It's a step up from the *Go Go* I was looking at over at Chair Care. I went to another store I learned about from DC: he'd left a comment about a link showing the Go Go at a good price on the net, by *The Easy Mobility Company.* So I clicked. And guess what else that site said? *New Store in S. Florida!* Now THAT was very interesting. The store is called *Scooters and Lifts,* at 8973 Taft Street, Pembroke Pines, FL; phone 1-877-432-3279, or 954-432-7970.

I called. They were open until 5. Walter came home with the hitch and platform installed, and still had enough energy to drive us out to Pembroke. We got there around 4:30.

And the person manning the shop - one of the proprietors, it seems - was very nice, very informative, and quite lacking a little bit of a hard-sell flavor that Rich at Chair Care had.

I really don't like doing business with hard-sell types. They're untrustworthy and rude and make me feel icky instead of warm fuzzies, and usually the tiniest whiff of hard-sell tactics will send me packing. Most people probably wouldn't consider Rich hard-sell. He hides it carefully. But there was enough of that edge to put me on guard. Certainly we didn't want to walk out his door yesterday with a scooter in hand; we'd decided that before we walked in.

I was glad, too. There were some significant errors in what Rich told us. Example: He never mentioned that the Go Go was discontinued by the factory. However, Walter and I took a guess at that, because on our way out the door, Rich said, --Would you like me to hold this for you? It's the last one we have left, not sure I can get another one in.-- That meant what we suspected it did. Folks, that matters. It's a material difference if it's a discontinued item. I do NOT want parts issues to arise. Posted by Picasa

The guy at *Scooters and Lifts*? That's one of the very first things he told us. And he had both models to try to sell, too. He didn't make any kind of issue out of it; just explained it was why the Go Go cost less than the Ultra, because it was being discontinued.

The newer version, *Go Go Ultra,* has a few nice upgrades. First, it comes apart and reassembles even more easily. Second, the heaviest part when it's disassembled is 28 pounds, not 32. In real life, that matters. Third, we could get an upgraded battery pack for an additional $55. Most battery packs in our scooter class hold a charge for *up to* 10 miles. The upgraded pack goes 13-15 miles instead. It may not sound like much, but believe me, that's an important difference. *Range* is a significant spec when you get to actually using the thing. You don't want to run out of juice in the middle of shopping.

Rich at Chair Care didn't tell us about the battery upgrade option, which only fits on the Ultra. He also told us the heaviest part on the Go Go, disassembled, was 24 pounds. It isn't. It's 32. BIG difference. Really big mistake.

He was also mistaken about the Class 1 hitch weight: Uhaul says it pulls 2000 pounds - not 200. See, Rich was pushing us to get a lift, which is much more expensive: $500, and I think that was before installation. We told him a lift was absolutely out of the question financially. He kept talking *lift.* We said *no lift* several more times. Then he threw in a little scare tactic about how the scooter might fall off a cargo carrier on the highway.

Maybe he forgot he was talking to people who'd owned a furniture shipping business. We're not idiots. We know how to tie that sucker on pretty damn good. We tied furniture in the oddest ways sometimes: on top of a highrise elevator, on all sorts of handtrucks, loaded inside the truck in difficult ways; sometimes, yes, on the OUTSIDE of the truck. And driven like that for hundreds to thousands of miles. We never, ever, ever, lost an item. Ever.

After my phone calls the last few weeks, Rich knew all about the Scooter War with BCBS HO M&M; that we're totally broke; that being scooterless is genuinely dangerous for my foot; that my wonderful blog friends got together to get me this scooter; and that we were going to be pretty vocal on the net about this for a while, even after the scooter was purchased, because it's a nasty and wrong health insurance situation that hurts a lot of other people besides just me. He knew I'll try to get a second, heavy-duty scooter for yardwork next year as well, using my new insurance company and a $500 copay. Those scooters cost much more money. A bigger sale down the road, if Rich was interested enough in us as customers.

My point? He had any number of good reasons to work with us on the price. With Rich, I didn't want to ask for a discount; I wanted to see if he would make that offer. He did not.

Prices: Rich at Chair Care was selling the Go Go for $850, and the Ultra for $950.

Scooters & Lifts was selling the Go Go for $749, and the Ultra for $799.

Yup. The better model for $150 less. For $50 less than the discontinued model at Chair Care! Plus...the nice people at Scooters & Lifts throw in a free drink holder too. Another $20 right there. $20 I wouldn't have spent, even though I really, really, really wanted one. This way I got my cupholder, guilt-free, oh happy!

Chair Care pretty much sold only Pride models. Scooters & Lifts had a wide variety of brands, and a much bigger selection overall. We looked around, and I test drove a Phantom, same class, $50 less, some nice features like a headlight. But the Phantom just didn't have the sturdy quality and great pickup of the Pride model. Pride is the biggest, the #1 selling scooter company, and I can see why. Those are good scooters at good prices. Cool.

Really, both stores had good prices. These things generally retail for over $1000. Even the model we saw at Sam's Club for $784 wasn't nearly as good. So maybe we're splitting hairs a bit. But the comfort level we had at Scooters & Lifts was much greater, too. Just the errors Rich made, alone...yuck.

So we bought it.

Here's the total cost: Pride Go Go Ultra Scooter $799, 17 amp battery pack $55, sales tax $51.24, grand total $905.24. If you look on the internet, it would be hard to beat that price unless you waited a couple weeks for free shipping. And I haven't seen much on offer about the battery pack upgrade. That's a BIG peace of mind thing, there.

(Forgive me this, GrannyJ...)

And what did that nice man do when I asked if he had a blue one, instead of red?

The night before Thanksgiving - and it was way past closing time already - he said the only blue one was at a storage place, not on the premises. We did up the papers at the store, and he drove out to get the blue scooter, with us following him in our car. He found it, the guys loaded it on the cargo carrier and tied it down, and we came home. Beaming all the way.

Isn't that great?

Now THAT is a store I'll do business with any day of the week, and send all my friends to, and talk up on my site, and tell all the neighbors about.

oh BOY!

You know what this means?

I can cook Thanksgiving dinner.

Walter just LOVES turkey!

16 comments:

Northwoods Woman said...

Yeah Yeah Yeah! I'm so happy!

k said...

Wow, fast comment!

OMG SO AM I!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's BEAUTIFUL!

Walrilla said...

YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAWWWW!!!!!

Great news!

Ummm... when we all come over for the scooter warming party, can I take it out and do donuts in the street out front?

I'll be careful!

Honest!

Walrilla

Cindi said...

I'm really happy for you! I would have picked the blue too!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

k said...

Of COURSE you can, Walrilla! May I take pix? Will you be wearing medieval attire? Come on DOWN, son! She's all charged up and revin'!

Cindi, thank you! Blue is my fave, all time. I'm going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving now, even if staying up so late all excited means we eat at midnight. Uh, again.

I'll bet you most always have a fabulous Thanksgiving. You have the most wonderfully perfect family for all that. So, right back atcha!

Anonymous said...

K, that is most excellent news and it's a beautiful scooter. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of that thing!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Jean said...

k, CONGRATULATIONS!... So very glad you finally got what you need.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Desert Cat said...

Woohoo! I'm glad you were able to get a top brand. That will doubtless make a difference down the road when/if repairs are required. *And* getting one that easily disassembles!

Something to consider, maybe not now but perhaps before this model is discontinued, is a spare/replacement battery pack. These batteries only go through so many charge/recharge cycles before they give up the ghost. Unless it is a universal or very common configuration, it might be harder to find replacements in the future.

Re: the Class 1 hitch--the tongue weight and the towing weight aren't the same. The tongue weight refers to the maximum weight that rests on the hitch itself. The towing weight is the total weight of the trailer, with most of the weight on the wheels. Thus a Class 1 hitch is rated at 200 lbs tongue weight and 2000 lbs towing capacity. In the case of a cargo carrier, all the weight is on the hitch, so the tongue weight is the limiting parameter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Northwoods Woman said...

Well shit, either I'm totally losing it, or that is not the same post I commented on last night?

Granny J said...

Not purple, the compromise between R.E.D. and blue? Well, you are forgiven. Long may you scoot. And far.

Cindi said...

k, I had to work this Thanksgiving which kinda sucked but I'll be glad when I get the paycheck with the holiday pay on it.

Have you been tearing up the streets with that scooter? :-)

k said...

Thank you everyone! That's thanks for the good wished, AND thanks for all your donations and emails and moral support and EVERYTHING that went into this.

My cup runneth over.

I haven't been out on the street with it yet because I'm too busy sleeping off all the excitement. I scooter-cooked Thanksgivng dinner, YAY!!! And I just now woke up.

LL, I'm already having a blast with it. And - don't tell Walter anyone - making secret schemes that have to do with Christmas lights...

Jean. What a high.

Yeah, Livey, it sure is! ;-) The first time around you caught it like 10 minutes after I put it up.

DC, you're right about those battery packs. In fact one reason I went for the upgraded package is, it's much more expensive to get the whole package than just the batteries. Far more than the $55 at the store. Best to grab that discount when I could.

I'd love to have a spare backup set, even for now - an extra whole pack, to make a quick transfer. Saves waiting 10 hours for a charge. I might go for the *regular* pack, which may be common among different scooters, meaning, I might find it on the net. The bigger batteries (no pack just the juice) I can surf for too, as replacements.

I'll fix that hitch sentence soon. They explained it to me right, I was just braindead. When YOU told me it finally got through.

GrannyJ, I was thinking about that purple business at the store. So I looked. NO purple! Should you ever get a scooter yourself, you'll be surrounded by R.E.D. everywhere you look. How's that for good luck?

Cindi, actually I was wondering about that. That's too bad. I hope the family saved you some turkey and stuff. I know it's not the same but it's still nice to get. I used to love getting paychecks with that *blop* in them. Work the same hours, get More Money. Made sense to me. I worked a lot of holidays too.

Mickysolo said...

Congrats on your scooter. Here's a toast to your life's improvement.

I have a hunch that I'll be joining you within a few years. My legs always hurt in the morning. And after an hlur on my feet both my legs and my back hurt.

Anonymous said...

Glad you got what you needed, K. Glad also to see my fellow bloggers lived up to their usual generosity. Way to go!

Joyce Ellen Davis said...

Geez, I thought you'd run away on your scooter (at 4 mph!). Then I finally had enough sense to push the refresh button, and ALL THESE POSTS came rolling up....

Enjoy your wheels. (When I need it, I want a PURPLE one). Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving--and we all have so much to be thankful for!

k said...

Hey Mickey! I'm still not Over It! It's so good.

Yeah, I can see why you might be joining the Scooter Brigade. Pain is informative: your feet and legs are telling you something important, there. Remember that emphasis I put on elevating? Staying off the feet by scootering, especially on hard surfaces, cuts down on the edema, and thus the need to elevate, in the first place. For people like you and me, getting *wheels* is truly a safety issue.

Morris, they are truly an inspiration. This is what I have to say to people who point out the negatives of the net and the 'sphere. Just like the non-virtual world, it makes a big difference who you hang with.

Oh, pepek. Boy oh boy, yes.