Hoveround

This is my second Hoveround. Being a paraplegic the Hoveround has enabled me to enjoy activities that I otherwise could not. The new seat design provides the support I need.

I have a neighbor that has a Hoveround. He is completely dependent on the chair. He got a flat tire on 11/21 and called me. I looked up Hoveround and found they have flat free tires for $50.00. I called the number and after going through 5 or 6 different options, finally got a live person on the phone 5 minutes into my call.

I ordered the tires and asked them if they were in stock. They assured me that they will ship the next morning. Today is 12/4/12 and no tires. I called Hoveround and again taking 5 or 6 minutes, get a live person. They do not have have my name in the system. I give them my confirmation number, they cannot look it up by that number. Transferred to billing... Billing finds my receipt and confirms that is was indeed ordered 11/21/12 but never shipped... transferred to customer solutions... "Hi this is Ben" I tell Ben that I have a neighbor that is dependent on a power chair and I ordered new tires for him on 11/21 and I have not received them. Ben apologizes. I tell Ben I need them now. Can they ship them overnight so I can have them tomorrow? Ben states; " Sure, no problem. I have to clear that, can I call you back" I tell him that my confidence in them is rather low and I prefer to wait. He assures me that it will only be a few minutes, read back my phone number and told me he would call back. I have now been sitting by the phone 2 hours, where are you Ben?

I have been an occupational therapist for close to 6 years now and have worked with many wheelchair companies providing durable medical equipment for my clients and also with many technicians and ATP certified representatives to make modified to chairs... This company was the most unprofessional and unreliable business I have ever had experience with and based on their incompetence, my patient very nearly did not receive the w/c adaptation he needed. After many, many calls, and many minutes spent on call waiting listening to screeching classical music, an appointment was made requiring my client to wait weeks to simply get the speed adjusted on his MVP5 w/c and then promptly canceled with the company promising to call me back to reschedule... the call never came. I called and asked why I our appointment was never rescheduled to which the representative stated "I cannot answer that question." It turns out the technician never had the programmer to make the internal speed changes.(why a technician would not have a programmer is beyond me). Why would you even initially schedule with a client before ensuring you have the appropriate tools to perform the job and then embarrassingly cancel? A simple speed adjustment has taken over a month and yet somehow the company found the time to withdraw the 120$ from my client's account... while we still await services. Please find your durable medical equipment needs elsewhere.

Both my wife and I are disabled. I got a hoveround MPV5 then 2 months later my wife got one we never really used them except to go to the doctor as we use walkers inside home to keep active and didn't have a way to transport other than the van that picks us up for appointments and these are far more comfortable then waiting 4 hours in hard doctor chairs. So neither has more then say 10 hours of actual use. But after warranty wore out then another 6 months I started getting notices to have it serviced at an extreme price, we are on a very fixed income. Then two months later the wife started getting the same notices then more and more. Then one day I went to doctor worked fine got home plugged it in everything was fine then next morning nothing wouldn't move wouldn't nothing wont charge used wife's charger nothing but hers would charge on my charger or hers then exactly two months later hers did the same thing one day fine the next nothing. This is obviously not a coincidence and wouldn't you know we have not received one service notice since they have a built in fail date I have talked to many health equipment suppliers and none carry these products any more as they all say the same thing they are built to cost you far more money in the long run then just the overpriced purchase. This is a scam against some of the most vulnerable people and they just keep ripping us older Americans off do yourself a HUGE favor and buy something anything else.

I wanted to get this chair for my mother as she is 89 years old and keeps falling. I scheduled an appointment for her only which we kept, notified Hoveround that she kept it and waited.
Finally after 45 days, I received a call that they had not received the paperwork. I again scheduled another appointment and 4 days later received a phone call that the paperwork was not complete. Prior to being a full time caregiver for my mother, I spent 30 years in the health insurance industry. I cannot believe that they expect their customer(disabled or elderly) to contact the doctor. In my experience with medical providers, THEY contact the doctor and the insurance company. To expect the patient to contact the doctor is pure laziness on the company's part. When a form is not complete it is their responsibility to contact the doctor. Hoveround is making the profit, they should not rely on the customer to be the mediator between them and the doctor. It is poor company practice and I would advise everyone this is not customary to have the patient contact the doctor. It just makes for frustration and confusion.

Hove round is a racket, Before there changes with medicare. My chair was paid for and I had a receipt to prove it. The chair is slow. The lift cost me over 2200. 00 its not designed for someone that has back trouble etc due to the ramp one must lower to drive it on manually. The batteries are expensive and according to my manual they are warrantied for 6 months. Well mine where going bad, requiring charging everyday to go no where. The batteries are expensive. And its a propitiatory item. Like everything else. W/O good batteries the lift won't work as well. I was fortunate my morphine pump worked, had no need for chair or lift. I couldn't give it away, did give the chair away with the lift. The chair was at no cost and the lift was 800.00 in excellent condition, took months to sale it. Chair is designed with a fuse if wheels start to spin and if that happens your dead in the water, It stops!. I had to change tires to gain traction. This company makes its money on the back side. Not when its bought. Customer service is a joke. Would not advise anyone to purchase this chair. Also if you vehicle can't handle the tongue rate. You have a problem almost 300 lbs. My truck was not designed for that tongue weight, not to mention, at the last moment I was told I needed a C rated hitch, and blocks to compensate for weight.On leaf springs. Not a good thing on brakes or the terrible ride. Gas cost jumped as well. I have a friend in the medical retail business and he can't move the lift, at reduced price and its brand new. Something to think about.