Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Traveling in (Disguised) Style: Accessible Vehicle 411 -- Part II

When purchasing an accessible vehicle, financing is not the only thing that the consumer has to consider. Where to buy an accessible car is the first dilemma. Where to purchase an accessible vehicle is not like simply picking what brand of car you want to buy and then going to that dealer; the average dealer does not sell accessible vehicles. Up until recently, the consumer either had to go to a dealer that specifically converted and sold cars (which were and still are few and far between), or scroll through adds hoping to find that one accessible car nearby. These are still the two main ways to find an accessible vehicle, but now participating Honda dealerships and Costcos have begun to sell modified vehicles as well.

Another dilemma arrises when the consumer needs to get their converted car worked on. There are not many places that have the ability or willingness to work on the converted parts of the car. I was not informed of this until it was too late. When I purchased my van, we drove five hours to Kersey Mobility in Sumner, Washington, to what we thought was the closest modified vehicle dealership. We later found out there was a dealership, Absolute Mobility Center, in Woodinville, Washington, only two hours away. When I needed my van serviced, Absolute Mobility would not help me simply because I DID NOT BUY MY VAN THERE. They lost my business; I will never buy a vehicle from them.

We called the dealer in Woodinville because we needed the ramp repaired which required a certain part that only an accessible vehicle dealer is able to acquire. We called the dealer in Sumner, told them what we needed, they said they had the part, so we made an appointment. We drove all the to Sumner just to find out that that the dealer had given that part away the day before; someone else needed that part and they (the dealer) said that they were not guaranteed that we were going to show. We needed that part and we made an appointment; there was no reason for the dealer to assume that we would not show. What terrible customer service! They wasted our time and money, and showed us that they believed they did not need us, that we needed them. They lost our business as well.

My van is currently missing the front right fin (a fin that is only on converted vans), and the once automatic ramp is now manually operated. Both of these are easy fixes, but our family mechanic is not able to acquire either of the parts to fix our van; the companies that convert vans have monopolized these parts. We are stuck; the closest dealership will not service us, and even if we make an appointment at the dealership (from which we purchased our van), we could drive five hours just to be disappointed again. Fortunately, both of these fixes are not necessary; my van still gets me from place to place, and that is all that really matters.

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