It Broke

The charger for the mobility scooter broke yesterday. It sat on the garage bench cold and without a light and I had a epschargermoment of panic. Just a moment! After that I went into shock so I couldn’t feel the panic anyway

The big decision was to either call ADSSI and ask for help or try to find a way to get it fixed or replaced. The fact is that the last few times I have had work placed through ADDSI there have been considerable delays.

That is nobody’s fault. Some of it has been information gathering and some seems to have been the contractor changing his mind over the way the job would be done or the weather or supply of parts. Some of it might be just the considerable workload the case workers are under and budgetary limits. If I don’t have a charge in the scooter I am housebound and everything becomes even tougher so whatever happened had to happen with speed. It could have ended up (and still may) being a painful slog just to grab a bottle of milk

A search on Google for electonic forums found a technical forum where professionals, hobbyists and consumers could go for help. I went on the site and said that I was in a bit of strife. I asked if I could even get the charger repaired and did anyone know if they had things like fuses I could check as I was in a little trouble if I didn’t get it replaced.

I also mentioned I had just saved up enough to get some stuff I really needed and it made me feel ill that I might have to replace this thing when I could have fixed it. It is top of the line. About $300 by the time a new one is delivered.

The charger is an EPS 24V 7Amp Automatic switch mode charger. The beez kneez!

There is no blame about it not working now. It has been working without a hitch almost constantly since 2000. If I can get it repaired that is quite a good life it has had.

The website admin left me a reply that said he felt I should contact the maker. He said he would help me himself but he was half a world away. People can be great when they know you are in some trouble. He gave me a link to the manufacturer’s site. Electronic Power Systems so I emailed the story to them.

Paul Classon, their Managing Director contacted me within hours and suggested I could send the charger to them by overnight mail and they would have it back me as fast as they could by the same method. We passed a few emails back and forward working a few things out and the charger was mailed this morning for about $13 including registration and insurance.

I am pleased with this so far. A few months ago I could not have put this exercise together without a big emotional event and several days to think it out. Yup, very pleased on that side of things. I also feel humbled by the way people are prepared to help someone in a bit of a crisis. So much so that this might not even end up being a crisis. Knock on wood

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1 comment to It Broke

  • The charger was returned to me by Friday of the same week.

    EPS had repaired it and even fitted some Mylar parts to ensure the fault did not recur. That is above and beyond the call of normal service and the sign of excellence in a company’s dealing with customers!

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