Description of Event or Problem · 1
CHARGER MALFUNCTION, LEAKING BATTERIES. IN LATE (B)(6) 2010, I BOUGHT AN INVACARE POWER WHEELCHAIR THROUGH (B)(6). A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER, WE STARTED SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING, AN ODD SMELL, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE SINCE WE HAD THE WINDOWS OPEN. AFTER A FEW NIGHTS, THE SMELL TURNED TO A SICKLY SWEET SMELL. SINCE IT WAS TOO HOT TO HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN, WE KNEW THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM INSIDE BUT COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE. IN THE MEANTIME, I STARTED HAVING HEADACHES, EYES BURNING, NAUSEA, COUGHING, PAIN IN CHEST AND STOMACH, METAL TASTE IN MOUTH, SORENESS IN MOUTH AND NOSE, DIZZINESS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, SKIN TURNED BLUE, URINE DARK YELLOW, STOOL BLACK, DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING, SORE SPOTS IN MY EYEBROWS AND FOREHEAD, AND HAVING SEIZURES STARING OFF INTO SPACE UNABLE TO GET MY BEARINGS. THIS HAPPENED OVER A FIVE OR SIX MONTH PERIOD. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAD TWO LITTLE DOGS THAT STAYED RIGHT WITH ME ALL OF THE TIME AND SLEPT RIGHT BEHIND MY WHEELCHAIR AT NIGHT. THEY BECAME VERY ILL, STARTED HAVING SEIZURES AND HAD TO BE PUT DOWN. WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS CAUSED BY THE WHEELCHAIR. THE VET DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG EITHER. THE SMELL BECAME WORSE EACH NIGHT UNTIL IT FELT AS IF IT WAS DRINKING IT. FINALLY, ON (B)(6), I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. I CHECKED MY BATTERY CHARGER AND FOUND IT SMELLED. I BOUGHT A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR AND THE SMELL SET IT OFF LOUD AND CLEAR. HOWEVER, WHEN I CHECKED WITH THE FIRE DEPT. THEY SAID SINCE WE ARE TOTAL ELECTRIC, IT WAS NOT CARBON MONOXIDE BUT THAT THE MACHINES WOULD PICK UP OTHER POISONS. I FINALLY HAD THE FIRE DEPT TO COME OUT WITH THEIR DETECTORS AND CHECK THE HOUSE BECAUSE THE SMELL HAS RUINED MY CARPETING AND BEDDING. COME TO FIND OUT, THE BATTERY CHARGER WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND HAD CAUSED THE BATTERIES TO LEAK BATTERY ACID. IT RUINED TWO SETS OF BATTERIES. I CALLED (B)(6) AND THEY FILED A COMPLAINT WITH INVACARE. (B)(4) CALLED ME AND I TOLD HER WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I WANTED NEW BATTERIES, A NEW CHARGER, AND COMPENSATION FOR MY ILLNESS, MY CARPETING, BEDDING, AND MY DOGS. SHE ARGUED ME UP AND DOWN THAT ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTS ARE MADE IN THE UNITED STATES. I TOLD HER THAT THE CHARGER PLAINLY STATES "MADE IN (B)(4)". SHE KEPT ARGUING THAT WASN'T SO AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANYTHING MADE OVERSEAS. I TOLD HER THAT MY OLD WHEELCHAIR IS IDENTICAL TO THIS ONE AND THE CHARGER SAYS "MADE IN (B)(4)." SHE FINALLY ADMITTED THAT SINCE OTHER COMPANIES HAD THEIR BATTERIES AND CHARGERS MADE OVERSEAS THAT THEY HAD TO DO THE SAME TO STAY COMPETITIVE. I TOLD HER I WANTED NEW BATTERIES AND A NEW CHARGER IMMEDIATELY SO I COULD GET AROUND. SHE REFUSED. I CALLED HER BACK THE NEXT DAY, TOLD HER THAT THE CHAIR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND I HAD BETTER HAVE SOME REPLACEMENTS BY THE NEXT DAY. SHE SAID SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT UNLESS I SENT HER THE OLD ONES. I REFUSED BECAUSE I KNEW SHE WOULD DESTROY THEM. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER SUPERVISOR BUT SHE CLAIMED SHE WASN'T AVAILABLE. I FINALLY THREATENED TO CALL THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SO SHE AGREED TO OVERNIGHT ME THE CHARGER AND BATTERIES. WHEN I GOT THEM, WE PLUGGED THEM UP THE NEXT FEW NIGHTS AND MY BATTERIES STARTED STINKING AGAIN. THESE WERE THE NEW ONES. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL. THESE BATTERIES WILL NOT HOLD A CHARGE EVEN FOR ME TO GET AROUND THE HOUSE UNLESS THEY ARE FULLY CHARGED EVERY NIGHT. I NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH MY OTHER CHAIR AND THE BATTERIES I BOUGHT FROM BATTERY WAREHOUSE IN (B)(6). A CHARGE WOULD LAST FOR DAYS IN THEM. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY NEW BATTERIES ON MY OWN. THE CHAIR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT INVACARE REFUSES TO BUY BATTERIES FROM BATTERY WAREHOUSE. IN THE BOOKLET OF INSTRUCTIONS THAT COMES WITH THE CHAIR, IT STATES IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CHARGER OR BATTERIES TO MALFUNCTION OR OVERCHARGE. HOWEVER, ON THE BACK OF THE CHARGER, IT STATES "OVERCHARGING AND DAMAGE TO BATTERIES CAN RESULT IF CHARGER MALFUNCTIONS AND DOES NOT TURN OFF." I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT GET INJURED ALSO AND NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. I DID SEND THE DEPT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES A LETTER ABOUT THIS. I HOPE THEY WATCH OUT FOR MORE COMPLAINTS. THE BATTERY CHARGER HAS ON THE BACK: BY (B)(4) INVACARE, PART NO. WS230-1A, SERIAL NO. (B)(4), MADE IN (B)(4), 24 VOLT, FOR RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES 28-60AH, 24V, 8A, BATTERY CHARGER (B)(4), (B)(4). I AM ENCLOSING A COPY OF (B)(4) LETTER IN WHICH SHE STATES SHE WILL NOT GIVE ME ANY COMPENSATION UNLESS I SEND HER THE BATTERIES. I DO NOT TRUST HER AFTER THE LIES SHE TOLD ABOUT THE CHARGERS. SHE COULD SIMPLY DESTROY THEM AND I COULDN'T PROVE THEY MALFUNCTIONED. MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND MY EYE DOCTOR SAYS EVENTUALLY THE AFFECTS SHOULD WEAR OFF. AT THIS TIME, I AM STILL HAVING A LOT OF HEALTH PROBLEMS OVER THIS.