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LauraW

Distinguished member
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
421
Reason
CALS
Diagnosis
09/2008
Country
US
State
New York
City
Fishkill
Not sure where I should put this thread but here is what happened.....

I am so so aggreviated and frustrated.

Mom's Dynoavox got a virus. We have a friend who is a computer tech for a living and so he tried to fix it. He tried contacting the Dynavox people many times by phone and email. He became frustrated because they would not help him. I then contacted them and was told that what we needed was a recovery disc and that they would not send that to us because it was the property of Dynovox. I was told that I had to send it back to them, pay my shipping and their shipping back and $100.00 to have it fixed. So I then called customer service the next day before I sent it out to see if I could get them to send a disc or to wave the fee. The woman I spoke to pulled up my account and told me that they don't usually charge if they just have to put the software back in. So I send it on its way....$50.00 to ship it and insure it.

Then I get a phone call today from Dynavox. The woman says that they will not send it back to me because my mother still owes $1300.00. (Mind you , Mom has had this for almost 3 years now.) I told her that I remember there being letter saying that it was paid in full. Anyway to make a long story short, the Dynavox man that we were dealing with told both us and her speech therapist that they would just eat whatever was not covered. I spoke with her speech therapist today and she confirmed my story. That Man however is not with the company any more.

What I am so angry about is the way they went about this whole thing. They should have told us that the reason they would not help us on the phone was because we still owed money. They did not. They told me that they sent a letter out....I never got a letter. I said, "Do you think I would have sent it to you knowing it would not be sent back?!". It was all very deceitful and just plain WRONG! I explained that Mom cannot speak and that was her only means of communication. They didn't care.

We don't have $1300 to send them and now Mom does not have a communication device. I was sooooo angry I told them that I would be contacting everyone from the top people of the ALS Association to the MDA to Jerry Lewis...LOL! I told them I would let everyone know how they treated a person with ALS who could not fight back. I was very Dramatic...and then started to cry and got a number to contact this same dept and said "I cannot talk to you anymore right now."

I am a bit calmer now but frustrated ANGRY and sad at the same time. I have downloaded a program for Mom to use on my lap top but I don't have a touch screen.......
 
Try to do it yourself.
Go to start menu
All Programs
Accessories
System tools
Restore

It will go back to a date of your choice and fix the system to a time it ran well!
 
WOW, that is awful. I can't believe how these people sleep at night. I hope you have success getting this rectified real soon.
 
A pox upon them! "May thou suffer fallow fields! May thy mares be barren, and thy tongue be leaden!"

Money! It's is all about money! Nobody gives a rat's a$$ about pALS!

Laura, I hope you can elevate this! I would contact the CEO, nicely of course! Send a very detailed letter if you can't get through.

How long do pALS have to d!@& around with stuff like this?

Please let us know if the ALSA or MDA will help you out. Maybe they have a loaner, but I know it won't be the same.

People disgust me more every day. I think I would rather be a dog and sniff butts!
 
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Thanks...yeah, unbelievable. Mom's speech therapist (used to be) is going to try to contact someone tomorrow. She is really angry. Serenade....the whole thing was wiped out! We needed a recovery disk and they would not send it to us. They now have the Dynavox. I am still so angry about the devious way they did this.
 
That is just about par for the course for a company that charges $5000 for a machine that does the very same thing (and not even as well) as my $500 IPod talker system. Overpriced and under developed and unless you need an eyegaze there so many better ways to talk.

Sorry that you and your mom are going through this Laura, they don't care as long as they make money.
 
Yes, Barry. I agree and we never would have gone with this if it hadn't ben totally covered by insurance. We were actually surprised when we got the letter from her insurance company saying that they would cover the 20% medicare didn't pay. I remember saying, "We should frame this letter."
 
Laura, some time you can contact the attorney general of your state, and explain to him/her what has happen
and see what can be done about it. Hope this can help.
God Bless,
Wayne
 
Laura,
I am just so sorry for you all, words aren't enough. If there is anything I can do, petition or emails, please let me know!
Missy
 
Did Medicare pay for this, Laura? I think if they did I would get them involved also, "fraud."
 
Laura this is not right! Medicare paid for 80% of that device and Dynavox should not be able to hold the equipment hostage. You also mentioned a secondary plan agreed to pay for the 20% so I am curious what the $1300 is even for? Maybe some accessories?

I would ask the SLP who ordered the device for your Mom (or at least the current SLP at the ALS clinic) to call Dynavox on your Mom's behalf. Dynavox needs a SLP to complete the documentation required by Medicare, among other things, and thus may offer some professional courtesy to the SLP as a referral source which may benefit your Mom.

I hope this is resolved ASAP.
 
Not sure but I think Augie's son Austin works for them, he surely is a ALS advocate. I will look into it, he is always so helpful..
 
Yes, thank you everyone. I will appreciate any help I can get. Her speech therapist is trying to contact people. I will speak to her on Monday. Yes, Medicare paid 80% and her secondary insurance said they would pay the rest. I don't know if they did. We hadn't heard anything for over 2 1/2 years so I just figured that it was all taken care of. The speach therapist reminded me that the sales/tech person we were dealing with at the time told us that we should not worry...if the insurance did not pay then Dynavox would let the remainder slide. I will contact Medicare on Monday also. Dynavox told me that the insurance was supposed to pay $600.00 and we owed the rest.....that confused me because that was after they threw the $1300 at me. Any contacts that anyone might have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all sooooo much. xxoo
 
Hi,
I have an image file from DynavoxV and Vmax U.S. version. You need to restore Norton Ghost. If you want I can send you the image via FTP.
However, it is very expensive. The hard drive needs to be reinforced and connected to a PC.
Greetings from Germany
by Marcus
 
Thanks but I don't have it. They kept it and will not return it to me. That is why I am so angry.
 
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