Mr. Li stood in front of his newly purchased duplex villa, looking at the elevator shaft that was being installed. He still felt a sense of trepidation. Three months ago, when he accompanied his parents to view the houses, the salesperson showed them the elevator in the model room: the carriages were luxuriously decorated, running smoothly and silently. The elderly even praised it as "easier than climbing stairs". But when they signed the contract and went to the construction site to check the progress, they witnessed a shocking scene - the elevator of the same brand suddenly got stuck on the construction floor. When the maintenance worker climbed into the top of the carriage for inspection, a corroded steel beam "clattered" and fell, leaving dents on the floor of the carriage.
It turned out that the model apartment was equipped with imported original equipment, but what they bought was a domestically assembled "downgraded version". This incident made Mr. Li realize that choosing an elevator is far more than just "choosing a brand". His experience was not an isolated case. A survey conducted by a home furnishing platform showed that 67% of homeowners had encountered "inconsistent quality" during elevator purchases, among which 32% involved the downgrade of core components and 28% involved false advertising.
Safety configuration "reduced"
A quality inspection report for elevators shows that 23% of household elevators do not have standard safety clamps (emergency braking devices), and 15% of speed limiters (over-speed protection) have delayed actions. What's more concealed is the downgrade of materials - a certain brand replaced the 304 stainless steel of the elevator car walls with 201 stainless iron, reducing the cost by 40% but decreasing the corrosion resistance by 70%. It rusted within 3 years in a humid environment.
Maintenance Service "Empty Promises"
Behind the sales pitch of "We offer lifetime free maintenance!" might be the trick of "repair but no replacement". The experience of Ms. Wang, an owner of a villa in a certain area of Hangzhou, is quite representative: Two years after the elevator started operating, the mainboard malfunctioned. The manufacturer refused to replace it for free on the grounds that it was beyond the warranty period, and the third-party repair quote was as high as 28,000 yuan - it turned out that there was a clause in the contract stating that "the core components are only guaranteed for 2 years".
"Space Design Goes Against Human Needs"
In a high-end apartment complex in Lujiazui, Shanghai, the elevator's car depth was less than 1.5 meters, causing frequent jams for homeowners when moving large furniture. In a certain villa project in Beijing, in pursuit of a "panoramic glass car", the top ventilation opening was sacrificed, making it extremely hot and stuffy in summer like a steaming oven. These design flaws are often exposed only after the project is delivered.
Energy consumption "black hole" - "hidden charges"
The daily electricity consumption of a traditional traction elevator is approximately 15 kWh. However, a certain domestic generic brand elevator, due to its inefficient motor, consumes as much as 25 kWh. Calculated based on residential electricity rates, the difference in electricity costs over a ten-year lifespan can reach 20,000 yuan - equivalent to purchasing an additional elevator.
The "ineffective" transformation of intelligent functions
An elevator claiming to have "AI voice control" can actually only recognize standard Mandarin; a system with "face recognition" function has an identification rate of less than 30% when people wear masks. An owner quipped: "We spent 30,000 yuan installing the intelligent system, but it turned out that the elderly and children couldn't use it at all. In the end, we still had to use the card."
When choosing an elevator, to avoid falling into traps, one needs to master a systematic logic for avoiding pitfalls: in terms of safety configuration, adhere to the "three checks" (verify international certifications, examine core component model reports, and test the structural strength of the car); for maintenance services, follow the "four inquiries" (clarify the response time for faults, confirm the inventory of spare parts, check the maintenance standard procedures, and monitor the transparency and openness of costs); in terms of space design, follow the "golden ratio" (the net depth of the car should be ≥1.8 meters, the net width should be ≥1.1 meters, and the top height should be ≥2.3 meters); for energy consumption comparison, closely monitor the "energy efficiency test report" to opt for the first-level energy efficiency; for intelligent functions, ensure real-world testing based on scenarios (dialect voice control, multi-state face recognition, remote status monitoring). Ultimately, with the core concept of "safety and peace of mind", penetrate the fog of prices and sales pitches, so as to build a vertical travel safety defense line for the family.
The elevator that Mr. Li finally chose, although its price was 20% higher than the model he initially considered, had core components such as safety brakes and speed limiters that were safe and reliable. It also offered long-term all-inclusive maintenance services. After living there for three months, he said, "Seeing my parents moving up and down the stairs safely every day, and my child pressing the floor buttons with a smile, I truly understand that safety and peace of mind are far more important than being 'cheap' or 'showy'."
When it comes to choosing an elevator, it is never a "price war", but rather a long-term investment in family safety and living quality. As the sales pitches fade away, only strict standards and transparent services can ensure peace of mind every time you "go up and down".