Fort McMurray man frustrated after Air Canada damaged his mobility scooter
A month has passed since the scooter was damaged in transit
A Fort McMurray man wants answers from Air Canada after the company lost his mobility scooter in transit and returned it a day later, heavily damaged.
Trent Tatomir flew home from Dublin, Ireland, on Dec. 2 with Air Canada. When he landed in Fort McMurray he discovered the airline had lost his mobility scooter somewhere along the way.
"They basically say, 'Well, there's nothing we can do,'" Tatomir told CBC. "We'll call you if we find it.'"
The company shipped the scooter to him the next day, but it was damaged.
"It doesn't work properly anymore," said Tatomir. "The front end is bent, the brakes are shot, the wheels are flat because they tore the valve stems, the seat is torn."
He sent Air Canada an email about the damage on Dec. 3.
Almost a month later, Tatomir, 28, is still stranded without his scooter.
He was injured in 2017 in a workplace accident in Dublin. He has chronic pain in his back and pelvis, forcing him to walk with a cane or walker or ride a scooter. "I can't stand or walk very long without falling down. My legs give way."
He got an eFoldi mobility scooter on Nov. 2. It's a compact, light scooter that allows him to get around more easily and travel farther.
Watch: Trent Tatomir shows the extent of the damage on the scooter's brakes.
The scooter folds up to be about the size of a carry-on and weighs 33 pounds. Having a light-weight scooter is helpful because there are stairs leading into Tatomir's home, and his wife has to bring the chair in for him.
Without his chair he "can't really do much," because it's too "mushy" outside for his walker, and too slippery for the cane.
Unless he goes out with his wife or mother, he's "basically stuck at home," Tatomir said. The cost to replace the machine, including shipping and an extra battery, is about $5,000.
He contacted eFoldi to get an estimate on the cost for repairs. He was told it would be difficult to determine whether the scooter needed to be replaced or repaired, and a representative recommended he send the scooter for a full assessment.
Tatomir said Air Canada hasn't been helpful since the incident.
"I never want to fly with them again. And the only thing they've given me is coupons for their own flights."
He said the damage to his scooter was compounded by his experience travelling with Air Canada.
When he landed in Toronto to catch a connecting flight he was supposed to be provided with wheelchair assistance, to help him get to the next gate.
But there was no one there to help him and his wife after they landed.
"My wife had to run and carry all our bags so I could try to roll myself," said Tatomir. They made the connection only because the flight was delayed, he said.
He thinks the company should reimburse him for the $1,500 plane ticket and replace his damaged scooter.
Air Canada passed the issue on to Scootaround, a company airlines can hire if wheelchairs are damaged in transit. The company assesses, repairs or replaces damaged scooters and wheelchairs.
CBC contacted Air Canada and Scootaround on Dec. 31.
On Jan. 2, Scootaround reached out to Tatomir to say the company would contact eFoldi and get a quote on a new scooter.
There is currently no timeline for when Tatomir will get his scooter back.
"We have been in contact with the customer through our customer repair service for his scooter," Air Canada said in an email. "We also understand his separate baggage claim has been handled."
The company did not directly respond to CBC's questions.
Tatomir showed CBC his email exchanges with Air Canada. "I'm really sorry that after all this time, your scooter still hasn't been repaired or replaced," an airline representative wrote on Dec. 31.
As well, the company wrote that the customer relations team was reviewing his complaint about the wheelchair assistance in Toronto.
