@JR Cheers for that.
New stairlift fitted, took Acorn's man an hour and a half to take the old one out and install the new one, Impressed

I phoned 'the other' company this morning, I was basically fobbed off by some lady who said warranty payments are paid to someone else. She'll get them to ring me back. She wasn't parting with any other info.
An hour a so later, I got a call from another lady, from the same company.
So I explained about the warranty, and should the stairlift have been replaced by them.
She said no, the terms of the warranty aren't so fully comp as that.
Because of the age of the machine, if her memory serves her right, they would refund the monies in full for that year's warranty, But she wasn't sure, she'd have to check it up.
I asked her if a substantial goodwill payment towards the cost of the new starlift could be also paid, again she said she'd have to check this up.
I await a phone call next week.
Called at Aunty's on my way home, read the T&C of the new stairlift warranty.
1 year all in everything covered, free gratis nice

And a further 4 yearly services.
If parts need replacing during the 4 year, you pay for them, unless you have an Acorn extended warranty.
This is where the hand closes round your nuts.
If have an extended bronze warranty £115per-year, you still pay a £55 call out charge and £35 an hour labour.
Silver £260py or Gold £599 4year, you don't get these charges.
The crunch of all this is that if the lift fails at say 7 yr old, and you haven't had continuous silver or gold cover,
you sort of get naff all, maybe your yearly payment back. If you had had continuous cover, you might be offered 50% off the price of a new stairlift.
Aunty had been paying a continuous bronze warranty to 'the' company, so probably isn't due a deal at all after 9 years.
We reckon she's paid more in extended waranty this last 9 years, than what the new lift has cost her.
Guess what, no more extended warranty. It's a new lift, modern design. If it fails, I'll mend it myself.
Sorry for the long post