to keep complaining to ELC?

[cornflakegirl]

We have a wooden hammer and ball toy from ELC - three holes in the top, you have to bash the balls through with a little hammer. It was bought 4.5 years ago for DS1 - he loved it, played with it for a few months, then grew out of it, and we put it away.

At Christmas we got it out again for DS2, who also loved it. But after a short time, the wood between two of the holes began to crack, and eventually it split right through and a piece of wood about 1.5cm across became detached. So two of the holes are now incomplete, and the toy doesn't really work properly any more.

I emailed ELC to complain and ask for a replacement as I think that it's reasonable that a toy should last for more than one child, especially one that's only age appropriate for a few months. They have replied, twice, saying that because the toy is more than a year old it's no longer under warranty.

I am undecided about whether to keep complaining.

Points in favour:

1. I think the toy should have lasted longer;
   
2. the first email from ELC was really badly written (which annoyed me);
   
3. the second email included the phrase "I really appreciate you taking the time to let us know what you think" (I wasn't letting them know what I think, I was asking for a replacement toy!);
   
4. ELC have a reputation for quality and I think they should be trying harder to preserve it.
   

Points against:

1. The toy probably only cost about £10 so not worth a major dispute;
   
2. Since I'm clearly not going to escalate to the Small Claims Court, this could just turn into an increasingly annoying exchange of emails until I get bored.
   

So AIBU?

[onceamai]

YABU. It was a 10.00 toy, put it in the bin and move on before you morph into Victor Meldrew.

[ConstanceFelicity]

You want to complain about a toy that has lasted nearly five years?

I think you should email them with gratitude that it's lasted so long..!

[ginmakesitallok]

After 4 years a £10 wooden toy would start to fall apart - YABU

[twolittlemonkeys]

I have to say as it's 4.5 years old you don't really have a leg to stand on. For all they know, it could have been played with continuously over that time in which case you've still had pretty good value for money... YANBU to expect it to last for more than a few months' worth of playing but I doubt you'll get anywhere

[AlpinePony]

Yabu unless you treated the wood with something that does what it says on the tin.

Move on and discover a hobby.

[ChairOfTheBored]

YAB a bit U

I hate 'built in obsolescence' and the fact society has a 'throw it away, get new stuff' attitude to lots of things, but unless you can prove it was properly stored, couldn't possibly had got too cold, too warm, a little bit damp etc. I don't see that the ELC can be expected to be liable for something that has spent 4.5 years in a loft...

[FreudianSlipOnACrown]

Ridiculous - 4.5 months, yes. 4.5 years?!? Madness. Although the letter will give head office a good laugh.

[LadyWithNoManors]

Oh my lord get a life OP!
I mean is it really worth time and effort to keep complaining about this?
The people working in the ELC complaints dept are probably having real laugh at your emails though.

[QuintessentialPains]

It is wood, not plastic. Where did you store it? In a slightly damp place, like the shed? Or maybe in the attic?
Wood will take up moisture, and when drying up again, the wood becomes brittle and dry, and it breaks easily. In order for your wooden toys, especially those that are bashed, to achieve longevity, they need to be stored at even temperatures. Wood does not behave like plastic, in that it is a natural material.

[catsareevil]

4.5 years? Really?

[cornflakegirl]

It hasn't been played with for 4.5 years, it's been played with for about 12 months. Although I obviously can't prove that.

And I do expect toys to last a lot longer than 5 years - which the other toys that we put away and got out again for DS2 have. Although clearly they do have the advantage of not being designed to be thwacked with a wooden hammer.

[QuackQuackBoing]

UABU!

[piratecat]

yes

it's sat in a cupboard for ages.

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Write, custoer service staff always like a funny letter.

Its a £10 toy that you've had for over 4 years, get over it.

[Sirzy]

Yabu, where was the wood stored?

[stressheaderic]

In ELC's defence, as much as I abhor lots of their pink glittery shit, I do think the toys are long-lasting in the main, and they are thoroughly tested - 4.5 years is a decent stretch of time for a toy to hold out for, played-with or not.

[IWantAnotherBaby]

YABU. This is not a problem with the toy, it is a problem with storage. Completely unreasonable to expect ELC to do anything about it!

[cornflakegirl]

QP - take your point about the storage being a contributory factor.

[ilovesprouts]

yabu, you had it for over four years just bin it

[FreudianSlipOnACrown]

Ooh I love the word thwacked :) hope you used it in the email!

[QuickLookBusy]

Also, as it is wood it would have to be painted with something nasty if it were to last longer than 4 years.

I always think that about really oldwooden toys that grandparents drag out. They are probably covered in lead paint.

[saffy85]

As others have said already YABU. It would be nice if this stuff lasted for 2 children but as you say, it's a wooden toy designed to be thwacked with a hammer. And you can't prove how long your first DC played with it for. And it cost a tenner.

I find ELC's stuff pretty good. DC2 will have loads of plastic tat brought from there that will be passed down from DD.

[yoshiLunk]

I would not have thought to complain about this for a minute, but now you have started why not carry on? It's not doing anyone any personal harm, and as others have said it might offer some amusement to the ELC staff.

Complain that your complaint hasn't fully been answered
Complain that the reply was badly written
oooh call for them to issue a recall notice of the toy as it presents a danger of splintering...

Could be fun, let us know...

[Rosebud05]

Slightly OT, but I'm interested that other people find the quality of ELC in recent years quite good. I've bought a few things that I've had to return as soon as they're out of the box because they've broken immediately. Even things like 'soft stuff' that you'd hope would be pretty fool proof wasn't, em, soft enough for toddlers to use.

I don't go there anymore. Maybe I was just unlucky.

[LoveBeingAbleToNamechange]

Pmsl