Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

to be absolutely furious with ******* mothercare??

145 replies

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 19:56

i am so angry and disapointed with mothercare. i bought a phil and teds vibe just over 8 months ago (has only been used for 6 months) and this is the third time i have had to take it back for it to be 'repaired'! both times previously these 'repairs' have each taken 28 days, so in total it has only been used for 4 months :(

in total with all accesories i paid close to £1000 for this pram. within the first two months of using it the front wheel went wonky at the front and it became impossible to push. i returned it to the store and they tried to imply that maybe i had exceeded the weight limit for the pram. hilarious that, as my dcs were 14months and 2 months!! they sent it off for repair leaving me without a buggy for 28 days, as they had no spare double. i had to buy a cheap secondhand one.

a month later the same thing happens again, yet this time i was visiting friends by train and alone, without the car, with my two dc and with a pram impossible to push. it was a nightmare. i had to phone dh to come and get us, which cost more money in petrol and wasted train tickets, plus lots of stress. also the bumper bar jammed and would not come off, so the doubles kit could no longer attach to the front of the chasis. again returned to mothercare and sent off for repair.arrived back 25 days later.

two weeks later (today) i am in town with the 2 dc and yet again the wheel buckles and the pram becomes impossible to push. i somehow manage to drag it into mothercare and ask for the manager. i explain yet again the pram has failed and all of the above. i said that i am not happy for it to be sent off for repair and i would eitherlike a refund or new pram. she said as my pram was over 6 months old all she could offer was a repair. i then asked to speak to someone at head office and she said it was closed as its the weekend.

so yet again i have no pram and am absolutely fuming. AIBU?

OP posts:

MuddlePuddle86 · 02/10/2010 20:32

Ermmm they're breaking the law. The goods you buy have to be fit for a reasonable period of use. So a pram you would expect to last 3 years. 6 months, maybe their STORE policy but is not the LEGAL policy. Ring Consumer Rights and find out what you can do. I just got Tesco a formal warning from trading standards for refusing to take my camera back after 3 months even though I had a receipt because I COULDN'T FIND THE BASTARDING BOX. They gave me a £200 camera and £50 to spend in store...which I promptly sold on ebay. Screw them for every penny they've got. And don't bother speaking to the jobsworth in store, write a letter, and put at the bottom "if you do not respond within 7 days I will take this case straight to trading standards and forward all correspondence to my solicitor". Trust me, they'll reply.

Aitch · 02/10/2010 20:34

yes, i wouldn't speak to the manager again. you know she's not going to do the right thing, which is to give you your money back so that you can buy a buggy from John Lewis.

Original poster

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 20:36

littleducks i am only asking for a refund or replacement for the chasis. i do like the pram as it fits through my front door and is great when i drop dc1 to my mum etc, i can just unclick the doubles kit, leave it in the car and off me and dd go with a single pram. when i go to collect him i just click the double seat back on. so aslong as the chasis works i would be happy with the pram.

in a way i just feel robbed as mothercare have obviously sold me a faulty product but wont replace it :(

OP posts:

LilyBolero · 02/10/2010 20:36

Mothercare policy is that they will replace/refund if returned within 28 days. After that, they guarantee for repair for 2 years I think.

We bought a buggy from there at the end of August, after 5 weeks the folding mechanism broke. It has gone back for repair, we are waiting for it to come back. However, if it breaks again I will kick up a real fuss, because a buggy that may or may not fold up is useless, what are you supposed to do with it if it suddenly decides not to fold?

edam · 02/10/2010 20:44

Lily, Mothercare might tell you that's their policy, but actually you have legal rights under the Sale of Goods Act. You can demand a full refund or replacement or a repair - whichever you choose - if the goods are not fit for purpose, or not as described, or there's a third thing I forget.

SecretNutellaFix · 02/10/2010 20:44

I would definitely go to a different branch.

Call customer services, explain the situation to them without getting upset and explain that you feel that you have been poorly treated by the staff at the store in particular and would prefer to not have to deal with them again.

It sounds like the pushchair is not fit for purpose, but be prepared for them to ask for it to be sent to head office for assessment.

lovechoc · 02/10/2010 20:56

it just goes to show that buying the most expensive pram isn't always the best option.

YANBU - get a refund. And buy a Maclaren.

Original poster

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 21:02

i am going to phone the customer services on monday. hopefully they will be more helpful than the store!

lovechoc the one i am using at the moment is a maclaren and i am finding it a nightmare tbh. it wont fit through my front door, so i have to get dcs out and fold it just to get in the house! also it doesnt go from double to single and dc1 is constantly annoying dc2 or vice versa! but i definatly agree that buying the most expensive isnt always best. wish i went for the sport version now.

OP posts:

fedupofnamechanging · 02/10/2010 21:03

I would get Trading Standards to deal with them directly on your behalf. Companies are more inclined to listen to them. It's doing Mothercare (and Phil&Teds) no good to be slated on MN. If I was buying a pram now (and ther are plenty of women on here who are about to) I wouldn't be going to Mothercare.

lovechoc · 02/10/2010 21:06

Hauck have a brilliant range and they prob do tandem ones - have you tried Graco stadium duo? have heard good reviews from relatives and friends about this make.

I was only joking re Maclaren. It's the luck of the draw really when it comes to buggies and prams. Hope things get sorted soon for you.

taintedpaint · 02/10/2010 21:07

A family member of mine has also had no end of buggy-related problems with Mothercare. I've never seen such shoddy customer service when they are challenged on how shitty some of their stuff is.

YANBU. Please keep us updated, I'll be interested to know how this one turns out!

lovechoc · 02/10/2010 21:07

I second that karmabeliever - reading this thread if I was pg for the first time I'd definately be steering clear of Mothercare in search of my first pram for baby.

Original poster

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 21:11

thankyou lovechoc!

tainted i will definatly keep you all updated.

i am never going to shop at mothercare again after this! when i was in there today i saw a toy at a good price and i was going to buy it. after speaking with the manager i put it back, as i dont want them to have another penny of my money!

OP posts:

sooz28 · 02/10/2010 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

taintedpaint · 02/10/2010 21:15

I steer clear if I can as well Lacy. The apparent customer service policy at the nearest branch to me make Toys R Us look good. It's quite honestly one of my least favourite places to shop after what I've seen. Best of luck!

Original poster

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 21:16

thanks sooz. can you remember the number for customer services or how you got hold of it? your experience sounds reassuring!

OP posts:

Doodleydoo · 02/10/2010 21:47

I so second going to a different branch. I stropped in walked purposefully to the customer desk of a large mothercare with a Maxi Cosi 2nd stage carseat that the straps had stuck on. I had bought it in Jan, it was December (but as it is meant to be 9 months to 4 yrs I thought it was worth a go). they tried to repair it (I explained that obviously I couldn't go anywhere without a carseat) in store without any luck, only had a hideous pink one on site and phoned all the other local stores to find one for me. I went to the other store that had a black one, they had it waiting for me and I just walked in, filled in some paperwork and walked out with the carseat. Came home and told dh what had happened, he then reminded my dreadful pregnant brain that we actually had bought in online from another retailer.

I admit tantamount to stealing isn't it, but they were quite happy to replace it without any proof of purchase and infact never even asked me. (I had misheard dh who had said, just go and buy a new one as it is close to xmas and a weekend and no one is going to get one to us in the next 2 hours before we need it!)

LilyBolero · 02/10/2010 21:48

edam, yes, was just outlining the 'official' policy. I am going to give them one chance to mend the buggy, and if any further problems, read the riot act.

lowrib · 02/10/2010 22:23

"i have just quickly googled the sale of goods act 1979 and it states the if items are not fit for purpose they need to be returned 'quickly'"

That's not the relevant bit.

A £1000 buggy should last more than 6 months.

DP is good on contract law, and we've had a fair few arguments with big retailers and usually win. IME the way to win is:

Do a bit of research into what the law is, so you are very sure of your position. You've started doing this already with this post

(I'm sure you're in the right here BTW, and I'll ask DP later if he can help with the legal bit).

Stand your ground. Be polite but absolutely insistent that you have the law on your side, they are in the wrong and they need to do something about it. It's surprising how often a shop will quote their policy to you, when their policy in fact falls foul of the sale of goods act / contract law.

Make it clear that you are ready to escalate the issue if you're not getting what you want, and are not afraid to take them to the small claims court. Mention also that will take your story to the media if they don't shape up. If you have any journalist friends, mention this. Otherwise mention a few columns / TV programmes who are interested in this kind of thing.

Keep escalating the issue until you speak to someone who is sympathetic to you. If the manager of a shop won't be reasonable, go to their superiors (e.g. the regional manger). Go to their head office if you have to.

Don't go direct to the manufacturer. Your contract is with the shop you bought the product from, and it is them who needs to sort it out.

We had a lengthy argument with Tesco recently. A camera MIL bought as a present for us stopped working after about 4 months. MIL took it back to the shop she got it from, and although she had the receipt they insisted that they didn't have to repair or replace as she didn't have the box it came anymore. This is absolute nonsense. The staff argued this, the manager argued this, they were patronising and rude to MIL. MIL went home.

DP phoned Tesco and eventually got through to someone at head office who agreed that our interpretation of the sale of goods act is the correct one (no box needed). Tesco replaced the camera with a better one and made the arsehole manager apologise to MIL in person.

lowrib · 02/10/2010 22:29

Cross posts MuddlePuddle86 they did exactly the same to us!

"I just got Tesco a formal warning from trading standards for refusing to take my camera back after 3 months even though I had a receipt because I COULDN'T FIND THE BASTARDING BOX"

Well done - I'm seriously impressed! They deserve it.

The replacement one they gave us has also broken now, just gearing up to go through it all again

lowrib · 02/10/2010 22:36

The buggy we got from John Lewis also broke, 4 times in total. John Lewis (Oxford St, London) were great, they repaired it every time without question, even repairing a couple of other things at the same time which were our fault and nothing to do with the buggy's design fault! They even repaired it the last time it broke when it was over a year old, as it was a recurring problem which had begun before the year was out. (They did need a little pressing on this last bit but really not much at all).

Every time they fixed it, they gave us a great courtesy buggy to use in the meantime - I was in no particular hurry to get ours back actually!

Sorry not much use to the OP, but I hope it might be useful to others reading this.

Original poster

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 23:23

thanks for the advice lowrib. i feel that mothercare have not been taking me seriously at all and made me feel like i was over reacting.

i have also just remembered ds has got a family school trip next saturday and my mum is having dc3 as its not suitable to take a baby so young. i now dont have a single buggy to take for dc2 :(

i am going to try and get the number for head office or the regional manager on monday and be very persistant and quote the sale of goods act! i might even mention mumsnet :)

OP posts:

SecretNutellaFix · 02/10/2010 23:32

if you have a catalogue the customer services number is on the front cover/ spine.

alternatively 08453 30 40 30 is customer services number.

Original poster

LacyLeggins · 02/10/2010 23:44

thankyou secretnutellafix

OP posts:

cumfy · 03/10/2010 00:21

A.puppy.you.have.been.sold

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6