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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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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:

NoseyNooNoo · 04/10/2010 15:46

I hope you get it sorted soon.

I have found them to be mostly unhelpful with a few notable exceptions.

Recently I walked past my local Mothercare and was so relieved when I realised that my children are old enough for me not to need to go in there again.

We call them Mother-don't-Care.

cumfy · 04/10/2010 15:53

I see they have very recently taken the c&nting out of the title.:o:o

DX: Mothercare are in touch with MNHQ.

Caboodle · 04/10/2010 16:08

I think it's largely irrelevant how much you spent on the buggy, and nobody else's business if you want to spend that much!
Re the refund I had a huge problem with Mothercare 4 yrs ago, bought one of their travel systems and the car seat wouldn't clip onto the buggy without a huge effort. Took it the car seat back after about 6 weeks for a refund and asked for a spare car seat to take DS home in. Was told by the sales assistant to take DS home without one! Was pretty hormonal at the time and had a huge hissy fit at the till until they gave in and gave me a new one to use. However, only got a full refund for the whole system when complained to head office. I actually found head office to be quite helpful. Worth a try I would think.

Lulabel27 · 04/10/2010 16:18

wow I'm expecting my baby in January and just spent the weekend in both Kiddicare and Mothercare. After this thread I definitely won't be making my purchases in Mothercare, they sound horrendous. I hope you get this sorted Lacy

AddictedIsFeelingHappy · 04/10/2010 16:25

caboodle i wasn't suggesting that the op was wrong to spend that much. i myself have spent around that mark on my travel system.

i was simply trying to say that if i spent £45 on a stroller that broke 3 times in 8 months then personally i would put it down to being a cheep pile of crap. but i would expect a £1000 travel system to last many years not just 8 months

Caboodle · 04/10/2010 16:34

I would try for full refund on the basis that what is the point in the rest of the stuff without the actual buggy?

Doodleydoo · 04/10/2010 17:05

I just can't believe the disparity between stores to be honest! However I would take them to small claims court info here I made a claim against Two Left Feet when they didn't refund me within the allotted time, by doing it it shows you are serious and most companies will cave. Also you will have to pay a fee for the service but usually as most people settle out of court and you are just wanting a refund you will also be paid the amount of money you paid to put the claim through.

Don't fuck about basically, they have and you have the proof so you no longer need to. I would just email the ceo stating the facts and that as you have had little help or response from the store itself that you feel you have no choice but to enter into small claims dispute and will be pursuing this action on x date.

ruddynorah · 04/10/2010 17:18

It's also fair to expect a refund on the associated parts you bought to go with your pram. If the peak is not fit for purpose then the extras are no good to you.

I'm in retail. If someone has a faulty suit jacket we refund the matching trousers. Same goes for furniture etc.

JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 04/10/2010 17:37

dont give up!

seriously yanbu!

i have a p&t vibe and its truly fantastic, but after 6mnths it was constantly going flat tyres so i complained and complained and complained and eventually got all new inner tubes free. now i love it again and my dcs are now 3 and 22mnths

scrappydappydoo · 04/10/2010 17:42

lulabel - defintely use kiddicare.

I have had nothing but hassle from mothercare - bad customer service, overpriced products, rude staff etc.. I seriously don't understand how they're still in business.

On the other hand kiddicare are fab - great prices and great customer service - can't fault them.

op hope it all works out for you

JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 04/10/2010 17:51

ill 2nd kiddicare, theyre fantastic.

Dds carseat had a small fault, nothing dangerous and they gave me a brand new one no questions asked, twice! (think it was dps fault)

emmyloulou · 04/10/2010 18:07

I dont know if anyone has said this yet, but write to them recorded, saying it's a letter of intended action as you do not feel the goods are durable and you have lost faith. Make it clear your wishes and you are claiming under your rights with the SOGA.

I had this a year ago with a domestic appliance, diff retailer, 3 repairs in 9 months. I refused the 3rd repair and wanted a refund/replacement.

Retailer refused, I phoned consumer direct, who gave me the key word from SOGA that I was fighting my case on, durable, I sent a letter of intended action and to reply within 7 days.

Within 7 days I had a much more expensive machine.........

ICantGetMuchSleep · 05/10/2010 20:39

OP - have you got anywhere today with this?

domesticslattern · 05/10/2010 22:28

I had terrible service from Mothercare with a cot where a plastic part broke straight away.

First, they didn't know if the part could be replaced.
Then, when they finally worked out it could be replaced, the tills were down so they couldn't order it.
Then, when it was eventually ordered (has to be done in person, won't do over the phone), they utterly refused to post the plastic part to me, despite the fact that two of them fitted in a little normal sized envelope. Instead I had to schlep again all the way into the store, with my baby, miles and miles out of my way, and queue for an age to pick it up.

That sounds quite minor but really it shows a complete lack of understanding of their customer base. Compared to the story on this thread it's nothing I know.

It's John Lewis for me every time now.

edam · 05/10/2010 22:30

Lacy, I do hope Mothercare have contacted you via MN with massive apologies and a full refund. Because they've certainly been in touch with MN to get the thread title changed.

They are breaking the law by supplying you with duff goods and refusing to refund. And then they have the cheek to moan about the thread title? Beggars belief!

Rindercella · 05/10/2010 22:43

Bumping cos of this

Now, I never normally say stuff like this. But cunting cunts @ Mothercare.

OP, did they help you. Did they contact you to try and get to the bottom of your £1000 pushchair problems? Or did they just contact MN and ask them to change the thread title? and am very on your behalf.

JL is just the best at customer care. Mothercare take note.

Iggi999 · 05/10/2010 22:45

It won't be forgotten though, will it?
Great idea to piss off so many people on Mumsnet, when your shop exists to sell stuff to, er, mothers.

NormaStanleyFletcher · 05/10/2010 22:46

just here to watch cuntishness of mothercare

aristocat · 05/10/2010 22:52

OP ...... any news?

AnnieLobeseder · 05/10/2010 22:53

I don't ever shop there cos they're overpriced and crap, but I too will be watching with great interest to see if they resolve this problem after demanding a title change.

And I'm a little disappointed with MNHQ too.

Doodleydoo · 05/10/2010 22:57

My devastation of recent times is ELC going into Mothercare!

Was just thinking, I had a mothercare cot which dh broke a tiny bit on, was called in and out of mothercare 3-4 times (as can't do it on the phone and was told to go instore) (45 mins from where I live!) to be told they couldn't help us. (With a mothercare cot ffs!) They told us we would have to buy a new one, so we did and to be fair gave mc the benefit of the doubt and went in to buy the cot we wanted and was told we couldn't get it instore and it would take 4 weeks to get. So I went to kiddicare and 24 hours later we had a cot set up in ds room. Stupid mothercare, really stupid. All the kerfuffle too is very daft, just give the op a refund and you might keep the small mn customer base that you have.

viggle · 05/10/2010 22:59

I too had a tricky experience with mothercare. Ordered travel cot, car seat etc to be delivered to store and collected by us when convenient. They delivered to my home address, when I was out, throwing my goods over my 8foot garden fence. They seemed surprised when I objected. "They'll probably be OK" was what I was told. I demanded they were collected and replaced with new as I was clearly not accepting goods that may have been damaged. They declined. So I pulled rank and threatened them with local papers, Watchdog, Trading standards and publicising their ineptitude and lack of customer service amongst my caseload of preg women and those of my colleagues. They asked me to take the goods in to protect them from the weather. I then took my turn to decline. They threw them over my fence, they could retrieve them from my (now soggy) garden. When the issue was finally resolved and I went to store to collect new items (as was the original plan!) the manager thought she was clearly very funny and asked did I want her to come and throw them over my fence! Idiot.... She looked somewhat alarmed when my response was "Only if you want to follow them"... I am, needless to say, infamous in my local store. Sock it to em, they deserve it...

cumfy · 05/10/2010 23:22

Any luck yet ? :)

bakingtray · 05/10/2010 23:30

Mothercare - I now use it as somewhere to view the goods on display, pick what I want and then go home and buy elsewhere online. EG Cosifit baby seat £185 in Mothercare - exact same seat on Amazon for £145. In any case no matter what I wanted they never had it in stock and they told me to order online from their site and that's when I realised you can get better value elsewhere (and don't get me started on how rubbish I've found their nursing bras!)

JeMeSouviens · 06/10/2010 01:00

Just skimmed your thread, contact Phil & Teds directly, they have IMPECCABLE customer service (no I don't work for them)

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