To tell Mothercare I want a refund, pushchair has come back from repair again with a whole new fault

[CBear6]

This might turn out long!

We've got a P&T Explorer, currently used as a single buggy by 11mo DD as DS has outgrown the double seat. It was bought brand new and used from October 2011.

Last month one of the bolts fell off and the frame wasn't looking when folded. It went back to Mothercare and was repaired.

It came back the beginning of this month. A few days later we took it out for the first time and noticed that the front wheel was juddering and sticking. DH had a look at it and the wheel housing was jammed. It went back and a new front wheel mount was supplied and fitted.

This morning I noticed a problem with the straps on the bak of the seat. There are two straps either side of the seat back and they're screwed to the frame with little plastic clip things around the screw. The left one has been obviously loosened (tool marks on it) and not refastened properly so it's wiggling about, this has started fraying the strap.

I rang Mothercare who have asked to see the repair receipts, I told them I wasn't given any repair receipts. Yes, you were. No, I wasn't. They've then said its down to Phil and Ted, I'll have to ring Mothercare back on Tuesday and speak to a manager in order for the manager to speak to P&T.

It looks like it'll be going in for repair for a third time and our 'local' Mothercare isn't all that local so it means schlepping there to drop it off and then back again to pick it up in a few weeks. I also have very low confidence in them and expect it to come back with another new fault like it has after each of the other repairs.

AIBU to tell them I want a refund/replacement rather than a repair? Anyone got any experience with this sort of thing?

For a start, your 'contract' is with the retailer, do not let them tell you that you have to deal with P&T (although you may get more sense out of them, MC customer services are notorious for being utter cunts).

Secondly, YANBU, but good luck. They are a shit company to deal with.

Mothercare always try to past the blame.

Remind them that your contract is with them.

I would speak to consumer direct.

Thanks, I'm going to give customer services a call too I think. I love my pushchair but sick of Mothercare.

Three repairs within warranty is the point at which they should replace. But I'd stomp for a refund and then you could go and get the navigator and be rid of those pesky loose strap ends (I also have an explorer!)

I've rang customer services and I am so livid I'm shaking!

The woman I spoke to offered me £300 in store vouchers, I told her I paid £409.99 for the pushchair and cannot accept £300. Her response? 'I'm doing you a favour here, you've had a years use out of it'. If it wasn't faulted and I just decided I had gone off it or changed my mind then yes, £300 would be more than reasonable but for a faulted pushchair it's not acceptable to me.

I explained this and she got very rude, talking over the top of me and saying I was being unreasonable and I have no right to a full refund. I've asked for a manager to call me back, I also said in going to be blogging about my experiences and that I've started a thread on Mumsnet.

She called me a blackmailer and hung up

Are Mothetcare on Fb or Twitter? Id put details of the call with customer services in writing to head office, and also on here and fb etc.

She's not doing you a favour - the pushchair is faulty and should be replaced. Goods have to be fit for purpose and this clearly isn't. They also have to last a reasonable amount of time - a year is not reasonable, especially when it's had to go for repair twice already.

Call consumer direct. Don't talk to Mothercare on the phone, put everything in writing and send it recorded delivery. I would also write to the highest person you can find.

Currently Googling contact details for senior managers, have also tweeted and @'d them. I'm going to ring consumer direct now.

I'm not holding my breath for this manager callback.

Manager rang me back, I was shocked. I've made a formal complaint about the advisor I spoke to. The manager has said to go back into the store and they will be able to 'sort it out'.

I've emailed consumer direct and I'm going to see what the store say on Tuesday.

My p&t explorer is a flimsy bit of shite toobut I just got sent a bag of nuts and screws when they started falling out of mine

I reolacevrhem regularly and they still fall out all the time

Oh and mine doesn't lock either

And my front wheel judders and sticks

And the hood falls off every time you look at it

And the big rubber bit of the harness seems too short and sits uncomfortably right between dds thighs

It really is the biggest, heaviest, flimsiest shower of shit I've had the misfortune to own

I can't wait until Ds is a bit bigger and I can get rid of the bugger

Phew sorry
No help with your problem

And breathe..

Haha! Rant away Gold :o I am sick to the back teeth of mine, since it went in at the end of July for the original repair it's been one fault after another. It makes me wonder if someone in the workshop was bored and decided to loosen a few bits and bobs for entertainment value!

I have an email address for, apparently, the CEO. Would it be OTT to address a written complaint to it?

The CEO should know if his customer services are shite. Write the letter.

Mothecare is a shite company. I went in there looking for a travel system and the staff were unable to demonstrate how to fold it etc. Infact, they couldn't give a shiny shit either way so I took my money elsewhere.

Good luck OP, keep at the fuckers.

Hell no it would not be OTT! Take it straight to the top if you ever want anything done!

I think you should include this thread - Mothercare gets slated a lot on Mumsnet and there's a very good reason for it.

I'm writing the email now, here's hoping it works!

Email is written and has been sent. As well as my complaint I've commented on their customer service in general.

I should have known better than to buy a pushchair from Mothercare after they tried to charge me a £10 admin fee for cancelling an order following a late miscarriage in 2010 and

Thanks for the advice everyone, hopefully this email will do some good and I get this issue resolved quickly and with no more stress.

The man who would be interested in this is mike logue, head of customer whatever's for mother are FYI.

That made no sense whatsoever sorry. Mike logue is Uk director for mother care. He doesn't like stories like this.

Thanks :)

I've copied the email and sent it to him too.

The pity of it is that if Mothercare had just refunded the pushchair instead of fannying about passing the buck and calling me names they'd probably have gotten the £400 straight back into their tills anyway as I'd more than likely have ordered a different pushchair there and then. As it is I'm going to John Lewis, should have gone there to begin with.

They are a dire company. And never want to hear complaints. They should give you a new buggy.

How are they getting it so wrong so much of the time?! The clue is in the name surely - Mother (and Father) care.

I think because of the time you've had it you won't be entitled to a refund. The initial problems will be general wear and tear, not a manufacturing fault. Repair as a goodwill gesture though.

I have experience of returns and warranty :)