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.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To expect a repair at no cost to myself?

26 replies

Fedupofplaystation · 23/03/2015 10:26

I may well BU as the purchase was 2.5 years ago.

I purchased an expensive extended rear facing car seat 2.5 years ago.

It has been in and out of the car only twice (as it's huge) since it was purchased and so has not had to endure much wear and tear. I removed the cover for washing for the first time today, carefully following the instructions in the manual, and noticed that one side of the polystyrene was completely detached from the plastic.

Although the purchase was 2.5 years, with the expense, I was hoping that it would last until my daughter grew out of it.

The retailer that I bought it from is now closed so I contacted the company directly.

They will do the repairs, but it will cost me £75 for the repairs and I need to adequately box the huge thing myself.

WIBU to ask them to absorb this cost, as the product was obviously faulty to have fallen apart with such little wear and tear?

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 23/03/2015 10:28

YABU.

ComposHatComesBack · 23/03/2015 10:36

YABU - the fact it hasn't been manhandled in & out of the car is a bit of a non-issue, I assume the seat has been in regular use for 2.5 years?

ineedtogetthisout · 23/03/2015 10:40

YABU I'm afraid. It's been in regular use for two and a half years. You will have to pay it yourself or buy a new seat.

OwlCapone · 23/03/2015 10:42

such little wear and tear

How often has your DD sat in it, wriggled about, kicked...

DoJo · 23/03/2015 10:44

WIBU to ask them to absorb this cost, as the product was obviously faulty to have fallen apart with such little wear and tear?

Wear and tear doesn't just include taking it in and out of the car, but the constant use that it is probably enduring. After all, a sofa is probably rarely moved around, but that doesn't mean that it is immune from wear and tear.

Either way, after this time, the onus would be on you to obtain an independent report from an expert to prove that it was faulty at the point of purchase.

How much is the £75 as a proportion of the total that you originally paid for it? I think that's a more realistic way to work out whether it's a reasonable amount to charge. You could ask them to do it for free, but I don't think the arguments you have put forward here are good enough grounds for insisting.

Charlotte3333 · 23/03/2015 10:47

2.5 years is a heck of a lot of wear and tear if your child sits in it every day for journeys. YABU, pay for the repair.

Original poster

Fedupofplaystation · 23/03/2015 11:34

Fair enough. I thought I may be BU. Unfortunately, it's just one more thing that's gone wrong this week requiring us to pay out.

Thank you for the replies.

OP posts:

londonrach · 23/03/2015 11:43

Yabu with others but see op agrees. Hopefully next week will be less financial painful for you op x

ComposHatComesBack · 23/03/2015 11:45

Fair p for coming back Op sorry you're not having a great week!

haggardoldwitch · 23/03/2015 12:57

I'm not sure YABU.
An expensive car seat should be expected to last longer than 2 years if it's been looked after.
IMO the company should repair it for free.

Joyfulldeathsquad · 23/03/2015 13:00

Debinaround · 23/03/2015 13:16

I don't think YABU.

If it is a car seat that says it will last until child is 6 for example then it should last longer than 2.5 years.

BUT you say that the shop you bought it from is now closed down and you have been in touch with the manufacture. You don't have a contract with the company that makes them, just the shop you bought it from so they don't have to do anything for you.

PeachyParisian · 23/03/2015 14:14

Most warranties for car seats e.g. Through Mothercare are only 1-2 years anyway! Obviously with ERF seats you're hoping for potentially nearly 4 years of use which is no good.
To be completely frank, I think that you are lucky they are offering to repair it for only £75 as they aren't obliged to.

Is it cybex?

DoJo · 23/03/2015 14:14

If it is a car seat that says it will last until child is 6 for example then it should last longer than 2.5 years.

There's a difference between a seat being suitable until a child is 6 and saying that it will last until they are 6.

OP - have you tried throwing yourself on their mercy? It can often be more effective than trying to argue.

ComposHatComesBack · 23/03/2015 15:04

Debin Saying it suitable for children up to six doesn't mean it is designed to last six years.

My edition of Cluedo says it is suitable for ages 8-80, it doesn't mean Waddingtons are going to supply me with free replacements til the year 2050.

Debinaround · 23/03/2015 23:23

Yes because that's exactly the same thing Compo

Just saying that if op buys an "expensive" car seat why shouldn't she expect it to last more than 2.5 years?

I paid £30 for my sons car seat 3 years ago and it's still going strong.

worridmum · 23/03/2015 23:43

if your child is anything like mine (and my friends) I can imange the car seat got a fair deal of wear and tear

TheAnswerIsYes · 23/03/2015 23:52

Is it a Besafe izi combi? I have one of those and with lifting DS, and him climbing, in and out the polystyrene to the side of the seat has been hit and leaned on repeatedly and has cracked/broken. I spent over £400 on it and it's only lasted 2 years but I think the damage is wear and tear (even if it could have been designed a bit better).

ComposHatComesBack · 24/03/2015 01:27

Yes because that's exactly the same thing Compo

Except it is exactly the same thing. Both are a reference to age suitability, rather than the amount of time you can expect a product to last.

DoJo · 24/03/2015 10:01

Just saying that if op buys an "expensive" car seat why shouldn't she expect it to last more than 2.5 years?

Yes, but after this length of time, the onus is on the OP to demonstrate that it was faulty at the time of purchase.

Debinaround · 24/03/2015 10:49

Ok I suppose 2.5 years is a long time.

The problem was the op didn't say how much she paid for the car seat. Could have been £600 for all I know. (And if it was that amount then I would expect it to last till my child was in collage and Hoover up crumbs as we drove) Also without seeing something you can't really judge what is an acceptable fault.

I have worked in shops for 16 years and would never say yes to a refund or exchange without seeing the item. (No matter how much some people try and push you into an answer over the phone!)
One persons "hardly used" is another persons used until it's knackered.

I returned a handbag for a lady the other week who had had it for 10 months. It had a genuine fault and it was obviously hardly used. On the other hand I refused to do do anything with a pair of shoes a woman tried to return for son. She had only bought them 4 weeks before but her son had worn them every day for school and by the looks of it had spent every day playing football. Covered in mud and grass with the toes almost kicked out!

Anyway, as I say 2.5 years is a long time and I was in a bad mood yesterday and wouldn't let it drop so IABU. ha ha it's not even my thread

I still don't agree with the cludo game though Compo

FuckkityUp · 24/03/2015 12:30

I don't think you are being unreasonable. I think a car seat should last longer than 2 years 5 months. Arguing that it must have had a lot of wear and tear from having a child use the seat is daft - that's what it's designed for! I'm sure most goods would last longer if you didn't use them for their intended use

I would contact the manufacturers and tell them you think they are being unfair.

xiaozhu · 24/03/2015 12:33

Although I don't think you are being unreasonable, unfortunately the statutory warranty period (one year, unless extended) has expired. They are under no obligation to fix - although no harm in asking and making a complaint.

FuckkityUp · 24/03/2015 13:56

There is no such thing as a statutory warranty period. It's all to do with what is a reasonable amount of time for an item to last. If you bought something dirt cheap which was made from the flimsiest of materials you would be unreasonable to expect it to last years and years but if you bought something that you could reasonable expect to last a while then you could argue that the shop/manufacturer must repair it.

Info on the Sale Of Goods Act is in Martin Lewis MoneySavingExpert article

FuckkityUp · 24/03/2015 14:01

OP, is it possible to fix it yourself? If it's just a matter of the shell becoming detached then could you just get some strong glue (aruldite? ) and fix it?

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread