AIBU to be cross with Mothercare?

[famishedpotato]

I bought a 0+ Joie Gemm carseat online from Mothercare ahead of DD's birth in August. Well, at 15weeks old she doesn't bloody fit in it!

She's only 6kg, but the straps are too tight to close round her because she's very long. Contacted Joie to ask if it's safe to remove infant insert before the proscribed 10kg if she just doesn't bloody fit, they say no... Sometimes babies just don't fit, try a different seat.

Contacted Mothercare to ask for a refund and they've said sure... If I take it in to store. They've just closed my nearest store though, so the next nearest store is over an hours drive away... And I don't have a sodding car seat!

AIBU to say they ought to sort this out without putting all the hassle and expense on to me? I'm a new mum, and it's their megacorp that sold me a crappy product!

You are being really weird about this. The car seat doesn’t suit your child. That’s not morhercare or joie’s fault. They’ve been more than reasonable to offer you a refund.

You said the car seat doesn’t fit now at 15 weeks, so presumeably when you gave birth it did? And you’ve used it? So it was fit for purpose then...?

It's got a years guarantee.

What's that got to do with it? A guarantee is to protect you if the item is faulty, dangerous or broken. It doesn't cover "my baby doesn't fit in it". You chose an unsuitable product for your child - yes, it's annoying and possibly an expensive mistake but that's not Mothercare's or the manufacturer's fault!

Guarantee is for defects not a larger baby! Have you correctly adjusted the shoulder and crotch straps?

Have you tried moving the straps? You rethread at the back. I had this seat and used it for over a year.

Is it this car seat?
content.joiebaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/P-IM0138L_1-ISOFIXbase-Instruction-Manual_20180301.pdf

Manual says insert can be used up to 60cm, doesn't mention weight.

Have you adjusted the shoulder height? And have you changed the insert? Manual mentions insert a and b (which looks like b is removing the bottom half of a)

It isn't a shitty car seat.

Why Don't you take out the bigger insert and use the smaller one?

I reckon you haven’t moved the straps!
Now you’ve got to style it out!

I didn't know Mothercare still existed. I'd drive to the next store and get the refund quickly before they disappear altogether.

And I'm with you, OP, if the seat is described as fitting up to a 10kg infant than that's what it should bloody well do.

Haha of course YABU
What donyou expect? For them to refund but you still keep the car seat?? Of course you have to return it

I had this car seat for my son and he was 76th centile, used it until 9ish months.

Pull out the insert, there's 3 different gaps the straps go through, you need to make them higher up.

we had a joie carseat and ds was about 9 months when we took him out of it, he was only 50th centile though and he's still small.

however, we had a joie pram which he was too big for by about 9 months too, he used to hang out of it. Crap!

we now have a joie stages which is fine for newborns but I think goes up to age 7! its not isofix and does rear face.

Just take the insert out!

You are being ridiculous about this.

I'm amazed that Mothercare is offering you a refund for something you have been using happily until your baby got too big for the newborn formation and you refuse to take the newborn insert out.

10kg is clearly incorrect, most newborn inserts need to be taken out when the child is about 4 months old.

Oh and the insert has an insert inside it, flip it upside down and remove the bit of foam. Then put the normal insert back in!

YABU, it’s very generous of Mothercare to be refunding you, as others have said there is not a fault with the seat. It would also cost loads to send it back, and it makes more sense to return it to a store as they might be able to advise about the inserts and find there isn’t an issue after all. Is there no one else who can either take it back for you or look after little on whilst you take it back?

You drive to the store using the seat and buy another one from them, using the refund money. Surely you could squeeze the straps shut for one journey?

Britax two way elite is fab for extended rear facing BTW.

does anyone have a recommendation for a car seat for a mediumly tall baby

I'm just being pedantic her but your baby can't be 'mediumly' tall if she's on the 91st centile, she'd be on the 50th centile

Problem is she is long and young so has to be 0/0+ rather than stage 1 erf.

Would recommend calling the in car safety centre for advice with your DD's measurements.

Cybex Sirona is £££ and not a very tall seat. Britax 2 way elite is a tall seat but group 1 so not suitable by age.

Just going to repeat what IDontGiveAFuckWhatArleneWears stated:

The link in the instructions says

Insert is for infant's protection. Infant weighing under 10kg must use the insert A or B

So A or B. Insert A is the newborn one looking at the parts list on the first page

You can use the other insert, the B one, which is just like a head hugger and hasn't got the extension down the back of the seat

^^ This!

We removed the one that went down DS back at 3 months old. Tbf we did get a new car seat for him from 6 months old though, got the Joie 360 spin (highly recommend as saves my back!)

Really op you're being deliberately obtuse over this. There's nothing wrong with the seat, it's just not a fit for your baby. Doesn't mean the next baby along wouldn't be perfectly fine in it.

A shitty product would have broken the first time you used it or had to brake a bit hard.

In the kindest possible way, you need to get a grip.

OP, I think you've misunderstood the instructions and possibly the way you worded your complaint meant the company have misunderstood your problem.

If the stars aren't closing, you can move them at the back usually. Just thread through a different hole.

Another one wonder if the insert is for pounds, not kg. DS is 2 and only just 14kg!
The insert is definitely up to 10kg - I checked with Joie.

I find this strange as my Ds will be 4 at the end of Jan and has only just hit 15kg!

Mothercare have made a more than generous offer. I'd take it if I were you.

I would put money on the likelihood that you’re just not using it properly. The straps are adjustable. The head rest/back length is adjustable (so that as the baby grows, the straps always begin level with their shoulders.) My advice would be to go back to the instruction manual and work out how to make the adjustments you need, before getting irate at the shop that sold it to you.

What do you want Mothercare to do?

It's not their fault the baby doesn't fit the car seat. It's not their fault you live far away.

You want to post the item back to them?
That will cost a fortune in postage and take at least a week to arrive and process. It would be quicker and cheaper to drive to your nearest Mothercare. Or do you want them to pay your postage as well as a refund?

Your options are

• put baby in the too small car seat for one journey to MC
• borrow a car seat from a friend and use it to go to MC and return the small one
• ask a friend/family member/ your partner to go to MC for you
• go somewhere more local and buy a new car seat, then use this to drive to MC