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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be cross with Mothercare?

226 replies

famishedpotato · 14/11/2018 13:41

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!

OP posts:
montenuit · 14/11/2018 15:20

no wonder mothercare's going under offering refunds on car seats which have been used for months.

Original poster
famishedpotato · 14/11/2018 15:22

you refuse to take the newborn insert out
Oh ok, I'll just take the infant insert out. That hadn't occurred to me. I definitely didn't say in my OP that I had contacted the manufacturer and asked if I could. And obviously a random mumsnetter knows better than the manufacturer anyway.

@DurhamDurham if she were 50th centile, she'd be average height and not tall at all! Grin I'd say mediumly tall is 60-95th centiles, whereas Really Tall is over that iyswim. She's not 100+.

I am pointedly ignoring the broader arguments about consumer rights - until Mothercare starts taking it's legal advice from Mumsnet, I'll take their agreement that a seat for up to 13kg that can't fit a 6kg baby doesn't actually do what it says on the tin. I am still a bit irritated that I have to take it to a store when I bought it online, but I will take the verdict that IABU to expect them to let me post it.

I suppose a more useful question to ask would be: does anyone know if different brands work better for different shapes of baby? Like how Asda baby clothes are designed for short wide babies, and John Lewis ones are really long? If I try a different Joie seat, am I going to end up with the same problem? Someone mentioned a group 1+ Britax seat that's nice and long - are all Britaxes similarly-shaped?

OP posts:
Original poster
famishedpotato · 14/11/2018 15:25

@EmUntitled It hadn't occurred to me to borrow a car seat, actually! I will make enquiries at baby club.

(Look out for a CF Asked To Borrow Car Seat To Return Hers To Mothercare post next week.)

OP posts:
WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 14/11/2018 15:30

YABVU, OP. The car seat is fit for purpose; your kid is just too big for it. That’s not their fault.

They are very generously giving you a refund (when they definitely don’t have to as there is nothing wrong with the product); you should be grateful and take it.

SoyDora · 14/11/2018 15:32

Have you moved the straps up OP?

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 14/11/2018 15:32

I'll take their agreement that a seat for up to 13kg that can't fit a 6kg baby doesn't actually do what it says on the tin.

Are you being deliberately obtuse, OP? You do realise that height and weight are completely different things, right?

Your kid may be under the weight requirement, but they are far too long for this particular car seat.

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 14/11/2018 15:34

If your dd is so tall, maybe look at getting a group 0-3 seat instead of another bucket seat that you’ll have to replace at ~12 months anyway.

We have the Joie 360 in DH’s car which is fantastic and I much prefer it to the seat I used in mine that came with our travel system.

AvoidingDM · 14/11/2018 15:36

I wouldn't be too surprised if Op carts it to MC only for them to take inserts out and send her on her way.

BumDisease · 14/11/2018 15:37

Why did you post this OP? Since you're apparently not being unreasonable.

Ggirl27 · 14/11/2018 15:41

OP - you've got a car seat that doesn't fit your child and you are asking for recommendations for another car seat that will fit. My advice to you - as someone who used to work for Mothercare 20 years ago - would be to take your child and go and try them out. Buying online is probably not going to work for you. Go and put your child in them and see what works best - it's the only way...

Bigonesmallone3 · 14/11/2018 15:43

I wouldn't say that's Mothercares fault, It's not there product, u can't expect them to refund u without having the product back.

FusionChefGeoff · 14/11/2018 15:43

Move the straps is going to be the new cancel the cheque

PinkAvocado · 14/11/2018 15:48

Asda baby clothes are for short wide babies? I’ve not noticed this!

HurrahMoaningMyrtle · 14/11/2018 15:54

unihorn tbh I think you're a bit of a mug for accepting that and just buying a new one

YANBU OP I'd be annoyed too

Original poster
famishedpotato · 14/11/2018 15:55

Have you moved the straps up OP?

Yep, but they're single length IYSWIM - there's no adjusty bits to make the straps longer/shorter - so as the crotch/shoulders have moved further apart, there's less and less spare length in the straps.

Is "take the insert out" a new version of "cancel the cheque"? She doesn't weigh enough to take the insert out, FFS. RTFOP.

OP posts:
Original poster
famishedpotato · 14/11/2018 16:03

@Ggirl27 Thank you for the advice!

@PinkAvocado That's what my baby group has concluded - Asda for wide babies, Tesco for long-legged babies, John Lewis for babies with long torsos. Just my luck that the baby has sodding expensive taste!

OP posts:
DurhamDurham · 14/11/2018 16:06

DurhamDurham if she were 50th centile, she'd be average height and not tall at all! grin I'd say mediumly tall is 60-95th centiles, whereas Really Tall is over that iyswim. She's not 100+

Good point well made Grin

QuestionableMouse · 14/11/2018 16:07

I honestly do not see how you can blame Mothercare when you bought it online. It's like buying a dress online and then getting hacked off because it doesn't fit.

I think you need to accept that it's no one's fault and is just one of those things. You're getting shit because of the way you're posting (with a horrible aggressive attitude.)

LIZS · 14/11/2018 16:08

I think someone has suggested that the newborn insert and headhugger can be separated so you could use just the head part.

Susikettu · 14/11/2018 16:09

We have this car seat and we had to take the newborn pillow out when she was 6 weeks old otherwise the straps wouldn't fit. She is 14 weeks now and only 6kg. There is no way a 10kg baby woukd fit in the newborn pillow. The whole seat is only for up to 13kg. Just take the newborn pillow out.

SoyDora · 14/11/2018 16:11

DD1 is 5 and only 15kg!

NotACleverName · 14/11/2018 16:13

YANBU, OP. Mothercare should’ve sent someone to collect the car seat, with a solid gold replacement, an extra just to be on the safe side, and a unicorn! 😡

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/11/2018 16:17

Actually i also agree it's really odd that a carseat designed to take babies up to certain size cabt cope with babies of that size.

Seems to be a fault some where in the design. She may be slightly higher up on the centiles but it's supposedly supoosed to fit a baby 10 pounds heavier than she is in that new born insert. She's big but not double the size of a baby her age.

That's obviously bit mother cares fault but does indicate that the manufacture hasn't met many babies

Gileswithachainsaw · 14/11/2018 16:18

Not

CatsCatsCats11 · 14/11/2018 16:22

OP this is ridiculous ring joie back and double check. The instructions for your car seat make no mention of a weight limit for the insert to be removed. You clearly need to remove the insert and don't want to take anyone else's advice, no idea why you are posting on here Hmm