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!

Have you moved the straps up though? Is your baby an actual human?

I’m really confused.

Is OP saying the straps over the shoulders can’t be lengthened and so she can no longer click them into the buckle between the legs?

My 15 month old still isn’t 10kg and im sure he’s not in the ‘newborn’ category and in need of an insert.

Is there any way you can take a photo OP of your child in the car seat so we can all see what you mean and obviously disguise your child’s face?

I just can’t see how 9 pages of responses are telling you you’re wrong yet you’re adamant the straps can’t be altered. It doesn’t make sense.

I have a Joie seat and by pushing the button at the front (underneath the area where the strap to tighten the arms straps is) it means the arm straps can be lengthened loads!!!

Just checked and DD1 hit 10kg at around 18 months. She can’t possibly have been considered a newborn for car seat purposes?

I’ve just read the instructions, it says use insert A OR B below 10kg. B is the head support, you can take out the wedge underneath and stil use the head support cushion (which is long and does extend under the body). This will give you tons more room around the waist.
My daughter is 98th centile for height and weight. This car seat still fits her now even though she is one. I’m sure if you take out the wedge underneath your LO will fit. You will still be using insert B and still compliant with the guidance.

We have this car seat. The instructions say EITHER A or B insert. We removed the bottom insert and left the head one in at around 2 months.

The button for adjusting the straps near the crotch strap can loosen them a LOT. The bloody spare bit of strap that hangs down is about a metre long :S There's no way your baby is that big. You poke your pointer finger in the slit, push down on the square metal bit inside, and pull each strap out one by one. They go very loose. Then you place your baby in and tighten them around the baby.

OP you are being very obtuse. Multiple people have told you the instructions say one insert is fine. I'm sure the customer service person was confused.

YABU

What day are you going to Mothercare OP?

My babies were very long and skinny

Yes mine all were too. All had VATable shoes in the infants, impossible to buy school uniform which fitted (because school kids are apparently a uniform height), forever getting stuff altered - its expensive.

Did the car seat have a height limit/guide on it? If not I'd be annoyed too that it was too short a fit at 15 weeks considering it advertises as suitable up to 15 months.

Multiple people have told you the instructions say one insert is fine. I'm sure the customer service person was confused

With respect, multiple people on the internet VS the manufacturer's representative on a safety issue?

Worth double checking with the manufacturer, but I wouldn't recommend anyone taking online advice over that from someone trained/authorised/acredited in their area. Check with the manufacturer again first.

But that assumes the manufacturer's helpline understood the op's issue and realised that she was speaking about the insert as a whole , not either part. Are they even in UK or is the UK distributor separate to the manufacturer. The former would just have been reading off an information sheet. Ime they tend to default to basic set up information rather than advise.

But that assumes the manufacturer's helpline understood the op's issue

I'd agree its worth double checking with the manufacturer. What I wouldn't do is ignore the manufacturer in favour an online forum on a piece of safety equipment.

My eldest was under the weight for the high back booster but height wise was too big for her 5point harness seat. Everyone told me to go by the weight as I clearly didn't realise it's okay for her head to pop out the top a bit... until I showed the lady in Halfords and she announced she'd never seen a dc like it. Dd is underweight bmi and tall even at 10 despite eating well. Not all babies fit all seats but by driving to mothercare you can test out seats and choose a new one. Why be such a drama queen about it?

The pictures in the manual of inserts A and B, seem to show that B is just the head hugger bit. Which insert are you using? The foam triangle bit that goes under their bottom is usually to keep newborns flatter in the seat. If you only have one insert, is it this Gemm model... Go to 1:12 where they say to remove the foam pad as your child grows.

Do you need to move the shoulder straps up a notch, there should be three pairs of slits in the cover and seat?

I would take the cover off and have a good look. Has the strap frayed and got caught on something? Can you pull all the spare strap through so you've just got a few inches spare? What is your child wearing? They shouldn't be wearing thick layers like coats/snowsuits.

C8H10N4O2 I more meant if multiple people who own the seat have said the instructions say one insert is fine, she should check her copy of the instructions instead of phoning up again. I doubt OP is explaining her problem well on the phone...

I didn't mean to suggest she should just take everyone's word for it. Although I suspect if she had read her instruction booklet, she wouldn't be having this problem to begin with

I didn't mean to suggest she should just take everyone's word for it.

Oh fair enough sorry!

I do remember the frustration of trying to find kit which simply didn't fit tall children so I find it credible that the item itself is the problem.

OP, the newborn cushion and support are one thing but the cushions inside are separate. Take one of them out, a 15wk old isn't newborn and 10kg certainly isn't.

Put photographs on here of different parts of the seat, posters who have the same seat might be able to help.

Omg you would die if you lived in Ireland if you think an hours drive is a lot...
It's only not fit for purpose because of your child. Might be fine for someone else's.

My daughter is 98th percentile for height and weight. We use this seat most days and she is one now. It is definitely fine for tall children

OP never came back to report how she got on at Mothercare

She’s probably still there arguing with them about their crap car seats that’s arent fit for purpose...

Haven't read everything but are you sure the straps are being loosened properly? There's usually a button to release loads of slack.

Smsmeeesmeghhhehead crikey, I don't think anyone has suggested that yet. I'm sure the OP will go and see if your suggestion works straight away

Ah shite. Ah well I can see great minds have come before me😂😂

Lots of tiny babies on this thread! My DD is 14mo and about 12kg

Get an extended rear facing seat 🤷🏼‍♀️
And join a FB group as suggested earlier. Those ladies know everythinggggg about car seats.

Have you properly lengthened the straps? we have that car seat and it is bloody fiddly, not easy. You have to turn it upside down and basically take it apart then put it back together. Doable but you'll need to get the instructions out. DS still fits in the seat at 18 months and only just 10 kg now, but tbh we took the infant insert out when he was about 10 months even though he'd be under the weight limit. He's small for his age, between 9th and 25th centiles. But there's no way your daughter shouldn't fit in it at less than 4 months