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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

mothercare - "we can't sell you a car seat. It's raining"

95 replies

knickerelasticjones · 10/07/2008 20:34

Don't know if I should post this in this topic as its not really a question of being unreasonable. But I though I would share with you all today's experience of genuine retain insanity.

Went into Mothercare today to get a stage three car seat for DD1. Had DDs 1 and 2 with me. Approached cash desk and said

Me - "Hello, I"d like to get a car seat for my daughter"
Assistant - "does it fit in your car?"
Me - "I don't know, I as I haven't bought the car seat yet" (I'm already thinking her first question is a bit inane, but hey! we all have our off days...)
Assistant - "Oh well we can't sell you a car seat now. It's raining"
Me - "Sorry?"
Assistant - "We would have to go and fit the car seat in your car and we can't do that now as it's raining"

(At this point I thought maybe there was a concern about the car seat getting wet, and perhaps they would show me round the seats available on the display in store, but more was to come...)

Me - "I'm a little confused"
Assistant - "It's health and safety. We might fall over in the rain."
Me - (really confused by now) "Sorry??"
Assistant - "It's for our own protection. We aren't allowed to sell car seats when its raining, as we might fall over when we walk to the car to check it fits".

This was followed by a grumpy silence from all three assistants who were looking at me as if to say "How DARE you put our very lives at risk by suggesting that we might sell you a car seat. Can't you see the RAIN".

No more help offered from them. Just lots of questions from DD1 as to why she couldn't have her new car seat. With me saying loudly " they can't sell us a car seat during the rain. We are NEVER coming here again." We went to Halfords.

Now I'm all for protecting the worker (a union person me) but seriously? You can't go out in the rain as you might fall over? Seriously?

I live in Scotland - if that's a valid excuse for staying in, I may never leave the house again....

OP posts:

theSuburbanDryad · 11/07/2008 19:43

Riven!!! I would have gone mad at them!

I complained to my old MC (in Northampton) as they had a lovely "Nursing Mother's Lounge" with soft lighting and glider chairs and then in the nappy changing area they had a hard bench and a bottle warmer. Surely you can "nurse" a baby whilst bottle feeding it?!

Tommy · 11/07/2008 19:52

ah bless'em

when I was pregnant with DS1, we ordered the pram from there. It took ages to arrive and when it finally did, another one turned up a few days later.

The delivery man stood on my doorstep and said "You don't want two do you?" - his eyes were rolling heavenward as if he was used to it.

(our nearest one's baby change/feed place doesn't fit a double buggy in it )

macdoodle · 11/07/2008 19:53

Riven you have had some shit haven't you I hope you complained !

thebluefoxategreensocks · 11/07/2008 22:08

by any chance was the Mothercare the OP visited in Inverness? Just wondering, because the shop next to them (Pets at Home) is absolutely over the top about health & safety and nearly background checks! LOL I was totally shocked (to put it lightly!) when they point blank refused to sell me 1 goldfish! I think they wanted to just about see my fish tank to know it was OK before they'd sell me one - they require you to have had it set up for so many weeks and then bring in water sample, etc. and then sign on the dotted line with your full address etc. I ended up going to another shop which sold me as many as I wanted - no questions asked!

Anyway, I'm going away from the topic - sorry - just the idea of Mothercare being so daft reminded me of their nextdoor neighbour in Inverness!

LittleMyDancing · 11/07/2008 22:15

I hate mothercare too - had a memorable experience trying to buy 6-12 months size short sleeved white onesies (hardly an odd thing to want).

they had every other size on the racks but no 6-12 months, so I went up to the assistant and asked, and she said

"No, we haven't got any. It's funny, that size always seems to sell out first"

Erm....maybe you should order a few more of that size, then?

bikermom · 11/07/2008 22:51

I have on numerous occassions suggested that they cease trading and close their doors, they don't have a clue as far as customer service is concerned, never mind catering to the needs of pregnant and newly mothered womaen. I also had bs trying to purchase a car seat from them, I went in on a Saturday morning and was told they had no one available to fit a seat for me and when I asked when someone would be available I was told it would be best to return on the Monday "whilst I should be at work"!!!

NotDoingTheHousework · 12/07/2008 09:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

LittleMyDancing · 12/07/2008 15:42

In that case, I shall transfer my righteous anger to the Head Office idiots, instead

thingamajig · 12/07/2008 22:42

"I can fit it for you, but then I have to take it out again."

For liability reasons.

SURELY if they've been trained by the manufacturer, and they fit the seat according to the training, and we come a cropper, the MANUFACTURER is liable!?! Bloody litigation paranoid wallies.

The head nerd, the "reason" for this is that you should have been taught how to correctly fit it for yourself. The fitter should be able to watch you do this when you have bought it.
(ex Mamas and Papas employee, no loyalty to anyone)

Kelix · 12/07/2008 23:07

MC is crap I agree.
When I was pregnant I wanted to but the Quinny Buzz in pink, I found it on MC website and it looked nice but wanted to actually see it in real life before I paid an extortionate amount of money for it
I rang my local MC to ask if they had one in stock that I could look at. They said (after about 15 mins on hold) ah.... NO, maybe one of our other stores has one in stock. I asked of they could check (not an unreasonable request IMO) and they said ah... NO. They suggested I rang round other local stores to ask so I asked if they it in stock, so I asked if they could kindly supply me with the telephone numbers, to which they replied (you guessed it) ah... NO.

I should have given up at this point I know but I decided to find numbers for my local stores and try my luck. I ended up ringing 4 stores in my area (none of which were very much help, ah... NO) before being told that it was actually an internet only item so it wouldn't be in stock in any MC store anywhere.

Needless to say I spent my £700 elsewhere!!

elkiedee · 12/07/2008 23:12

The lack of ordering system explains a lot about my local Mothercare. As they go it's not too bad, but some things have always puzzled me.

And when we've ordered bigger items for home delivery they can never find my postcode on the database. It works just fine on every address finder online, but it's beyond Mothercare?

And while the staff in my local branch are helpful they are busy, and I often feel like they/I don't have time for more complicated queries.

Kelix · 14/07/2008 14:40

Another fantastic customer service experience from MOthercare:
Saw the bumbo online in mothercare for £20 - special offer. Been meaning to buy one for ages but never got round to it. So I drove to MC this morning to get one. Asked the sales assistant where they wer and she found them then I noticed they were still priced at 27.99. I asked her if they were on special offer and I got that now expected reply ah... NO.
I decided to buy one anyway as I had traveled all the way to MC and didnt want a wasted journey. Got to the counter and guess what?! It was £20 on special offer! Maybe I should work there as I obviuosly know more about the stock that they do lol!

namechange3 · 14/07/2008 21:30

obviously you don't, because it's not the bumbo on offer, it's the bebepod. Just bought one for a friend

MissM · 14/07/2008 22:02

This sounds like the same rule that I came across in my local Waterstones. Their lift wasn't working so I asked the assistant if he could help me carry the pram upstairs. He told me that no, he wasn't insured. I really seriously didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but they didn't get my sale.

MadamePlatypus · 14/07/2008 22:09

"Which I guess means that its not the rain on the ground which they might slip on - it's the rain which is actually falling from the sky."

Its that sneaky Scottish rain. It shoots out of the sky and scoots under your feet and flips you over.

MadamePlatypus · 14/07/2008 22:12

Incidentally, at John Lewis they show you how to fit the seat in the shop, take your card details and let you take the seat away to try out yourself.

Kelix · 14/07/2008 23:56

apoalagies namechange3 it was the bebepod I bought and the one that was on offer.
I get mixed up with the two, maybe Im not qualifed to work at MC afterall

fledtoscotland · 15/07/2008 20:58

YANBU but (i also live in scotland) surely they are limiting the number of seats they sell if they will only fit them on fine days????? in glasgow it rains loads so i can only assume mothercare's profits are c**p here

moaningminnies · 01/08/2008 10:25

Do you people really have nothing better to do with your time??? Surely if you have children you could have used this time productively educating them and possibly even playing with them!?!?!

Have you even seen what makes headline news?? Children stabbing each other to death... Yurkish school collapse kills 13... Aid warning over afghan violence!!! You really thing a major newspaper is going to care that some girl didnt want to get wet in the rain!!!!!

Those of you who are Mothercare employees be warned you should be very careful what you say on the internet especially concerning your employers, you know the ones who pay your bills!!!

Jesus Christ people get a fricking life.

ThatBigGermanPrison · 01/08/2008 10:27

So, Moaningminnies, why aren't you playing with your kids then?

Go and 'productively educate' them with some flashcards or something.

HumphreyPillow · 01/08/2008 10:31

"Jesus Christ people get a fricking life".

Is that another of your headlines, moaningminnies?

GordonTheGopher · 01/08/2008 10:31

Blimey.

StealthPolarBear · 01/08/2008 10:39

upsidedownupsidedown

Loriycs · 01/08/2008 10:41

have we gone health and safety mad in this country (hmm)

StealthPolarBear · 01/08/2008 10:44

moaningminnies if you are who i think you are you have been trolling for weeks
(career troll?)
and you have the cheek to ask us if we have nothing better to do?

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