Please tell me what to do about Mothercare and my pushchair!!!

[FlightAttendent]

Hello,

well it's a long tale but I got a Bugaboo in June - it was reduced as it was the last one of the old colours/frame.
Perfect and new, not ex display or anything.

I took it home, and found the seat frame had some cosmetic damage to the foam, so returned it and they managed to order me a new seat frame - this took about 6 weeks.

I was very patient and nice about it all...we have other buggies to use.

nyway when it finally came in, I took the pushchair out for an evening walk. Got 2 metres down the road and it started making a farting noise, the brake was rubbing on every rotation. It was ridiculous so took it back again and they said, 'we'll order you a new frame, this one's duff, here, have an ex display frame to borrow'.

I was happy with this and have been using the ex display one. Another 6 weeks pass and I get a call - 'we have received a spare brake from Bugaboo and have replaced the faulty one, your chassis is ready to collect'.

Fine - no problem. I went to get it and found that in the meantime they have managed to scratch the frame noticeably, get oil? something blakc anyway, on the hand strap, and make a nick in the handlebar. I used this buggy for 10 minutes literally so there was no way I could have done any of it and they know this and admitted as such.

Anbout half an hour after the four of them disappeared into the stock room, they emerged (had been on phone to customer service, they said) and dumped ANOTHER ex display one in front of me, and said ' what do you think of this one?' to which I replied, 'is it new?' and they said 'it's never been used' which of course, it hadn't been - out of the shop - but it still had some scratching to the frame which I pointed out.

The woman said 'Oh but they all get that when you fold them up' and I said 'yes but I haven't folded it up, someone else has!!' and we all stood round in silence.

I said I wasn't really happy to take another scratched frame, and said what are the alternatives, but nobody made any suggestions so I said, 'well, I don't know what to do, may I think about it please?' and they seemed well pissed off with me, took my wheels off the one they'd lent me and then I realised I'd have to lug them back to the car so asked to leave them too, and they were even more pissed off.

I am fed up that THEY have scratched up my frame, and aren't rprepared to replace it - although I know they'd have to supply the newer frame, which honestly is not that different.

So AIBU when I only paid half price in the first place? They've had it for 2-3 months quite apart from damaging it.

I can't return the whole thing because I swapped the covers for some grey ones.

What do I do next?

I don't think you should have to accept it with scratches just because you got it half price, unless it was reduced because it was scratched. Mothercare clearly had other reasons (end of line, etc) for reducing it, it's not as if they were doing you a massive favour allowing you to buy it.

Completely agree, if it was reduced because it was scratched that would be a different matter.

Would you accept a relacement car with scratches on ]hmm]

No I agree LLPJ - It as still essentially the same item, for the same purpose, as the newer ones - the only difference really was that people often prefer to buy a 'new season' colour, and this one was 'last season'. No scratches, nothing - brand new in its box. They wanted rid and I was happy to pay the price they wanted, saying that I'd never have paid full whack as I don't think it's justified.

Fizzbuzz I think you should come and sort them out for me. I will stand behind you nodding sagely while you rant away to your heart's content

and if anyone gets shouty I will leg it

No exactly, if you bought a car, and they dented it while repairing it, then said, 'well, we've got this shirty old number that has been knocking around for a year, nobody has actually bought it but numerous people have sat on the bonnet, kicked the tyres, adjusted the seats and bumped their heads on the tailgate - Oh and someone once reversed it into a tree but nevertheless it is still brand new so there you go.

I have a feeling they were all just terrified of repercussions once manager returned from hols, she sounds pretty stern.

Also nobody had authorisation to order a replacement. Thanks for the help, I will definitely press for a new chassis I think.

Ok, so tips from an ex-store manager

The best thing is just to be immovable. Spend some time walking around the store before you speak to anyone, check out name badges, see who is in charge and what mangers are there so you know who is who before they try and fob you off. Go when it's quite busy, weekend preferably, they will be stressed and probably short staffed and more likely to give you what you want.

Do not get stressed, keep in your head "i paid for a new one, I want a new one in return, they have messed me around enough" Do NOT leave until you get what you want. Do not allow them to take you from the counter to discuss it at another place in the shop (we do this to not draw attention to other customers that someone is pissed off). Do not move from the front of the counter. Do not go into any detail with anyone except the manager, it is a waste of breath as you will only have to explain it all again after.

Most of all, DO NOT let them get away with "we will call you" ...it's a bullshit excuse to get you out of the shop and once they know they can fob you off they will do it again and again.

Do not get angry and importantly, do not swear, as this will give them ammunition. If things are not progressing, just go silent.

Thankyou very much!!!

I have been told again that she will call me. I think they know I am not one to take it lying down, they were so disappointed when I didn't take the one they offered me.

I will go to the store I think. I am fed up with waiting, but I will not be rude, I shall be very polite and very smiley but very firm indeed

If they say they will order another one that is good but it will still take another 4 weeks I expect.

Thanks again!

Well, if it takes 4 weeks they should be offering compensation.

28 days is maximum messing around time. They have had a few months from what I understand

You should be getting a refund and compensation.

I don't rant in the shop. I write very polite but stern and snotty letter, and wait for them to drop like little plums into my hands.

They always do.....

I do remember getting that sinking feeling when I realised that the customer was just not going to Go Away until they had got a refund. Whether they deserved one or not, it meant that I was in for a rough time

Oh I am back...I am Mrs Wuss from Wuss-da-shire.

I went in all confident and waited for about 10 minutes while the nice girl got the manager. Who instantly was quite aggressive, saying ' I have been on the phone to Bugaboo and all sorts of places which is why I have not rung you yet!' and I said, 'Oh we were going out and I didn't want to miss your call'.
(silly bint)
anyway, she then went on to ask me exactly what I was making a fuss about - I showed her - she said, well, basically we have no evidence that these scratches happened in this store. So I am not going to admit that my staff have done this.'

I explained that it had been in my care for all of 2 evenings and in theirs for 9 weeks. She said it was in a box all that time
I said I had brought it in a bag and was returned it in a bag.

Anyway she steadfastly refused to budge. The poor woman was standing next to her, the one that had been so lovely to me, and had fixed the brake - and I felt just awful for her. The manageress mentioned something about a gift voucher instead, as they couldn't order a replacement chassis without buying the whole lot - ie seat, carrycot, everything - as chassississ weren't sold separately by Bugaboo.
So then I said what about a refund, and she said, Oh well that is your other option but then you'd have to buy a full price one if you wanted one'.

So I said how much would she offer as goodwill and she said £25 so I said Ok

Actually I was very afraid that the lady who was standing next to her would be in for it, and didn't want to get her into the stuck as I really liked her.

So here I am with my £25 gift card - but I am Ok with it, just about. I did have a very, very long rant at the manager woman while she helped me get the wheels back on. I am very good at this apparently - making people feel utterly sh*t simply by being very, very politely damning. I told her I would never buy anything there again that cost more than my gift card, and that I had to say that frankly all goodwill had been thoroughly savaged.

I was quite pleased with that

Oh flight...

Well, at least it's sorted, in a way and you don't have to go there again.

You should, however, make a complaint to their customer services via head office about the store manager. It was always the case in my company that customer services were really pissed off with you as a manager if you let something get that far, in their opinion, it should have been dealt with in store as they would only comply with the customer anyway.

You could make yourself feel better by making a positive call about the woman who helped you, it all gets back to the store, good and bad.

Mothercare are awful, aren't they?

mothercare and mamas and papas aftercare service both suck and i would never buy anything from either of them again

i would def write a snotty letter saying that the bint you spoke to in store basically accused you of lying!!

It's just occurred to me that they might have given me a different chassis

I had no record of my serial number. Would it be on the documents that came with it? It's not on my M'care guarantee.

That would explain the knocks if it was ever mine to start with. And how on earth it got pen or oil or whatever on the strap - accoridng to the manager they 'don't use oil' in that shop. (well they should if they are doing a proper job!!)

Tres mysterioso.

might be on the box? on one of those stickers

Ah, thankyou...sadly have sent box with carrycot when I sold it

Will dig out paperwork and see if it is on the warranty, but I suspect you have to fill that in yourself when you buy it. And I pretty certainly didn't.

don;t mothercrap put one of those tags round the chassis with the month you bought it so they know when your warranty has run out?

Hmm they didn't with mine. I was given a leaflet with the date inside, but not the serial number.

I kind of feel Ok about it now - as Amidaiwish said, I got it half price, it is working perfectly - and the best thing is the woman who sorted it out for me still seems to be being friendly! She was so nice.

I feel really sorry forher working for the manager there who is obviously related to satan not kind.

Lol at Mothercrap!

If it's any consolation - Mamas and Papas are just as bad. It took them 4 weeks to repair my pushchair. The worst thing was having to carry a 2 month old baby, a 3 year old and a broken pushchair across the car park! The inconvenience when these things go wrong is unbelievable.

My £29.99 Argos one, on the other hand, is still going strong 3 years on ...

If it's any consolation - Mamas and Papas are just as bad. It took them 4 weeks to repair my pushchair. The worst thing was having to carry a 2 month old baby, a 3 year old and a broken pushchair across the car park! The inconvenience when these things go wrong is unbelievable.

My £29.99 Argos one, on the other hand, is still going strong 3 years on ...