to expect things to be sold for near the RRP?!?!?

[BBisfinallyPG]

ok not so much an AIBU but we all know this is the fastest board...

DH and i currently looking at the iCandy apple...website says whole package - pushchair, lay flat pram bit, footmuff etc for around £470...my friend has seen it in shop i was gonna go to for £700...WTF?

can anyone tell me:
a. what i can really expect to pay (without including carseat cost)
b. if its worth it?

i mean FFS you thinkt he prices would be similar!!

bebe confort loola is our second choice as we r both tall, and want forward and rear facing pushchair, and also one that does lie-flat pram, preferably with some basket space.

Had preferred look of iCandy and also just seemed a bit better value as comes with raincovers etc but need to be sensible about price so any suggestions???

honestly?

No its not worth it

by the time baby is 6-9mths you will hate it and want a smaller buggy

I would suggest you went for one of the smaller strollers that have a carrycot attachment as an extra e.g. silvercross dazzle, micralite

then you have the buggy you will want but still get nice, cosy carrycot for when they lay flat.

I have 4 and promise you this advice comes from benefit of my past mistakes and monet wastage.

I havent found a silver cross that works with my height is the problem...i literally will end up stooping... i was looking at the mothercare my series as they do it all (i am not buying a buggy that doesnt face both ways) but again with my height the pushing height was comfortable enough but then to get at the baby i'd have to stop and walk around the side as the bar would be so high if that makes sense? cant imagine that being too practical everytime the dummy pops out.. urg im stuck... also want a decent lasting brand as will be re-using for DC2 and 3 when they occur...

arg this is gonna be costly isnt it.....

I had the Loola and it is BIG and HEAVY and the basket space is TITCHY. Swapped to a Maclaren at 6 months and I could've wept at how much easier it made my life. Honestly, I wanted to shag it I loved it so much.

A friend had the iCandy and had similar issues.

Totally with you on the who front/rear facing and lie flat thing. If I had my time again I'g get a Bugaboo. I know that they're pricy though.

A tall friend got a Stokke and that worked really well for her family.

As for how much to spend...Well, could you ask the Pram Huns? They're your best bet.

Well I've done my fair share of pram buying, and I can honestly say that the loola is rubbish! I assume you are talking about the Loola UP, since the ordinary Loola has really low handles which are only slightly adjustable. Never had an Icandy, but from what I have heard, they are nice to push, but large and heavy.

My DD is now 3 and after about 30 different pushchairs, I have finally conceded defeat and bought a bugaboo. Now my only regret is that I didnt do it 3 years ago. Its so easy to push, has Dr Who's Tardis for a shopping basket, and I can change the colour in about 5 minutes. They are expensive, but are reasonable second hand on ebay, and are built to last.

Well, first of all of course it's not worth it, that's not rocket science.

Secondly, shops can charge whatever they want, you don't have to buy it. You could buy something cheaper, your baby won't give a shit whether you spent £80 or £400.

So yeah, YABU.

In answer to your original question - YABU. RRP is a mythical price that manufacturers use as a base for setting trade prices. Retailers can sell things for what they want. Otherwise it's anti-competitive (and highly illegal). This should work in your favour as generally there will be competition among retailers to get your business. Shop around.

About prams: I got nuthin.

I paid £499 for my Apple 18 months ago, without the car seat. It is heavy, but it's wonderfully adaptable and cosy and the basket is huge. What iCandy has against it is that you can't buy it online, only through certain retailers, and as you have to ask the price, it leaves it open to taking the mick. I thought they'd have dropped that nonsense by now...

Anyway, they are bringing out a lot of different colours in the next few months so I might upgrade mine

I have an icandy apple and love it - and the reason we got it was so 6ft 3in DH and I could both push in comfort.

It looks ace, and the big shopping basket is brilliant. We paid £360 for the whole thing, although we didn't get a footmuff.

Mine's pretty hard-wearing, too; you might find secondhand is a good option.

Agree YABabitU re RRP, but at least you're smart enough to shop around!