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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not use a car seat for 1 yr old DS?

33 replies

wuglet · 21/02/2010 21:24

Well yes of course I would be! That is why I am hoping someone will be able to help me fix mine.
Is a Maxi Cosi Tobi. I foolishly picked it up holding the straps at the back and the bottom strap (the tightener) has come through. Theoretically I should be able to thread it back through but I am struggling.
There is nothing in the instructions and all I can find on google are a few people asking the same question.
Just to be clear - I would never drive with DS not in a carseat and the seat is not damaged or weakened (if I can rethread it)

OP posts:

compo · 21/02/2010 21:27

Can you take it back to where you bought it and ask for help?

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 21:34

possibly.....was Boots though and was 3 years ago (bought for DD)

OP posts:

onadietcokebreak · 21/02/2010 21:42

I was about to come on and SHOUT! Good way to get someone to have a look at thread.

Could you take it to somewhere like halfords and pretend you brought it from them originally?

GetDownYouWillFall · 21/02/2010 21:55

we have the maxi cosi tobi - but I've never picked it up by the straps - sorry! Thanks for the tip I will know not to do this myself!

Agree with onadietcokebreak - halfords may be able to help you.

differentID · 21/02/2010 21:59

why don't you e-mail Maxi-Cosi?

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 22:08

I emailed them yesterday morning but not heard back from them yet (not really surprising as it is the weekend).
Was hoping to have it fixed for the morning otherwise will be walking to nursery.
Might try nipping to Halfords in my lunchbreak.

OP posts:

onadietcokebreak · 21/02/2010 22:15

Have you looked on you tube for videos showing how to do it?

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 22:17

Just had a very quick check on youtube - can't see anything.
Problem is that the straps are not supposed to be removed at all even for cleaning so there are no proper instructions on how to get them back in.

OP posts:

CarGirl · 21/02/2010 22:18

Do you need to unpick the stitching at the end of it so it is thinner so you can slot it back through more easily?

navyeyelasH · 21/02/2010 22:18

I have the same car seat - have you taken off the cover?

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 22:23

Yes have taken the cover off. No way to access the under bit of the seat.
Cargirl - I can't get anything through - I have tried with smaller bits of material and card hoping I could then hook the strap.
I think the issue might be that this seat loosens the straps automatically when you pull them - so there is no button thing to press at the bottom of the seat that might open up the track a bit.

OP posts:

Cataria · 21/02/2010 22:25

Exactly the same thing happened to us.

It looks like you should be able to fix it yourself, doesn't it? I struggled for days with ours and finally took it to Mothercare (had bought it from there 2y previously).

They loaned me a spare, sent mine back to MaxiCosi and I had it repaired and back in my car within 2 weeks.

I think there is something in the tightening mechanism inside that stops you being able to thread the long strap back through the other way. When we got ours back, they'd doubled over the strap and oversewn it so it was too big to thread completely through again! Has been fine since.

navyeyelasH · 21/02/2010 22:28

What about tilting the seat into recline does that help?

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 22:32

Thanks Cataria (will stop trying now!)
Might try ringing Boots to see if they will do the same then...

OP posts:

CarGirl · 21/02/2010 22:34

I would try ringing Maxi Cosi direct, I had a problem with a Britax seat and they came and collected it etc.

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 22:38

Yes prob better to go straight to the manufacturer.
Hopefully they will reply to my email tomorrow - if I haven't heard anything by lunchtime I will ring them.

At least we will be OK for a car seat after tomorrow (we have 2 seats in each car) - our other car is in for service so can't get the spare seat until tomorrow pm.

OP posts:

crapdoc · 21/02/2010 22:39

I did this too, and mothercare sent it off for me and refurbished it (was my first childs, full of raisins, coins and other crap. Probably literally) and they also sorted the straps. I think its held together by special screws that normal people can't open! Cost £50. Only thing worth mentioning is that one mothercare told us they couldn't help, yet another branch were brilliant and sorted it all out for us. So its worth asking around if you get told the same.

Original poster

wuglet · 21/02/2010 22:43

Hmmm - how much did yours cost Cataria?
Suppose £50 still cheaper then a new seat...and if they dig out all the mushed in raisins that will be an extra bonus

OP posts:

CarGirl · 21/02/2010 22:46

I think I would be mentioning design fault at this point. Picking it up by the straps shouldn't render it unusable. There should have been something to stop it slipping through in the first place!

crapdoc · 21/02/2010 22:53

Design fault - hell yes. I now hate the bloody thing, but DH refuses to let me buy another!! The staps are made by someone who hates mothers. Lord knows how you are supposed to release them!

onadietcokebreak · 21/02/2010 23:00

I always pick my Britax first class car seat up by the straps....tell them design fault.

whitemonkey · 22/02/2010 09:34

Could you get a large needle and some strong thread and put it through the strap then try to pull that through the hole??

BertieBotts · 22/02/2010 12:33

Yes ring maxi cosi/dorel - they have been helpful in the past when I needed new straps for my pushchair.

Original poster

wuglet · 22/02/2010 19:40

whitemonkey - that was the sort of thing I was trying to do (although would need to be a very long needle the "obstacle" is a good 4 inches away from the surface of the seat!)
Rang Boots today - they said as it was not faulty, just broken, would need to liaise directly with Maxi Cosi (maybe should have stressed the design fault angle...)
No reply to my email so will ring Maxi Cosi direct tomorrow.

OP posts:

snottymcgrotty · 23/02/2010 01:18

Please could you keep us updated on this ? We've got a similar problem with our Maxi Cosi Tobi, EXCEPT ours hasn't unthreaded, it just won't release to allow us to lengthen the straps. DH has had all the mechanism out of the plastic base bit but we still can't get to the actual clamp bit. Was kind of hoping you'd have found someone who's DP or relative happens to be a Maxi Cosi mechanic, but obviously no-one has volunteered their services yet ! Bought ours brand new from ebay almost a year ago, so nowhere to take it back to......

Please let me know what Maxi Cosi say ! Good luck xx

p.s. we've just had all the covers off both of ours to wash them and found numerous raisins, bits of breadstick, bits of squashed blueberries and about 10 hair clips in total !!!! oh and of course 20 tonnes of unidentifiable dust/muck

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