Can anyone get to the bottom of this Maclaren buggy recall thing?

[MadameDuBain]

Have heard on the news this morning that Maclaren are recalling umbrella-fold buggies in the US because children have lost fingertips in the fold mechanisms.

Sounds daft to me - surely any folding buggy/item can trap a finger if you're not careful? Not to mention doors etc.? Is this just because of the US being so litigious or is there something actually wrong with the buggies? I love our techno XT and was keeping it for DC2.

I do think it's a bit crap that in the US they get a pack to fix the problem but not in europe.

Either it's a problem or it isn't, surely.

My interpretation is that they have weighed up the cost implications of a recall here against the likely payout in the case of an injury. Unlike the USA, where you would get tens of thousands for an amputated finger, you would get a modest sum here. So the risk is worth taking.

It's not a recall though it's a packet with a couple of plastic hinge covers in it.

I agree with your analysis though which does not IMO reflect well on maclaren. Either issue the plastic dibblers to everyone, or don't. Just issuing them to the people likely to sue is depressingly cynical. Which of course big business is - they just usually try to pretend they're not.

Maclaren have now conceded that they will send a hinge cover to anyone who requests one. I rang UK customer service today and have been told I will be sent one within two weeks.

My problem with Maclaren was not a belief that the buggies were particularly dangerous but that there was a different response to US concerns. The CEO has said that he was surprised at the response to the decision to supply covers in the US but not elsewhere which makes me wonder about the levels of common sense operating in his company - customers tend to have a poor reaction when the words amputation and children are included in the same sentence.

Do you have to call or can you email?

You can email too, the link with email address is:
www.maclarenbaby.com/gb/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,98889681/lang,en/
Customer service was pretty quick to answer the phone though. The phone number is 01327 841 300

I wont be requesting it.. i'll be following the common sense route and keeping my kids fingers away from the hinges.. like i do door hinges..

Or should all the car and door manufacturers do a 'recall' so no-one ever loses a finger in a hinge again.

PSA - Hinges are dangerous.. d'uh!

At least people now have the choice

DD trapped her finger in the hinge mechanism on a buggy (actually I think it was a Maclaren). She stuck her finger in as it was being unfolded. We thought she would lose the tip of her finger but fortunately the hospital managed to sew it back on and she's had no further ill effects.

Wouldn't have occured to me to sue the company or consider the buggy per se was dangerous though - she could probably have done herself the same injury if (say) she'd stuck her finger in a car door as it was closing.