We booked a taxi to and from the airport for our holiday at the start of September. We agreed with them beforehand that we would use our own car seat and base for our baby, they would keep it and bring it back when they collected us.
On the day of return a different driver turned up, who had no idea about the car seat and didn’t have it. It was the middle of the night, and we had to travel home with baby on my lap. I immediately messaged the first driver, who said not to worry about it, get some rest and we would sort it all the next day.
It’s now been two months!!! And the car seat has not been returned. The driver himself has ignored all my calls and messages since. The owner of the company who I booked with did not reply to messages or calls for a couple of weeks, then said he was on holiday and would sort it when he was back. Radio silence for another week, then he said he had been in hospital abroad. He said he would get it back to me the following Monday. This didn’t happen, I chased him again, he apologised and said he would bring it round the next day - he didn’t!
Now I really don’t know how to proceed. It’s a very highly recommended local firm - a recent post asking for recommendations for an airport transfer had 30 comments, about 25 of which recommended this firm. It’s a small business so there’s no head office I can ring and I don’t think there’s a physical office or taxi bank I can turn up at. I have offered to go and collect the seat myself, messaged and called so many times trying to set a time for it to be dropped off and been made to feel really guilty for asking for my seat back when he has been ill in hospital abroad. I do feel bad, but I really need the seat!
The seat and isofix base are worth about £400. A friend has incredibly kindly lent me her seat, but I want to get it back to her - she is selling the travel system as a whole and will need it back any day. She is also heavily pregnant and may want to use it for her next baby who is due imminently. It was only meant to be borrowed for a day or so as I’d be told they would get it back to me so I feel awful that I’ve had it for so long. I never intended to use it for such a long time and I feel really guilty that it’s impacting her.
I have messaged the head of the company again today, saying the following: “Hi (X). I really need either the car seat back or the money to replace the seat this week. My friend is due her baby and I have to give her seat back. We have now been without our car seat for over two months. I can collect it if necessary.”
At this point I have no idea where my car seat has been, how it is being stored (which can affect safety etc). I have no idea if it’s being used for other passengers or indeed the drivers own children. I would have no idea if it had been in a crash or not and there’s no way of telling. So I would prefer the money to replace the seat to be honest, but appreciate this is unlikely, and would be more than happy just to have it returned!!
I don’t know what I do now! The message I sent was read this morning and has been ignored.