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Pushchairs

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Original poster

Pushchair collapsed with baby in it - WWYD

44 replies

smoggii · 07/07/2011 08:46

Yesterday my pushchair collapsed with my 6mo baby in it, thankfully she is ok although we were advised to keep an eye on her all day yesterday just in case of concussion (minor head bump).
I took the pushchair back yesterday evening, I had to pay an extra £75 for an equivalent (different brand) pushchair, because when we bought the original (just 6 weeks ago) there was an offer on across all pushchairs across the store and they wouldn't honour the offer.
Fine, I want her to have the best we can afford although TBH we can't really afford the extra £75 but it's done now.
More's the point that I feel there is still more I should do. This pushchair is a hazard. I thought it might be a one off but when I got back to the house I checked the website and someone else had put a review on, the same thing had happened to them, their child got a more serious bump and scratch on the face.
I've been told I will hear from their customer services because of what happened but should I also report this to someone else as there could be people using these pushchairs unaware that pretty soon they are going to collapse and injure their child.
Is it trading standards I should report to or Health and Safety executive or should i just leave it with the company?

OP posts:

mumblebum · 07/07/2011 08:49

Trading standards? It does sound like it needs following up. I hope your baby is ok.

Original poster

smoggii · 07/07/2011 08:58

She is fine thank you.

I will look into contacting trading standards.

BTW this is a £500 pushchair and marketed as the company's 'best' or flagship pushchair which I swhy I'm not sure they will do anything about it.

OP posts:

LackaDAISYcal · 07/07/2011 09:03

Trading Standards definately, but also I would be contacting the customer services department myself rather than waiting for them to contact me as the store you took it back to might be a bit slow in getting the ball rolling.

LackaDAISYcal · 07/07/2011 09:04

I'm glad your DD is OK :)

suzie38 · 07/07/2011 09:04

Out of interest what pushchair was it??? Glad to hear your DD is fine.

Original poster

smoggii · 07/07/2011 09:22

it's the M/C Spin Special Edition. I think I will give CS 24 hrs to get in touch or I will call them. I will write to our local TS today.
Thanks

OP posts:

hugeleyoutnumbered · 07/07/2011 09:44

how terrible complain complain complain they get a solicitor involved, glad your dc is ok, write to TS and the manufacturer too

aswellasyou · 07/07/2011 10:35

I would be so unimpressed!! Write a review on their website and copy it to MN's review section. Mothercare probably pull it because they won't be happy about it but it's worth a try. And I agree trading standards should get involved. Good luck getting something done about it. There should be a product recall on them asap.

DingleDangleDiva · 07/07/2011 10:41

That's awful! I'm glad your DD is okay though and well done you because I think I would've lost the plot!

Agree write a review on Mothercare/Mumsnet and make sure you write to Trading Standards as others have said it could be a design fault, but I do know someone who has had the spin for almost 2 years without an issue but if it's a special edition it could be a problem.

Guildfordnanny · 07/07/2011 10:52

I built a basic single page website last year about a pushchair I wasn't happy with and the company listened and redesigned the pushchair, partly because of what I said, and partly because of feedback from others. But what I did had an impact :)

Original poster

smoggii · 07/07/2011 13:17

Sadly it's not just the Special Edition, I thought it might be but I am finding more and more reviews (most provided after I bought mine) showing the same fault. I am going to ask MC how long they have been aware of the problem and whether they are going to issue a recall. I am gutted because I loved it and apart from a little niggle with the brake (also a common fault) I had no problems with it until this happened.

OP posts:

pramsgalore4 · 07/07/2011 14:21

trading standards, i contacted them when mc offered me a repair which was a joke and also lent me a pushchair which had been recalled for a brake issue, reported both to trading standards, they advised me of what to do with regards not wanting the repair done and requesting refund and contacted mc them selves regarding the recalled pushchair being lent to me. it was surprising that when i told the manager i had contacted ts and reported both how easily i got a full refund on pushchair and unused footmuff, cupholder. :o

pramsgalore4 · 07/07/2011 14:25

oh, and it seems that mc won't publish a review that says there is a safety issue, i tryed and it never went on there. but other reveiw centres will allow and lots of people look for reveiws on pushchairs so will get the problem known.

kindlekid · 07/07/2011 14:25

Did I read that correctly? Your new pushchair collapsed on a six month old baby, causing her an injury (luckily only minor but an injury nonetheless) and the store made you pay £75 for a replacement!

There is something very wrong with that.

MonkeysPunk · 07/07/2011 14:35

Firstly, I am very pleased your baby is ok despite her injury. I hope she is all better really soon.
It's a shame you took a replacement (and were conned into paying an extra £75 for the "pleasure")!
I personally would have been more comfortable with a refund and the option of choosing a safer pram.
Maybe trading standards can help I think at the v minimum you should be refunded the extra £75 you were asked to pay.

HoneyNorwegianRidgebackdragon · 07/07/2011 14:38

SirBoobsALot returned hers, she is a Mnetter. My neighbour send hers back due to the same fault you have mentioned. They exchanged it for the M4 and refused to refund the difference at first, but relented when they saw it collapse in the store.

jellybeans · 07/07/2011 14:42

Happened to me with my baby twins in it. Luckily they were uninjured. I bought it about a year before when i was pregnant (so beyond the 6 month guarentee that they had at the time) and couldn't be arsed seeking a refund and as we were miles from home, we bought another all terrain double buggy which was worth every penny and lasted over 2 more years till they grew out of it. the one we had was supposed to be the best make for buggies and was well cared for!!

Original poster

smoggii · 09/07/2011 10:33

An update - I have e-mailed MC and their response was shocking. I have been told that the chair has been examined carefully and no manufacturing fault has been found, their response came Friday at 8.24 in the morning but I know the chair wasn't being sent from the store until Thursday and was told they use a 24hr service so I strongly suspect that the customer service agent has used a standard wording without actually checking if the chair had been received.

I have raised this and asked them to explain if it wasn't a manufacturing fault what kind of fault was it, it failed halfway through the walk (so was locked in position at the start) as it had been up and down kerbs and after the incident couldn't go up a kerb without collapsing and could not be locked in place again therefore I do not accept that it was user error. It can not possibly be wear and tear as it was only six weeks old, so if it is wear and tear after 6 weeks surely that in itself is a manufacturing fault.

On the plus side they are considering reimbursing the extra £75 that I spent and may give me a gift card for the inconvenience of being 6 working days without a pushchair, but i'm not sure i'm going to walk away that easily because I honestly believe they are attempting to pull the wool over my eyes and would have preferred an honest response.

It is clear that they are not going to accept any sort of responsibility for what happened. I am awaiting a response and then I'm going to consider my options.

OP posts:

LIZS · 09/07/2011 10:57

You can report it to Consumer Direct, which is asssociated with TS. They can force a recall if it is a common fault.

elah11 · 09/07/2011 11:11

I would definitely be taking it further! Your wee babs could have been seriously injured and you were totally fobbed off, and charged £75 for the pleasure!

MonkeysPunk · 09/07/2011 14:32

Sounds like a fob off to me and as though they had not even had time to examine tour returned item.
I would be returning the replacement also, demanding a full refund and suing for trauma and lack of respect to you and your baby.
Absolutely disgraceful. Makes me think twice about shopping there!

allthefires · 09/07/2011 15:13

I would start a new thread with the title of buggy and problem in title and see if anyone else has the same problem and urge them to contact trading standards also.

It also means your thread will come up in a google search.

RidinOnAPig · 09/07/2011 15:23

Oh god this thread has made me really angry.

So glad your baby is okay.

How can Mothercare think it's okay to sell a product which is dangerous and caused injury? Honestly it's a hazard. They should be recalling this product so it doesn't happen to other children.

Guildfordnanny · 09/07/2011 16:03

I am utterly gobsmacked that Mothercare can send a pushchair on Thursday and it be received and checked over thoroughly by 8.24am the next morning?????!!! I agree with you that I think you got a standardised e-mail. I would have hoped they would have given the pushchair a really good set of road tests before responding to you. I can't believe they are also only considering giving you a gift card for the £75 and not refunding you it on the spot. I really hope you follow this up because it's clearly not an isolated case.

Original poster

smoggii · 11/07/2011 10:30

Mothercare are sending a cheque for the £75 paid and a gift card for the baby as a good will gesture. They claim that they got my case confused with another and investigations are ongoing and they will let me know the outcome.

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