pushchair problems - advice needed

[monkey]

Please help!

I have recently bought a double buggy. The raincover had to be bought seperately (the norm here - I don't live in UK), but is made by the same company as the pushchair.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks I was out & it started raining .... and the raincover doesn't fit! Now I know I don't live in UK so some legal genii (?) out there can't give me 100% correct legal advice about where I stand, but some ideas of what one could reasonably expect would be appreciated.

I can't see past the - I want my money back - a pushchair I can only use when it's guaranteed to be sunny is no good to me.

But I can see a shop being really happy to give me basically £200 after I've used the thing for a couple of weeks, when the problem is not even with the pushchair ( although the front wheel squeeks a bit...)

I've 'phoned the shop this am, they said they'd get back to me but haven't yet - how long would you leave it? We go on holiday soon, so I'd like it sorted before then if possible. I can't find a number or e-mail of the company to contact them direct.

Me & pushchairs are just fated, honestly, I've had constant pushchair headaches since the minute ds was born (he's nearly 3!)

Advice & consolation v much appreciated.

Have you thought about ringing the pushchair company directly and telling them your problem? They might have something better to exchange the cover with.

Thanks lou, but I cannot get the e-mail address or 'phone number. I eventually 'phoned the shop again - they wouldn't give me the manufacturers number. They said I musntn't have it fitted properly - I mean - I know how to fit a rain cover and i can also see that something 1m big won't fit something 1m30 . So dunno where to go from here. They will contact me again, so they say - they claimed they'd left me a message, but funnily enough, I have not received any message from them.

Doesn't bode well, I don't think.

It sounds to me like they sold you the wrong cover and I would imagine it's the shop's responsibility to sort it out. Can you not go back to the shop (with the buggy)? If not you could take a photo and send it to them. In general I find shops in any country will eventually cooperate with things like this if you hassle them enough! (or if you're clearly going to spend more money and the correct cover might be more expensive) Where are you by the way?

Anyway I know how you feel - I managed to lose my raincover the other day. It won't rain here till sep, but I need it for shade and it's a complete pain (pram was second hand - don't know if I can still buy one)

I know this is stating the obvious and you have probably already done this, but if you know the name of the supplier you could do a google search for their contact details maybe?

yes - their web site, that I found via a baby site link is up for sale & no longer working, they're not in the 'phone book, their address and number is not on he instruction leaflet, basically the only way I can think of getting it is via the shop, and they have refused to give it to me.

I am so unlucky with pushchairs, or maybe just too fussy - is it too unreasonable to pay £200 and be satisfied with the product? It veers off to one side too, like a bad supermarket trolley, so you have to push the left side of the handle and pull hard on the right to make it go in a straight line. Oh, for the perfect, or even satisfactory buggy......

Thanks for your help Lucy & Lou, I will try going to the shop tomorrow - is the veering-off enough to make them cough up?? As well as the raincover of course, or is veering-off to one side an acceptable quirk that I have just got to live with?

Monkey, is the veering off to one side due to uneven weights? If you have a bigger child at one side it might pull that way. I really think you should go back to the shop and demand a raincover that fits and that they repair the faulty wheel - or give you a refund. Is there anything like a Trading Standards in your country where you could get advice on what you are entitled to?

monkey where do you live?

I live in Switzerland - no idea if there is a trading standards - I've asked around & no one seems to know! It's a tandem, so they're not side by side.

Wish me luck for this pm - and also that I get a massive assertiveness & linguistic boost, cos I'm gonna need help with both!

Good luck, its hard enough confronting a shop with something like this at the best of times but to have language difficulties as well must make it so much worse. Do you have a friend who can go with you for moral support?

Monkey -- have you checked to see if one (but not both) of the front wheels is locked? That would explain the veering to one side. I had this problem for a day or two with my Graco tandem buggy. The raincover for it is also just barely adequate, but it definitely is the right raincover, at least.-j

Monkey I dont know if this would help you find what you are looking for (I didn't really read it throughly) but you could try looking here

Thanks all - especially for that link lou - aren't you clever? Honestly I have a friend here who's lived heer for 7 years and is even married to a swiss guy and she has no idea such a thing exists. as far as I can tell, the Swiss don't complain, and consumer problems (eg if you have the wrong size dress) can be difficult to sort out. getting your money back is almost unheard of. Oh, and no one ever apologises.

Anyway, I went to the shop & they exchanged the raincover (without apology!) for one that is fine. They also said that there was a 2 - 3 mm difference in the front wheels and they fixed it there & then. (They did this in a back room without discussion - they only told me after the event. I was there AGES arguing about something else I'm not 100% happy with, but I am at least happy with the raincover. If I have anymore problems I'll be using your link. Thanks all.