Older Evenflo Triumph, date sticker/stamp discrepency

[Qarin]

I feel like maybe I've heard of this before, but I'm not sure.

I pulled the Evenflo Triumph out of my MIL's car today, because DD2 has hit 40lbs and I didn't want to risk MIL using the carseat anyway. She mentioned how it had hardly been used (true! 1-3x/month since it was purchased sometime before DD2 was a year old), and I thought yeah, I could probably find a home for it, let me just check it DOM...

The sticker on the back give a manufacture date of Feb 19, 2004 (which is at least a year before it was purchased, but within what I've kind of come to expect of these things, when purchased by Grandma; I do believe she purchased it new), but then the base was stamped, "Do not use this restraint after December 17, 2007". !

With less than a year before the latest possible expiration, I'm not going to pass it along to anyone (nobody I know and trust not to use it longer needs it, and I'm not giving it to someone I suspect doesn't understand/wouldn't pay attention), but on top of that, with the base being... could it be that the base was made in 2001, but attached to the seat in 2004? It seems like a lot off for it to be a "factory worker didn't remember to increment the year on the stamp" problem.

I'm pretty irritated to think that we were possibly using that restraint well over a year past its expiration.

[4boysmom]

if grandma bought it in 2005 I doubt it was a 2001 made seat. Did you ask where it was bought... like chain (high turn over likely) vs boutiquey off the beaten path (more likely to be older since it is not nessasrily a "popular" seat, but still 4 years old, I hope that is not "common") Is there a chance the 2007 may actually be 2009 because that would make sense.

[NannyMom]

Yes, I know I've read about this with an Evenflo seat before.

[Qarin]

I've double checked, and it really does say "2007".

Obviously at this point it doesn't matter- I'm not going to pass the seat along to anyone else (I have a Scenera she's also outgrown, which I am trying to find someone to take- it's got 3.5 years left, enough to get a poorly restrained 2yo to 4yrs or 40lbs, anyway), and nobody was injured (or involved) in a crash in this seat, but it's pretty disconcerting for me to pull a seat out of service and discover that some portion of it may have expired a year and a half earlier!

[valleyfam]

I have an 10/03 and 11/03 EFT they are both stamped Do not use after 12/31/07. I called Evenflo and was told to disregard the stamp that they were good until 10/09 and 11/09. I'm not sure what happened during that time but I know there are other threads buried around here about the same thing.

[Qarin]

Interesting, thanks valleyfam! I had thought I'd seen others with similar discrepencies, and I think I'm comfortable with the idea that the stamp is wrong (in hindsight. I'm not sure how I'd have felt if I'd noticed it while the car seat was still in use by my DD).

Anyway, with only 9 months until definitely-expired, and being as how it's not an exceptional seat for much of anything, I think it's going to the car seat graveyard.

[Judi]

It is good until Dec 31st of the 6th year, from DOM.

[Qarin]

I can't find where Evenflo says that, December of the 6th year. However, in reading the manual (online PDF, downloaded from Evenflo's website, for model #3591288) I come to the startling discovery that this is a seat where the bottom two slots are for rear-facing, ONLY, and the top slot is for forward-facing, ONLY. I am fairly sure that I had her in there, forward-facing (30lb rearfacing limit), on the second to top slot. Grumble. You think you know what you're doing, you know?

[lorismurph]

I have had Evenflo seats with the wrong date also (more than once). I called them and was told 6 years and to ignore the date stamp. I don't understand how SO many seats could go out with the wrong dates.

[joolsplus3]

I can't find where Evenflo says that, December of the 6th year. However, in reading the manual (online PDF, downloaded from Evenflo's website, for model #3591288) I come to the startling discovery that this is a seat where the bottom two slots are for rear-facing, ONLY, and the top slot is for forward-facing, ONLY. I am fairly sure that I had her in there, forward-facing (30lb rearfacing limit), on the second to top slot. Grumble. You think you know what you're doing, you know?

They amended and grandfathered that rule about FF in the middle slots was ok. It had to do with keeping the rules simple (all their other seats were top slots only because they were only reinforced for FF use, the lower slots weren't. Obviously the reinforcement is the metal bar that moves with the Triumph harness, so they conceded you could use the second slots FF safely :thumbsup:)

[Gena]

The sticker on the back give a manufacture date of Feb 19, 2004 (which is at least a year before it was purchased, but within what I've kind of come to expect of these things, when purchased by Grandma; I do believe she purchased it new), but then the base was stamped, "Do not use this restraint after December 17, 2007". !



I had the same issue with my Evenflo Triumph. It has a manufacture date of Feb 12, 2004 and the base was stamped: "Do not this product after December 31, 2007".

I emailed Evenflo about this, including my seat's model number. They assured me that the seat has a 6 year life span and expires December 31, 2010.

[Qarin]

They amended and grandfathered that rule about FF in the middle slots was ok. It had to do with keeping the rules simple (all their other seats were top slots only because they were only reinforced for FF use, the lower slots weren't. Obviously the reinforcement is the metal bar that moves with the Triumph harness, so they conceded you could use the second slots FF safely :thumbsup:)

Actually, on the seat itself, once you get the padding pulled back and the plastic thing removed as if you're going to move the harness, the slots are labeled- top one "forward facing only"; second one "forward or rear facing"; bottom one "rear facing only". The manual (which I found right where it was supposed to be, tucked in under the padding) is exactly the same as the one I found online, which gave the top slot only for ff, middle and bottom only for rf. Mmm. Consistency.

Not sure what I'm going to do with the seat now. Nobody's responded to my offer of the Scenera (on a local homeschool email list); I'd really like to pass these seats along to someone who will misuse them less than whatever they're currently misusing (or not using at all).

[Judi]

If you lived closer, I could find people down here. What about Wendy, does she know anyone?

[Qarin]

I'll be in Vancouver, WA Thursday through Sunday...

[Judi]

Actually, I will be in Portland Sunday. Got to take the DBK's mom to the airport.

[Qarin]

I gave the Scenera to my neighbors (hooray! I hope they use it right, but there was only so much I could imply that I would install it for them and them sidestep the offer...), but if you have a use for the Triumph, I'd be happy to pass it along- we'll be at the inn at the quay in Vancouver, right across from Jantzen Beach/Portland.

[Judi]

I have no one in mind right now, but always have people come up. Car seat poncho lady's car seat ended up with a very appreciative family about a week after I got it!

[Judi]

Can you PM me your cell #? Or any info I would need? I will be doing a drop off at the airport at about 10:15 am.