Are there always free replacement seats available at checks?

ZephyrBlue

New member
Okay, I'm still really bothered by my friend's friend who has an 18mo old and 3yo in boosters. I told my friend that she should advise this woman to go to a car seat check (since I'm SO overly neurotic about my kids' seats and shouldn't be taken seriously :rolleyes:) and that the check might have free replacements available. She wanted to know if that's a sure thing, that her friend could get free replacement seats if she went to a carseat check. This woman can totally afford a couple of cheaper, low-end seats, but she'd rather spend her $$ on other stuff, obviously :rolleyes:
 
ADS

skaterbabs

Well-known member
It's not a sure thing, but if you call the person in charge of the check in advance and explain the situation, they can probably help.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Yep -- it's likely there will be free seats at a mass check event ... but not so likely for private appointment -- although, if someone called me in advance to explain the situation & could offer some donation $ to help out I'd find a way to get the family free replacement seats.... *I* don't have my own grant $ to use, though, so it could possibly be "easier" with a fire/police station etc. who has grant $ at their disposal?!
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
No, I'd say it is not a sure thing. Even at our mass SK check events (300+ seats checks), we don't have free seats. We usually have seats that parents can buy at cost, but no real give aways. If a family is low income (and must demonstrate it financially prior to the check), they can get a seat for $20. We've found that charging $20 really gives ownership of the seat to parents, rather than just another government freebie. We also never give out infant seats (we do loan out car beds as appropriate); rather we use convertibles which will last much longer. Of course, we don't let people with kids and no seats leave that way, but they must take some ownership in the idea of seats. There are exceptions, but they are very, very rare.

We definitely don't give seats away to parents who could afford seats, but couldn't give a damn about what their child sits in.

We did have one woman who came in in her brand new Mercedes and wanted a free seat. Why did she need a free seat? Because her monthly payments were so high on the Mercedes, she couldn't afford one. :eek:
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Most of our checks sounds like Emily's. I think our cheapest seats are $25 for a convertible if they can prove they get WIC or Medicaid, then $45 full price. The boosters are a little cheaper of course. The last one I did w/ State Farm though gave our free seats, but generally one per car. We had a mom come in w/ 2 kids (one not her own and he was not restrained at all!) and we gave him a free seat and then just used the combo seat for the 19# 1yo since they weren't willing to donate anything. All they kept asking for was free seats (in between calls on her cell phone). :(
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
the check I went to had replacements seats for $10. They were using evenflo convertables and boosters (not bpp). We couldn't find the exp on my Marathon, so they couldn't look up recalls and offered to replace it with one of the Evenflos. NOT!!!
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
It must depend on the geographic location somewhat...?

We were taught that at mass check events to always replace unsafe (expired, wrong type for child, etc.) seats with new free ones -- even when it meant having one of the officers drive to a neighboring county for more seats from their trailer -- but not for private appointments unless there's enough donation $ given to compensate ... & always only with the parents' permission anyway.
 

ZephyrBlue

New member
THey live in Cordelaine (sp?) Idaho, if that makes any difference. I do know that she has a relatively new SUV with heated leather seats (she was asking why I didn't opt for leather in my minivan) and I got a little pissy then, thinking that she should have spent the $$ on seats for her kids instead of worrying about her vehicle seats. I don't know if they are on WIC or not, though. Her dh is a nurse and they have 4 kids. But I do know that she can pay for some economic seats, she just chooses not to. I don't think people who can afford them should be given free seats, but the kids don't deserve to be in those boosters, either. UGH!
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
papooses said:
It must depend on the geographic location somewhat...?

We were taught that at mass check events to always replace unsafe (expired, wrong type for child, etc.) seats with new free ones -- even when it meant having one of the officers drive to a neighboring county for more seats from their trailer -- but not for private appointments unless there's enough donation $ given to compensate ... & always only with the parents' permission anyway.

I'm not so sure it is geographical. I think it is more situational. If people have old, expired, wrong seats for the child, and the child is NOT present we send them away to get one and come back.

If a family comes in old, expired, or incorrect seats and a child present, they are asked to pay. If they truly can't pay and have the child with them, we try to go to the low cost seats ($20) upon demonstration of need. In the end, we would never let a child leave unsafely.

We do mass seat checks (300+ seats, 30 lanes) once a month here. We simply don't have the resources to provide new seats and a lot of the parents who come in do have the resources to get seats, so we put the onus on them.

Our county did give away free seats for a while and we got totally burned. People would come in week after week to get a new seat. People would come in and get a seat and want the box too (so they could return it to the store). People came in their Range Rovers and BMWs to get a new seat.

I think at a large seat check event, it is important to have replacement seats available. I don't believe they have to be free (unless you get a special grant or funding specifically to give away seats); I think they must be available. It is so easy to be taken advantage of when giving away free seats.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
For liability reasons, it's always a very good idea for large events to have replacement seats available. Whether they are given away free, for a small donation or for a fixed price varies from one to another. I'd tell her to assume she'd have to pay a replacement, though she might get one at a reduced price or for free if the event has a sponsorship or grant of some type.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
People came in their Range Rovers and BMWs to get a new seat.

See, I hate this! This sounds kind of like the person the OP is talking about. I hate that her children are in boosters and that could potentially kill them, but I also hate that their mom doesn't care enough to put them in proper seats and wants seats for free.

How do techs handle this? Obviously we can't give free seats to everyone (or anyone at some of my checks) so it's impossible to make sure all children leave safely and some parents just don't want to get their kids new seats. How do you handle a parent who just doesn't care enough? I've only had this happen once to me and didn't work on the car alone so the other tech handled it more, but I felt like we failed that car in some way, but the mom just didn't care no matter what we did. Ugh, I think too much sometimes. lol
 

Splash

New member
I woudn't give it to the folks who could easily afford it. Because if they don't care enough to forego a week of lattes to buy a seat for their child (SCARY that it could be that easy!) then they probably don't care enough to chip their nails on the buckle or properly install it and hurt their upholstery.
My boss is like this, and I have to accept it. Last week he got me all excited after two kids were killed in a car wreck here (that sounds wrong, doesn't it?) that he was buying new seats for ONE of his vehicles. He had me find the ones I thought he should get. Then he hemmed and hawed about how expensive they were (says a man whose wife gets twice weekly manicures, massages, etc and has herself three medium starbucks lattes a day) and eventually decided that the kids would be fine. A 2 and 3 year old. The two year old is in a turbo booster occasionally (with the shoulder belt tucked behind her back and the lap belt routed OVER the armrests) and the three year old is normally totally unrestrained. But, I have come to the conclusion that even if they HAD perfectly good seats, they wouldn't USE them. They have a summit INSTALLED IN THE CAR that the 2 year old fits in but they won't use (and an AO elite in the other car, same story) because she wants the booster. So she gets the ill use booster and the three year old rides in the middle, in the cargo hold, on the floor, wherever he wants to.
Even if someone gave them free seats, they probably wouldn't use them. Well, considering that their 3 year old knows how to properly buckle himself in and she tells him not to worry about it, I KNOW they wouldn't use them.
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Splash said:
I woudn't give it to the folks who could easily afford it. Because if they don't care enough to forego a week of lattes to buy a seat for their child (SCARY that it could be that easy!) then they probably don't care enough to chip their nails on the buckle or properly install it and hurt their upholstery.

And therein lies the problem. How do you distinguish the needy from the non needy groups? How do you tell? Appearance alone? Ask them for tax returns?
 

ZephyrBlue

New member
Part of me would even hate to tell her that there will probably be free seats at the check because:

1. she likes her kids to ride in boosters instead of harnessed seats because it's "easier" for her :mad: and honestly, I don't know that she'd use a harnessed seat consistently even if it was free.

2. I really don't think people who CAN afford a seat should be given one for free. I know that this person's budget could handle 2 inexpensive seats, but she chooses to spend her resources on other things. So I don't think someone who really can't afford a seat should have to do without so that she can continue to waste money on expensive haircuts, trips, etc.

I even considered buying seats for her kids, but I know that she probably wouldn't use them, and I can't afford to basically throw 2 seats away.
 

tjham

New member
What amazes me is that people who don't use the seats properly (where it is obviously wrong) or at all even go to the seat check events!:confused: Why do they bother?
 

Splash

New member
griffinmom said:
And therein lies the problem. How do you distinguish the needy from the non needy groups? How do you tell? Appearance alone? Ask them for tax returns?

I'm talking about the people in their Range Rovers and BMWs and yakking on their cell phones.
Anyone with a brand new car or a cell phone can afford a car seat.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Emily, that makes sense -- I know the mass checks I've been at had grant $ & used the trailers from other areas to help provide new seats, then I guess they replaced their stock with more grant $ ... & it did bother me that 1 man who everyone was addressing as "Doctor _____" riding in a Lexus got a new seat -- I'm sure he could've afforded a brand new one, but as to whether or not he KNEW he needed a new I don't know ... & I believe the free seat was provided on the basis that the kids leave safer than they arrive, which meant that because the $ resources were available even he got a replacement instead of us telling him to unsafely trasport his child to a store & back again :eek: When the grant $ isn't available then there's only so much can be done -- this is why donations are ALWAYS a good idea, even if the seatcheck is otherwise "free" ;)
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
On the subject of cell phones...

don't assume that a cell means affluence.

Some people ONLY have a cell, no land line, because it is cheaper. Or they have a prepaid like mine - the phone cost $30 and I add $20 worth of minutes as needed.

Yes, that will buy a Scenera, but there may be legitimate reasons for needing the cell.
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
papooses said:
Emily, that makes sense -- I know the mass checks I've been at had grant $ & used the trailers from other areas to help provide new seats, then I guess they replaced their stock with more grant $ ... & it did bother me that 1 man who everyone was addressing as "Doctor _____" riding in a Lexus got a new seat -- I'm sure he could've afforded a brand new one, but as to whether or not he KNEW he needed a new I don't know ... & I believe the free seat was provided on the basis that the kids leave safer than they arrive, which meant that because the $ resources were available even he got a replacement instead of us telling him to unsafely trasport his child to a store & back again :eek: When the grant $ isn't available then there's only so much can be done -- this is why donations are ALWAYS a good idea, even if the seatcheck is otherwise "free" ;)


I think you've misunderstood me. We NEVER tell a family with children present and unsafe seats to leave and get a new one. We will tell parents without children present to leave and get a new one.

Under a grant funded program specifically designed to give away free seats, well, free seats are the point. Unfortunately those checks are far and few between. Everybody gets a seat.

The point I was trying to make is that at regular large seat checks w/o grants to give away free seats is that we never do what Splash suggested:

I woudn't give it to the folks who could easily afford it. Because if they don't care enough to forego a week of lattes to buy a seat for their child (SCARY that it could be that easy!) then they probably don't care enough to chip their nails on the buckle or properly install it and hurt their upholstery.


At a seat check, we are way too busy to try to assess whether one can afford a new seat. That's why we have our voucher system in place (they get a voucher for a seat for $20 once they have demonstrated need BEFORE the check).

We need technicians to teach parents how to install seats, not pass judgment on who can easily afford a seat and who can't.

It is a system that works really well for us. And we always ask for donations!
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I'm sorry -- I didn't assume that you send people off with their kids not safe & I'm sorry my reply sounded like that ... seems I have a habit of not saying exactly what I mean to say -- like I'm constantly rushing through to a separate point :eek:

I was actually thinking of our local events -- only 1 out of the 4 times I've had my own seats checked (& never at the seatchecks I've been part of) has anyone asked for donations ... and for private appointments even with grant $ some techs around here don't let any paperwork get started until they send the parent off for a new seat first -- sometimes there's more than 1 adult present to keep the kids stationary, but not always :eek: :eek:

I'm the type who'd rather spend out of my own pocket *SIGH* (& I've handed out way too many of my own seats already, LOL!)

Rebekah: I only use a cell phone as well, always have even when I was on WIC -- it works in the house & is cheaper!
 

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