Vent Britax won't replace a frayed harness. grrrrr

***UPDATE in post #25***

I called Britax today b/c after taking apart my son's Regent to wash the cover I saw the the harness was frayed underneath the seat, around the metal clips that keep it there.

Both the crotch strap and the harness strap looks like this. Britax said $22 +shipping to replace (so almost $30). Then said 40% off, so $14 + shipping to replace ($24). So $24 to make a seat safe again. I just whittled down my grocery list b/c I'm broke. Now, that is not Britax's fault, however, I do feel since its such a necessary part of the safety of the seat they should replace it. I'm angry. Though I am glad that he has another seat to use right now.

ETA: oh yeah, forgot to mention that even though they made the Regents through last year, they are out of the black harnesses and will not be getting any more. So for the next SIX years that people will have these seats, apparently you are SOL for replacement parts.

Unless you've owned the seat less than a year, it's out of warranty, Britax is under no obligation to replace, and you're SOL.

And THAT is a fray, not fuzzing! Everyone, look here, to see what actual FRAY looks like. Dang.

Maedze said:

Unless you've owned the seat less than a year, it's out of warranty, Britax is under no obligation to replace, and you're SOL.

And THAT is a fray, not fuzzing! Everyone, look here, to see what actual FRAY looks like. Dang.

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Yes, its out of warranty, and I do get that, but it seems counterindicative of the seat's purpose. If the cover was having issues and it's out of warranty, I'd consider it no biggies, doesn't effect the safety of the seat. But the harness? Its unusable. And yeah, definitely a fray. I had to stare at it a bit when I first took the cover off b/c I figured it was just a little fuzzy. Nope - actual piece of the harness frayed away. Like a little cut out on the side. pooh.

As a general rule, I've found that while Britax might take mercy and 'cut a deal' (read, discount), they tend to not do much beyond that once the 1 year mark is up.

Graco, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care about a warranty, and will replace quickly and without question.

I agree (obviously) that it needs to be replaced, but a one-year warranty is exactly that -- they warrant that the seat will be usable for one year.

Maedze said:

As a general rule, I've found that while Britax might take mercy and 'cut a deal' (read, discount), they tend to not do much beyond that once the 1 year mark is up.

Graco, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care about a warranty, and will replace quickly and without question.

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interesting. hmmmm I wish Graco made a seat he fit in. lol

chickabiddy said:

I agree (obviously) that it needs to be replaced, but a one-year warranty is exactly that -- they warrant that the seat will be usable for one year.

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I never thought of it that way. If I think of that way, I understand their position but then get angry that a $280 seat is only guaranteed to be usable for 1 year. That's a tad steep. I was going to pass the seat to someone else, but I really can't without replacing the harness. I hate the thought of just throwing it away just b/c I don't have a spare $30 (and not sure when I will). We were working to save for something over the next 3 months. I dunno. And beige. eek.

I personally have always felt the warranty should cover the useable life of the seat, i.e. in this case 6 years from DOM, but I reckon most manufacturers would not agree with me


I know when my parents bought something, the warranty was REAL...5 years. 10 years. Now you spend hundreds of dollars on something and you're lucky to get 3 months, especially if it's electronics. Redonkulous.

littleangelfire said:

I never thought of it that way. If I think of that way, I understand their position but then get angry that a $280 seat is only guaranteed to be usable for 1 year. That's a tad steep. I was going to pass the seat to someone else, but I really can't without replacing the harness. I hate the thought of just throwing it away just b/c I don't have a spare $30 (and not sure when I will). We were working to save for something over the next 3 months. I dunno. And beige. eek.

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Pass it on to someone who can't afford $280, but can afford $30.

(And I agree that the warranty is less than satisfying, especially for the price paid.)

Maedze said:

I personally have always felt the warranty should cover the useable life of the seat, i.e. in this case 6 years from DOM, but I reckon most manufacturers would not agree with me


I know when my parents bought something, the warranty was REAL...5 years. 10 years. Now you spend hundreds of dollars on something and you're lucky to get 3 months, especially if it's electronics. Redonkulous.

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Oh my gosh yes. And I have no issue trying to fight companies - but when I pushed, I just got a discount and wasn't sure I should push more. Overall, I had so far been very happy with Britax customer service, so perhaps I should think of it as most of the time they made me happy, lol. I had a problem with the Frontier - they sent out a new one and took the old one back at their expense. I had piece of missing foam on an MA, they sent out replacement foam for free, and while they were at, a replacement lockoff since one of them was broken, and the didn't charge for that either. And the MA was 4 years old! That's why I guess it surprised me so much that they wouldn't replace an essential part of the seat at their expense. I'd pay shipping. But yeah, companies by and large seem to
want to get away with doing as little as possible.

I wonder if I just got the wrong person on the phone today and perhaps should try again tomorrow?

chickabiddy said:

Pass it on to someone who can't afford $280, but can afford $30.

(And I agree that the warranty is less than satisfying, especially for the price paid.)

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I'll have to talk to the friend I had in mind for it.
Well, as we're all bargain hunters here, I didn't actually pay $280 - KDM had given my son a Regent, and once his immediate need was filled (he'd outgrown everything else!) I started saving b/c he rode in 2 cars almost daily at the time and moving the beast back and forth was difficult and I knew transferring seats in parking lots wasn't going to work forever.

And then a surprise monetary gift came from his other grandma who we don't see much. I donated to KDM, and used the rest and my savings to get another one. Having realized then the problem I had with a kid who would always be too big for his age group's seats, I started saving for boosters shortly thereafter, but didn't have to for very long b/c a very rare child support check came and enabled me to buy lodonal's Monterey, and a Frontier for $200. All that to say, no I didn't pay full price, and I guess part of me wonders if they don't want to help b/c it was a KDM seat? Does that make a difference? Do they even know that? I'm probably just paranoid. I don't see how they'd know such a thing.

so I was going to give away the Regent from KDM since it was gifted to me, and sell the one we bought, and the Monterey, to fund the purchase of a Frontier85. The Monterey was a bust in our house. My son dislikes it, but loves his Frontier. I don't blame him. His hips and bum seem a little squished in the Monterey. Anyway - I'm rambling way off my own topic. But that's all. I wish companies stood behind their products more, but I really think Britax does in general. I think I just got the wrong rep.

I'd call again tomorrow and the next day and the next until your Harness is replaced for free. I must say I have always had great Customer Service with Britax (as in anything replaced for free even things well out of the warranty period-not that I have got a lot).

What do they expect to do in 1 year when someone calls needing a harness, since the Regents people are getting are brand new, and they can't replace it?!

I agree with calling back tomorrow. Britax is very wishy washy and apparently no one speaks to each other there. Sometimes you get helpful and friendly people, and other times you get people who tell you information that is completely wrong.

Yes it's out of warranty...but given their history of usually replacing parts, I'd give it another shot.

Britax isn't likely to give up parts for the Regent or the old style Frontier anytime soon! According to the rep I talked to the only covers they have are for seats still within warranty, the only replacement parts they have need to be purchased through them no more freebe's like before because "we don't have replacement parts if necessary for other seats". So I gather that Britax is ok with replacing things until they discontinue a seat and sort of fail to order enough replacement parts for everyone with existing seats!

I think I will call again. Perhaps not tomorrow, but the day after. I do understand that a warranty is a warranty, but when it comes to an issue that is a safety issue, and is not a user error issue, they should be held liable. Goodness - this is the first time I've cleaned the cover since I got it (I usually just spot clean it with baby wipes or a damp cloth), what if I NEVER did and the harness just kept fraying into oblivion? That scares me. I turned over the other Regent, and there's not even any fuzz in those spots, its still a perfect harness though it has seen as much use, if not more, b/c it was the one that got moved into other people's cars, and in and out of my mother's.

Kitchenaid paid for the repairs on our fridge last year - it was like 4 years out of warranty, and they at first put up a fight. But when I took it apart and showed them where a mini-explosion had happened inside our freezer, and linked them to stories on the net from people who had fared worse with the mini-explosion actually starting a fire in their kitchen, they replaced it. B/c its a safety issue. Out of warranty or not, it was obviously a defect.

I failed to mention to them that IMO it was b/c of the way the cover clips went through the metal clips holding the harness on. They were facing a different direction than the ones on my other Regent, and I believe it rubbing on the harness is what caused it. Except, then I have no reason for why the crotch strap, too, was frayed. :scratcheshead:

Calideedle said:

What do they expect to do in 1 year when someone calls needing a harness, since the Regents people are getting are brand new, and they can't replace it?!

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This was my exact thought when she said they only had beige harnesses, and they wouldn't be getting any more harnesses period. I understand they discontinued the seat, but when companies discontinue something, they don't usually immediately discontinue production of the parts. I can buy pieces for my 8 year old breadmaker, my 11 year old car, my 8 year old fridge. They really shouldn't stop making covers, harnesses and such just b/c they stopped making the seat. I'm VERY worried about them doing this with the Frontier, too, since we have one of those and will be using it for the next 4-5 years I'm guessing. What if something breaks on it? It was only out for a relatively short time, they can't have built up stores of extra parts, and now they've already quit making it. Its got a nine year lifespan - what are we all supposed to do? The covers don't hold up worth a crud, and pieces get lost on occasion.

Up until now, though, I had always had wonderful experiences with Britax. So I will give it a go again.

I get the 1yr warrenty on a lot of things... in relation to carseats... but this is NOT one of them.

after all, there is just NO WAY that you should be seeing THIS kind of wear on a harness after only 1-3yrs... heck, I expect the harness to fuzz, but it shouldn't TRULY fray until close to the end of life!

I also don't think it's fair for Britax to stop offering replacement parts (though I would understand not keeping many in stock and ordering them in small batches as the old batches run out and all) before the last of that seat expires.

At least it's better at 1 year than Evenflo's - what's that, 90 days?

Yikes on the fraying!

Kat_Momof3 said:

I get the 1yr warrenty on a lot of things... in relation to carseats... but this is NOT one of them.

after all, there is just NO WAY that you should be seeing THIS kind of wear on a harness after only 1-3yrs... heck, I expect the harness to fuzz, but it shouldn't TRULY fray until close to the end of life!

I also don't think it's fair for Britax to stop offering replacement parts (though I would understand not keeping many in stock and ordering them in small batches as the old batches run out and all) before the last of that seat expires.

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That's kind of my thinking - and I thank my lucky stars his cover got something on it that needed washing, or really, I likely wouldn't have ever noticed, and then either my son would've sat in it more or I would've sold it to someone like that. I don't get not getting replacement parts, either. I know the actual seat is discontinued, but seems replacement parts are easier to make/order than the actual seat itself, so shouldn't be a big deal to keep having. Seems like it should be their responsibility to still support their products even if they've chosen not to make new ones. And I agree, something had to be wrong with it, I checked, there wasn't anything in either of the cars it was regularly in for it to be rubbing against, and proof in that is that the other Regent's harness looks perfect. They've both been traded in and out of the cars we have as need arose or one would get dirty or something.

mommycat said:

At least it's better at 1 year than Evenflo's - what's that, 90 days?

Yikes on the fraying!

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90 days, eek! I never dealt with Evenflo customer service before. He had an Evenflo Triumph, he only fit in it until he was 18 months, though. the only issue I ever had with it was that the back of the belly pad was just like this basting material and it was tearing up really bad. Hmmmmm, oddly enough, very similar to the back of the harness adjuster flap on the Regent. Its in pretty sorry shape. but I don't care about that - it doesn't affect the safety of the seat.

Did you let them know that the clips were on the opposite way as your other Regent? I would be sure to mention that when you call next time. Even take pics on the one that is right and the one that is wrong. Even out of warranty if they can see that they messed up making the seat and that is why it frayed, I would they they would replace. I hope you have better luck when you call again because that sounds like a defect. I am glad you noticed it before anything happened.

Did you try checking swap? Maybe someone has an extra harness they don't need. At the vary least you might be able to find someone who won't charge and arm and a leg for shipping.

My regent is 4 years old. I think I am going to go check it over.

mommycat said:

At least it's better at 1 year than Evenflo's - what's that, 90 days?

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The 90 day on evenflo products is what is so freakin strange. They have replaced or refunded for restraints long after that period per people on this board.

Is it at least 90 days from date of purchase? 90 days from DOM would make no sense as seats often are older than that when you pick them up at the store, before you even get a chance to try it out and check if anything is defective. Sorry to hijack!