Should I return it? 11/09 DOM

vrclay

Member
I just ordered and received a Radian XTSL from Diapers.com and ended up paying $215. I took it out of the box and checked the DOm and it is 11/09. Would you consider that reasonable? That's 7-8 months old and we haven't even used it.

Part of me wants to return it...

The other part of me just wants to install it and consider the price reduction and DOM kind of even out.

What do you think?
 
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Dillipop

Well-known member
It's pretty rare to get a seat that's less than a month or so old. And seats that are manufactured overseas, it's especially common to get a seat that's quite a few months old. The radian is manufactured in China and shipped over on boats, which can take awhile.

I, personally, am happy with a seat that is within a year of the DOM, especially if I got a deal and even more so on seats that have expirations 8 years out (like the radian). On a seat with a 5-6 year expiration, I like to have them a little newer, unless I get a screaming deal that makes up for loss of life.
 

armywife12

New member
I, too, consider that a decent DOM, especially at that price. I would not return a radian just because the seat is already 7 months old.
 

tl01

New member
I think that is a reasonable DOM. I bought a seat recently that has a DOM of 12/09 and I didn't think anything of it. It only has a 6 year life unlike the Radian's 8 years.
 

Maedze

New member
That is completely reasonable. The seat is only 8 months old. It has an eight year life span. You got it at a significant discount.
 

vrclay

Member
I guess I will go ahead and keep it. It's just that all the other seats I've purchased have been within 3-4 months of the DOM so I thought it was a bit strange. But my little guy is so excited for his new red seat that I'll just install that beast and be happy he likes it.
 

amyd

New member
I would return it b/c on their website when they list the radians XTSL, they specifically put 2010 in parenthesis next to the name of the seat (http://www.diapers.com/Product/SearchResults.aspx?FreeText=radian xtsl&QueryFrom=Search) so it is reasonable to assume that the seat will have a 2010 DOM.

It's the 2010 version, but it's not necessarily made in 2010. These seats were released before the end of 2009, so it's obviously impossible for them all to be made in 2010. It's kind of like the model year of a car. Just because you drive a 2010 doesn't mean it was made in 2010. The 2010's were out in the fall of 2009.

OP, I'd consider that entirely reasonable, especially if you didn't pay full price. I wouldn't return a seat that I received within a year of DOM, especially one with more than a 6 year lifespan like the Radian.
 

HappyMommy

New member
It's the 2010 version, but it's not necessarily made in 2010. These seats were released before the end of 2009, so it's obviously impossible for them all to be made in 2010. It's kind of like the model year of a car. Just because you drive a 2010 doesn't mean it was made in 2010. The 2010's were out in the fall of 2009.

OP, I'd consider that entirely reasonable, especially if you didn't pay full price. I wouldn't return a seat that I received within a year of DOM, especially one with more than a 6 year lifespan like the Radian.

Yes, but personally, I would call diapers.com and play dumb and say that b/c the website said 2010 I expected a 2010 DOM. It's worth a shot, in my opinion:twocents:

and by the way, I don't think that the fact that she did not pay full price should make a difference- she was never told that b/c she got a discount she would get an older seat- I agree 11/09 is not a bad DOM but if she could get better, why not try?
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
Yes, but personally, I would call diapers.com and play dumb and say that b/c the website said 2010 I expected a 2010 DOM. It's worth a shot, in my opinion:twocents:

and by the way, I don't think that the fact that she did not pay full price should make a difference- she was never told that b/c she got a discount she would get an older seat- I agree 11/09 is not a bad DOM but if she could get better, why not try?

Because it is a waste of time, energy, resources, money, gas, etc to ship back a seat and get a new one for what could amount to a seat that is 1-2 months older- November 2009 versus January 2010.
 

Maedze

New member
Yes, but personally, I would call diapers.com and play dumb and say that b/c the website said 2010 I expected a 2010 DOM. It's worth a shot, in my opinion:twocents:

and by the way, I don't think that the fact that she did not pay full price should make a difference- she was never told that b/c she got a discount she would get an older seat- I agree 11/09 is not a bad DOM but if she could get better, why not try?

Because it drives up the cost for everyone else when you try to return a seat for arbitrary reasons. The cost of return shipping and then disposing of an un-resellable seat for SIXTY DAYS OF USE is a misuse of the return system and an inappropriate way to handle this situation.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
There are a lot of advantages to shopping online. There are also disadvantages, such as not being able to go through the stack of seats looking for the freshest DOM. If that's a dealbreaker, shop at a brick-and-mortar store.

Absolutely agree with the two PPs. Playing this kind of game is going to make everyone else pay more. In a thread in shopping, people are reporting that diapers.com is sometimes refusing to pricematch and stack codes. Perhaps free returns will be the next to go. They are a business set up to make a profit, not to enable carseat collectors. If we want -- and we do -- them to deal in good faith with customers, customers also need to act in good faith. "Playing dumb" is not a good faith move.

At $215 for a 7-year lifespan, the seat costs eight cents a day. If you would accept a DOM six months old but not eight, call them up and ask for a credit of $4.80. That's a lot less wasteful than shipping the seat back to be destroyed.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I confess to being a bit surprised to receive a backless Harmony Lite Rider booster from walmart.com the other day that had a Nov. 2009 DOM instead of a more recently manufactured one, but for $13.50 + tax and free shipping, I'm not going to complain. :) If it were a full price Peg infant seat that expires 5 years from the DOM and hoped to be passed onto another child, I'd complain, but I really wouldn't sweat it for a discounted Radian with an 8 year usable lifespan before expiration. FWIW, the Sunshine Kids Radian's DOM isn't on a label on the outside of the box like it is for most other carseats, so a prospective buyer (or retailer/seller) wouldn't be able to preview the DOM without opening up the box and looking at the DOM label on the seat itself.
 

vrclay

Member
OP here: Given all the comments, I wanted to update all of you who have taken the time to respond. FWIW - I'm keeping the seat. I still have mixed feelings about it but I think it is the right thing to do in this case. Also - I will NEVER order another thing from diapers.com.

I tried calling the 800 number and got put on hold for what seemed like forever, although I'm sure it wasn't. So I spent that time on hold crafting an email and sent it to customer care. I finally got a human on the phone and my question was - is it typical that I order a car-seat and the DOM is 8 months old, which reduces the amount of time the buyer can use it. The answer was yes. That answered my question and would have been ok, except the rep went on to tell me that well really car-seats don't expire, like formula or something. Are you even kidding me? I told her that she was giving misinformation. She continued to insist that expiration dates don't mean you can't use them. At that point I was shocked and quite frankly mad. I thanked her and hung up. Probably should have asked to be transferred to a supervisor but I was really too upset to continue the conversation. A little while after that phone call I got an email response which was minimally responsive to my question. I sent a follow-up to the response and got a reply that "All car seats are good for eight years from the time of manufacture" - Are you even kidding me. I can't believe what I'm reading. I asked for the matter to be escalated to a supervisor so that they could know that the reps are giving bad info and I sent an email to SK to let them know the reps are claiming that I can use the car-seat after the recommended 8 years.

Really, I just wanted to know if the seats from diapers.com will have similar DOM issues if I decide to order from them again - or recommend them to friends and family. I'm all for getting a good deal, but I'd like to know before hand so I can decide if the price reduction is worth and potential DOM age - which would be expected if the model was listed as close-out.

To be clear, I was not (am not) trying to get one over on the company or make the process any more expensive for future customers, just trying to decide if is worth it to me to shop for car-seats on-line (especially from diapers.com) again. Nor am I a car-seat collector, we have 4 seats, one for each child in both parents' car. But I've purchased my fair share of seats as both grandparent have seats in their cars, too.

What really got me mad was the bad information, not once but twice!

On the upside, my little guy loves, loves, loves his new seat and I do too.

Thanks for the opinions and discussion. This forum has really been valuable to me as I've decided which seats are the best for my family, and then how to get them installed in my vehicles.

-Vanessa

Below is the email exchange...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Hello,

Thank you for your email. The manufacture and sale of car seats (datewise) are similar to the manufacture and sale of cars. Seats are manufactured for the current year, in the year prior.

According to www.carseats.org, "Most manufacturers suggest replacing a seat 5 to 8 years after the date of manufacture, because current safety seats may have better safety features than older seats, such as a tether or air bag warnings"

For Diapers.com, most manufacturers produce and send us new carseats when we order the new model. As our stock dwindles, we mark the older seats into a Closeout status and the manufacturer sends us the new model when we place an order for them.

In order to answer your question, it is not typical for a customer to receive a car seat with a manufacturer date that is 9 months past the purchase date. However, the this can vary dependent upon the stock and date of purchase.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 1 800 DIAPERS or you can email us at Customercare@diapers.com.

Take care,
I
Customer Care Team
Diapers.com




From: Clay, Vanessa (HRSA)
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 4:16 PM
To: Diapers.com Customer Care
Subject: PLEASE ESCALATE THIS MATTER TO A SUPERVISOR - RE: Date of Manufacture on recently purchased carseat

This is absolutely not true! Not every car seat is good for eight years. My Britax Marathon seat has a 6 year shelf life. It is true that the Radian has an 8 year shelf life – which was one of the factors which led me to purchase it. Another reason I purchased this seat is that it can be used (weight and height limits) for a long period of time. I plan to use this seat for all EIGHT years. The current child in the seat may outgrow it before the 7y4mo but my plan is to use it for future children as well. My original question remains - The problem I have is that I ordered the seat in June 2010 and the seat was manufactured 8 months prior in Nov 2009. Is this standard operating procedure for diapers.com?

Also, I will be contacting BritaxUSA and letting them know that representatives from Authorized Dealers are giving misinformation.

Please escalate this matter to a supervisor.

Vanessa R. Clay-McEntire, MSW, MPH


From: Diapers.com Customer Care [mailto:customercare@diapers.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 4:00 PM
To: Clay, Vanessa (HRSA)
Subject: RE: Date of Manufacture on recently purchased carseat

Dear Vanessa,

Thank you for your email. All car seats are good for eight years from the time of manufacture. Depending on the age of your child, he/she will most likely outgrow the car seat before the seat ages beyond its' use. If you have any further questions, comments, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to contact our friendly Customer Care team by phone (toll-free, 1-800-342-7377) or by email (customercare@diapers.com). We're here to help you out 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Thank you,
Customer Care
Diapers.com

W
Customer Care


From: Clay, Vanessa
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 2:53 PM
To: Diapers.com Customer Care
Subject: RE: Date of Manufacture on recently purchased carseat

L –

Thank you for your reply. I understand they are like cars in the next years model comes out a few months before that calendar year. The problem I have is that I ordered the seat in June 2010 and the seat was manufactured 8 months prior in Nov 2009. Is this standard operating procedure for diapers.com? Because the seat is 8 months into its “shelf-life”, it reduces the amount of time I will be able to use it. I’ve ordered/purchased car-seats from Target, BabiesRUs, BuyBuyBaby and Albeebaby.com and I’ve never received a car-seat that had been manufactured more than 3 months previous.

If I can expect any car-seat that I purchase from diapers.com to be 8 months past the DOM, this will be the last carseat I purchase from diapers.com.

-Vanessa



From: Diapers.com Customer Care [mailto:customercare@diapers.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 2:33 PM
To: Clay, Vanessa (HRSA)
Subject: RE: Date of Manufacture on recently purchased carseat

Good Afternoon Vanessa,
Thank you for contacting Customer Care!

The reason you see November 2009 upon opening your package is because that is the month the manufacturer sent the Sunshine Kids Radian XT SL Convertible Car Seat - Nitro to us. I can assure you that the item you received is in fact the 2010 model but it was manufactured and sent to merchants late 2009.

We appreciate your business and value you as a customer!
We look forward to providing you with excellence service on all of your future orders. If you have any further questions, comments, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to contact our friendly Customer Care team by phone (toll-free, 1-800-342-7377) or by email (CustomerCare@diapers.com). We're now here to help you out 24 hours a day 7 days a week!!



Take care,

L.
Customer Care Representative

From: Clay, Vanessa (HRSA) []
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 1:41 PM
To: Diapers.com Customer Care
Subject: Date of Manufacture on recently purchased carseat

Hello -
I recently purchased a RadianXTSL from diapers.com. When I opened the box, I noticed the date of manufacture was Nov 2009. Is this typical? I wouldn't expect the car seat to be manufactured the same month I purchase it but I think 8 months past the date of manufacture seems a bit much. I’ve purchased several car-seats before this one and they have always been manufactured within 2-3 months of purchase.

-Vanessa
 
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