What would you have done in this seat check situation?

I'm working at the FD today and a lady came in for a seat check. She called me yesterday stating she took her Eddie Bauer seat apart to clean it and can't get it back together and is leaving the country tomorrow for vacation.

So she brings in a basic 07 Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 seat. The harness straps go through the seat to the back. One LATCH strap is fed through each harness strap loop and then the LATCH straps are clipped together. The splitter plate is no where to be found.

Finally figured out she had tightened the adjuster strap all the way and the splitter plate was stuck under the adjuster plate thing. I got that out, undid everything and put it back together. Put it on the "top" slots (ie 2nd to top). Child was not there. I asked her if she thought her 1y11m DD's shoulders would be below that slots. She didn't think so. I told her that was the highest it would go and if she's too tall she can't use the seat. I then glance at how much she weighs. She wrote down 39 lbs. Excellent.....

This is supposed to be her "next" seat. I explain if she's 100% sure about her weight she really doesn't have any use of the seat. If she weighs her and she is 40 she can't use the harness. If her shoulder's are above the harness she can't use it. I get the "it goes to 100 lbs" speech. I explain what that means. I explain the BOOSTER part is 100 lbs. She gets all excited "Ohhh show me how to use the booster then if she can't use the harness." *sigh*. You can't use the booster. We are a 4 AND 40 state for booster use.

I explain she can't use the seat she bought with an unknown history from an unknown person in ANY mode (either rear, forward, or booster mode) and she's not happy. How's that for the "last seat you'll ever need"?? I was kinda taken aback as I've never had that happen to me. Usually the child can use one of the modes. This child couldn't use any. Too heavy to RF, too heavy to FF and too young and illegal to booster (1y11m)

I gave her a list of seats to look at. I showed her how to install the seat on the giant mat she insisted on using for a child who doesn't fit in it *sigh*. From how it sounds she has every intention on using the harness unless she physically doesn't fit. If that happens she will booster her 1 year old

Excellent......


What do you guys do when you witness that? They aren't gonna buy another seat but honestly cannot use their current seat in any mode? Just explain she can't use the seat but show her how to install it anyway? I left it up to her like we were taught but it's frustrating. The whole 3 in 1 thing really got to me. The whole "last seat you'll ever need". It's never bothered me because usually the kid can RF in it, or actually use the booster even if it's a crappy fit (ie heavy and old enough). I've never seen a 1 year old who can't use any of the 3 modes! It made their marketing irritate me even more and I'm SO glad those seats aren't being made anymore and they have a higher weight and height limit now. Too late for this woman though

She left a very unhappy momma. But hey, atleast the harness is attached to the seat now. That's gotta count for something right?

Not a tech - no idea about the best/right way to handle the situation. But I think you did the best you could - informed her of what her best options were. Hopefully she's mistaken on the weight & height of the LO and she'll be using the seat within the limits for a little longer.

And BOO :thumbsdown: to crappy AIO seats and false advertising - that might be a good story to complain to them about as proof that it's false advertising.

Document document document and then exactly what you did. Make the best of a lousy situation and leave it up to the parent. Wash your hands of it and hope for the best.

As far as I know, they're very much still being made. The 50 pound version is just that, a version. Not a replacement. But maybe I'm wrong.

Wendy

fyrfightermomma said:

Just explain she can't use the seat but show her how to install it anyway?

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Yeah, that. It'll be misused, but hopefully we can lessen the misuse by teaching good installs.

wendytthomas said:

Document document document and then exactly what you did. Make the best of a lousy situation and leave it up to the parent. Wash your hands of it and hope for the best.

As far as I know, they're very much still being made. The 50 pound version is just that, a version. Not a replacement. But maybe I'm wrong.

Wendy

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Oh that sucks! I thought it was a replacment! If it's just a version that's no good. I assume the current 40 lb ones have the same no top slot rule too as well huh?

Yeah I documented the heck out of it and even used another piece of paper!

I just felt bad for the mom, and it just made me realize that I hate how they market car seats!

no, unfortunatle, ythe 50 lb ones are just a version, and dorel is still making many many different 40-lb ones. (and putting the awesomer covers on the 40-lb ones!!! gggrrr Which by the way, tend to cost the same as the 50-lb ones!!)
As far as marketing a seat fraudulently...ya, it sort of sucks. BUT - the people for whom it sucks are outliers, statistically. It is a very rare barely almost 2 yo who is already 40 pounds. Probably 90% of kids WILL get to 4 or very close to it in those seats. Not ... you know...MY kid, lol! But most.
I think you did exactly right. Unfortunately, we'd love to see a 39 lb 23 month old in an ERF seat, but that isn't something we can convince most parents to try. The only thing you didn't do that I personally would have done was , IF it's a perm fitting station or check which has seats to give out, I'd have offerred her to trade her 3-in-1 for a nice new Apex (what we have - or maestro, etc - any HWH seat you have) on the grounds it'll fit for 11 more pounds in harness mode. That's about all i could do.
One of my coworkers has had her ginormous daughter in a 3-in-1 in booster mode since she was 2