I've Just Had An Inspiration

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Okay, so one of the problems we see with misuse is parents just forgetting stuff, right? Like, they buy a carseat that has an infant insert, and it needs to be removed at ~whatever~ weight/height/age, but by the time that comes around, any parent who's not obsessed with carseats forgets. Or they need to move the newborn loops on the harness to the outer loops, or move the harness up to the next slot, etc.

How hard would it be for a carseat company to offer email reminders about such things when parents register a seat? Obviously it couldn't be completely accurate because kids grow at different rates, but even if they just sent out the reminders based on the average growth rates, it would give parents a simple reminder that those things need to be watched and taken into consideration.

Hmm... now that I think about it, how hard would it be to just set up a database where the parent could punch in stats like the child's DOB, type of carseat, and then once they get the reminder email, add THAT info to the database & update the kid's info?

Let's say, for example, pregnant mom buys an infant seat. If she includes email info when registering it, she gets an email explaining the system with a link to sign up. When her baby's born, she can input the birth date and birth weight. When the baby's two months old, she gets an email reminding her that the infant insert must be removed at 12 pounds. Her baby is only 9.5 pounds, so she clicks the link in the email and updates the system. A couple months later, she gets another reminder about the insert.

When the baby's four months old, she gets a reminder about the newborn loops, and at six months, a reminder about adjusting the harness heights, both with a link to update the database AND a visual guide on how to do that (and how to tell if her baby really needs it at this point).

Based on the input the system has received, she gets a reminder that the infant seat has a 22lb weight limit when her baby is 11 months old, and it's time to think about replacing it. And gee, doesn't she want to see what this awesome company has available for convertibles??

What do you guys think?
 
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jess71903

Ambassador
That's the best idea I've heard in a LOOOOONG time. Maybe you should present it to Graco. They seem to have their bases covered with seats I would recommend to parents through all the stages.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I like the idea but it could be tricky to implement. I've heard (might not be true) that information provided for registering the seat can't be used for marketing purposes. While this might be informative and not outright marketing, frequent emails from a company could certainly be seen that way.

Maybe if there's a box people have to check to opt in, or maybe a completely separate form to fill out?

I always thought it would be great if companies sent notices after six years (or eight, or whatever) to let people know their seats were expired.
 

turtlemama

New member
What about parents who don't register their car seat? I know a lot of people who don't even bother. Then there are people who don't have computer access, maybe there could be a text option to be reminded by text message? Maybe it's just me, but I prefer text message reminders, like when a bill is due etc. It could be like that.
 

laudymama

New member
All great ideas.....also (and maybe more seats do this than I know of but I haven't seen it before today and loved it) why not just put it as a warning label right on the infant insert, etc. There's all kinds of labels everywhere else, why not one or two more?! I ran into to Target earlier and just so happened past the carseat aisle:whistle: and looked at the MR I'm eyeing and next to it noticed an Evenflo-on the chest clip it, in the plastic was "place at armpit level"- I thought out was awesome because its such a common misuse and its right there's starting you in the face everytime you buckle in!
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
It would definitely need to be opt-in, but with the right marketing, I bet they could get at least the infant seats and convertibles with fairly high response rates. They'd want to market it as a "bonus feature," yk? As in "Oh, you want to buy OUR brand because we not only sell a great seat, we're going to help you remember to use it correctly!"

Sure, not everyone would want it, just like not everyone wants lock-offs - but they buy the seats anyway because they feel like any company who would go that "extra mile for safety" must be "safer."
 

mlohry

New member
Awesome idea, they could even advertise their own brand for the next seat to buy, it would be a win, win for everyone. Love it.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
I guess.....well, gosh. It's damn hard to disagree with you, but I don't think it's a good idea. (Sorry.) I honestly think the MUCH better, simpler option would be to just make the seats simpler. FEWER rules. FEWER things to remember.
But even beyond that..i think the number of people who would benefit from such a ridiculously complicated system would be VERY very few. Like.. VERY. How many people wouldn't move, change email address, or CARE? And then you have the kids who fall through the cracks anyway. Kate weighed 22 pounds at 4 months. You gonna send out the "22 lb" message at 4 freaking months? And then parents have to click - how often? every month? until THEIR child reaches the 22 lbs? How bothersome for the parent of the kid who doesn't reach 22 lbs until 18 months. Or how useless would the email be for the parent whose kid WAS 22 at 4 months, if they don't get the email until..9 months?

I think it's a lot of work, with a lot of potential for failure, that could simply be resolved by parents reading the manual, and having the company have a staff of TRAINED CS people to answer phones to answer questions.
 

WhatAboutPuppy

New member
I think it's not a huge deal at all! It would all be automated on the companies part and based on averages. There's ALWAYS kids that are going to be way off... but what if you're using that seat for your 22 pound 4 month old at 11 months because it says to keep them rf until 1 (it happened with a little guy at my work in January). If that reminder when out at 11 months that would still remind the parent to use the seat correctly.
Of course it wouldn't hit everyone. It doesn't have to. I'm not a tech because I can save every child, I'm a tech to potentially save a child's life. I've also had the same email since college.

I think this idea would be amazing!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I like it... 'register your seat here (online or on card)'. 'check box for timely reminders' (optional...still not 'marketing').
Might not work for every kid, most parents might ignore it, but it will alert people that there may be something to think about.
Of course, better (attractive, discreet) labeling and fewer rules helps, too. A mom just rrrrripped the label off the shoulderpad on the Smart Seat the other day, now she won't know to use it RF and take it off FF at 40 pounds, because it was a big ugly label :p...a nice little satin thing here or there would work better... 'take this pad out at 11 pounds', a one inch line for the height for RF, etc (does it ever feel like one step forward, two steps back with the rules? Remember when we ONLY could use top slots FF? things are easier now, except for all the little pads and different handle positions, they really need to standardize things better :eek:)
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
I guess.....well, gosh. It's damn hard to disagree with you, but I don't think it's a good idea. (Sorry.) I honestly think the MUCH better, simpler option would be to just make the seats simpler. FEWER rules. FEWER things to remember.
But even beyond that..i think the number of people who would benefit from such a ridiculously complicated system would be VERY very few. Like.. VERY. How many people wouldn't move, change email address, or CARE?

LOL - you're allowed to disagree with me. :D And, I absolutely agree with you that the whole mess should be MUCH easier, with fewer rules and fewer thing to remember. Unfortunately, no one seems to be listening to us on that one! ;)

I think the ones who don't care likely wouldn't sign up anyway. If the company went the simple route and just sent out automated emails based on average growth, I think it would still be beneficial because even if the reminder wasn't currently relevant, it would still put a bug in the parent's ear, and make them more likely to remember it three months later when it was relevant.

Your argument is also why I think it would be most-used by new parents, during the first year, and a bit less-used during the second year. Think about due-date mommy forums online, where the moms sign up just to talk with other moms who are due the same time they are. They often go on to maintain those groups during their babies' first year, too, yk? But we don't see forums where parents of 14-years-2-months kids all hang out.

And people sign up for email reminders about all kinds of stuff - why not carseats? I can get the place that changes my oil to send me an email every 3 months (even if I don't drive 3,000 miles in 3 months), for example. My eye doctor, dentist, and veterinarian all send me emails reminding me when me or my kids are due for checkups. The vet isn't exact because I don't vaccinate my dogs every year, but the reminders do give me a little "kick" to keep it mind.
 

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