Learned something new today..

opheliajoy · Jun 27, 2011

When you go in to get your struts replaced... Be aware that they may need your car seats uninstalled!!

I was shocked (ok flabbergasted) when the mechanic came out and asked me to go reinstall the car seats. What bothered me the most is that they didn't ask me to uninstall them! I warned him it may take me a while and he said,"yeah, we had a heck of a time getting them out!". (insert super mad smilie here) the thought of two men with greasy hands yanking on my seats just makes my blood boil! I imagine it was the built in lock offs on the BLVD and the tethers on it and the radian that threw them.

I was also heartbroken because I'd spent so much time and effort getting 3 across installed correctly, managing to get the Radian more. Upright, too. It was the middle of a hot day, I was in jeans, feverish from a kidney and double ear infections. I also grew my back ut three weeks ago and am only just now starting to feel better. It was awful. I got them installed... Each one a rock-the-car install... But I didn't manage to get the radian upright. With ds I in it, it is resting right at 44degrees. That means I'm going to have to do it over again.
Now I'm bummed and sore and dreading the bending that it will take to get it right tomorrow.

Would anyone else be completely freaked out if someone moved their carseats? I am really upset... I don't even let dh install them because he just doesn't care to learn about the proper way and the ins and outs of each seat. I'm always afraid he'll break them. He gets rough with stuff when he's frustrated.

safeinthecar · Jun 27, 2011

There is absolutely no reason those seats needed to be taken out for a strut job. I'd be calling the boss for an explanation.

An Aurora · Jun 27, 2011

Yikes! I have heard others say the same thing, which is odd since why the heck would they need to take them out? Now I'm going to check my seats when I get my car back--it's at the dealership getting a bunch of work done now. I can't imagine them being able to weasel their hands in between to unbuckle the seats.

Judi · Jun 27, 2011

Why would they take them out?

opheliajoy · Jun 27, 2011

safeinthecar said:
There is absolutely no reason those seats needed to be taken out for a strut job. I'd be calling the boss for an explanation.

That's not true. In our car, they are bolted to the frame behind the seats of the car (in the bite) or so it was explained to me.
But I do feel like calling or writing the manager, just to suggest they let the customers uninstall them. Most people have no idea how expensive child restraints can be. I think if they had known they were handling $720 worth of CR, they may have exercised more caution.

safeinthecar · Jun 28, 2011

What kind of car do you drive?

babygirlsmom1005 · Jun 28, 2011

It depends on the vehicle.

In order to access the rear struts in some vehicles, the rear seat has to be removed to get to the nuts that hold the struts onto the frame.

They should of asked you to uninstall them, but they may have not realized (the actual tech, not the guy that sold the job) you were there and able to take them out (once a service adviser sells a job, he doesn't go back and "babysit" the tech working on it and let them know if the customer is there, etc...they move onto the next sale since they are paid on commission of the total job costs and how many jobs they sell...I use to be a service adviser, it's a busy job).

My husband is a tech, I read this to him, his response: "That is the last thing any tech wants to do is mess with car seats, they don't get paid to remove car seats and it takes time away from the job and increases the time spent to do the repair."

Techs are paid by a flat rate hour per job....so if a job calls for 1/2 a hour for pay, all they get is 1/2 a hour for that job, no matter if it took them 10 mins. to do, or 2 hours to do....the longer they are on a job, the less money they make.....believe me, they didn't remove the seats without good cause.

opheliajoy · Jun 28, 2011

Thank you for your time in replying.

Im feeling better this morning. I know that they knew we were there as they had been back and forth fir various reasons. I bet they just assumed it woul be quicker to take them out than to come and fetch me to do it. I just wish Id been told that would be nesasary. I would have chosen to come back another time without the kids, knowing I physically up to it.

89% of it right now is disappointment in loising that *perfect* radian install. Lol. That's not their fault, just the CarSeat Freak in me! Lol.

opheliajoy · Jun 28, 2011

safeinthecar said:
What kind of car do you drive?

Toyota Avalon

NannyMom · Jun 28, 2011

I say, be happy they told you

My Mom went for some work and they unbuckled my daughter's seat, then sat it back right where it was (RF, kinda supported by front seats). I buckled my daughter in, then happened to see the seatbelt was laying across the seat (lap belt)

I almost sent my daughter off totally unrestrained.

Patriot201 · Jun 28, 2011

I can see them needing to take seats out for a strut job.

I was NOT happy when they took my seats out to change my oil. When I expressed my COMPLETE displeasure, the manager of the shop said, "Ma'am, we always take baby seats out because we vacuum your whole car." (They CHARGE for the whole-car vacuum, BTW). I also was not happy when a different shop tore my RF tether because they forcibly moved my driver's seat WAY back (for no reason).

Brianna · Jun 28, 2011

I think from now on I'll remove whatever seats I have in my car before it goes to the shop for any reason. I'd hate to find out they caused some sort of damage and didn't even bother mentioning it!

emtb79 · Jun 28, 2011

Wow Im greatful then that my shop called me when I was trying to get the van's AC fixed in the big van and they needed to remove the vehicle seats in order to rip the walls off the van to try and chase a coolant leak. They said they opened the van and looked at it and began to try remove them and then somone walking by said those arent cheap let the lady pick them up we dont have the room for 8 seats in here.

krystin_21a · Jun 28, 2011

The last time I had my vehicle in for work I told them to let me know if the seats needed to be moved. And, I also asked that they not move the passenger seat at all since I had a rf seat behind it and it was tethered. They never asked me to move it and it was kind of funny watching a big man trying to move around in the front with that restriction, but he did.

EmmaCPST · Jun 28, 2011

babygirlsmom1005 said:
It depends on the vehicle.

In order to access the rear struts in some vehicles, the rear seat has to be removed to get to the nuts that hold the struts onto the frame.

They should of asked you to uninstall them, but they may have not realized (the actual tech, not the guy that sold the job) you were there and able to take them out (once a service adviser sells a job, he doesn't go back and "babysit" the tech working on it and let them know if the customer is there, etc...they move onto the next sale since they are paid on commission of the total job costs and how many jobs they sell...I use to be a service adviser, it's a busy job).

My husband is a tech, I read this to him, his response: "That is the last thing any tech wants to do is mess with car seats, they don't get paid to remove car seats and it takes time away from the job and increases the time spent to do the repair."

Techs are paid by a flat rate hour per job....so if a job calls for 1/2 a hour for pay, all they get is 1/2 a hour for that job, no matter if it took them 10 mins. to do, or 2 hours to do....the longer they are on a job, the less money they make.....believe me, they didn't remove the seats without good cause.

:yeahthatlove:

I work in a shop, and my husband is a tech, and yeah a lot of vehicles the back seat has to come out. From time to time we have to remove car seats and we try to communicate with the customer as much as possible... but the boys also ask me for help with anything when it comes to seats... and I usually visually check what's in the shop anyway and have had a lot of great misuse conversations with parents that way.

We always try to let parents know ahead of time though so that they can plan time to re-install seats or that I can help them in the case of a lot of parents that the other spouse did it and they have no clue how the seats go in!

scariestone · Jun 28, 2011

krystin_21a said:
The last time I had my vehicle in for work I told them to let me know if the seats needed to be moved. And, I also asked that they not move the passenger seat at all since I had a rf seat behind it and it was tethered.

I would be LIVID if anyone touched our car seat. When we still had the volvo, one of the times we brought it in they had to drive it around and I told them do NOT move the passenger seat at all! I had the radian braced on it and it had taken me 2 hours to get the freaking thing in there to my satisfaction. Gee guess what? They moved the seat back.

Why would it even take 2 people to test drive a car? Its a good thing it was a seat with a steel frame, it likely would have warped an all plastic seat. I was so PO'd. Thanks for the reminder though OP. If I need to have any work done on our car I will make sure to tell them not to lay a finger on DS's seat...or else.

wordbox · Jun 28, 2011

NannyMom said:
I say, be happy they told you My Mom went for some work and they unbuckled my daughter's seat, then sat it back right where it was (RF, kinda supported by front seats). I buckled my daughter in, then happened to see the seatbelt was laying across the seat (lap belt) I almost sent my daughter off totally unrestrained.

8-0 :banginghead:

Patriot201 said:
I can see them needing to take seats out for a strut job.

I was NOT happy when they took my seats out to change my oil. When I expressed my COMPLETE displeasure, the manager of the shop said, "Ma'am, we always take baby seats out because we vacuum your whole car." (They CHARGE for the whole-car vacuum, BTW). I also was not happy when a different shop tore my RF tether because they forcibly moved my driver's seat WAY back (for no reason).

I am definitely keeping this in mind now the next time we get our vehicle serviced! I don't want anyone touching my son's car seat, let alone uninstalling it... especially just to vacuum it out!

I'm so glad for this thread. I never would have considered any of this! I'd much rather know ahead of time if my seat needed to be uninstalled, and do it myself (and reinstall it myself).

opheliajoy · Jun 29, 2011

Yeah, I will try and leave the seats/kids behind next time.

Learned something new today..

opheliajoy

New member

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

An Aurora

Senior Community Member

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

opheliajoy

New member

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

babygirlsmom1005

New member

opheliajoy

New member

opheliajoy

New member

NannyMom

Well-known member

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

Brianna

New member

emtb79

New member

krystin_21a

New member

EmmaCPST

CPST Instructor

scariestone

New member

wordbox

New member

opheliajoy

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics