Car Seat Check Event

carseatfreak

New member
I ventured 40 minutes to the other side of the city we live near yesterday to get my 2 kiddos rear facing in MA's and 1 child in a turbobooster checked at an event yesterday. I waited in line over 30 minutes...and spent less than 10 minutes at the actual check. I was SO disappointed! I haven't had the seats checked since they were in infant seats. I feel I do pretty good but I'm sure there are things I miss.

Started with the tech weighing my oldest dd. Had her sit in the booster and buckle herself. She looked perfect. Asked the tech at what point my oldest dd could graduate to the adult belt (mainly so my dd would here). She said 4'9" or when her feet rest on the floor. That was quick. Then wrote down the model numbers on the MA's...looked at how they were installed (latch), said kids should rear face to the max of the seat, and pretty much said that was it. Asked if I had any questions. I was just stunned I think. I did ask about one of my rear facing tethers. She asked me to get out my vehicle manual...I told her it doesn't say anything about rear facing tether points. She said she needed to go get her latch manual. Then she came back and said she talked to the 'expert' and it can be tethered to any part of the front seat. Huh?!?! I didn't think that was true. She said the 'expert' also said this is the only brand you can tether this way (rear). I told her you can also rear face tether a sunshine kids radian (we have those in dh's car). She said 'I've never heard of that seat...what kind did you say'. I was just ticked at that point. Seriously?!!? Maybe I totally expected too much. How do checks usually go. Did I just get a bad one? All the other cars around me had seats out of the car inspecting them. I filled out this survey while waiting in line that asked about my kiddos and there was over 2 pages of questions that looked like they would address. She never touched my convertible seats...let alone checked to see if the harnesses were tight (and never said anything about my mirrors I have for rear facing).

If it 'looks' like someone is doing it all right do you not really check them?

Ugh...should I try again somewhere else or assume I'm doing it all right?

Thanks for listening this far...I was really excited actually to get my installs checked and see what I should be doing better.
 
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jourdysmom

CPST Instructor
I think you got a "bad one" as you put it... :(

We remove every seat, check for damage, twisted harness, etc. Educate on using seats to the limits, booster to 4'9" etc, and have parent/caregiver reinstall the seat. Verify install and away they go... We tell people to expect to be an hour of 1-2 seats, longer for more.
 

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
We take every seat out too. Look it over, heck, most seats you have to take out just to get the model # and manufacture dates.
We do try to get people in & out as quick as possible but that is probably an average of 15 minutes per seat so if you come with 3, expect 45 minutes. Now for a mom who knows what she's doing, it will be less 'cause I have less education to do but for those with lots of mistakes or who we give new seats to (90% of ours), it takes a bit more time.

Yep, you just got a bad tech or bad check. People around here are super lucky! We have some great techs plus myself & cristineka both go to most checkpoints so there's 2 of us from here that are very much into "to the max"
 

swtgi1982

New member
Yeah all seats should have been taken out. We had one yesterday that by appearances looked 100% correct but when taken out both seats has minor hidden flaws. One was recalled for the harness adjuster recall on Dorel seats. And the other the adjuster strap under the seat was all twisted and tangled up. But appearances can be deceiving. All seats SHOULD come out at a check. Where are you located to help find a place to get you back to.
 

bnsnyde

New member
At our check we had mostly boosters. And mostly backless boosters, at that.
So those went fairly quickly.

Others arrived with a van and 3 or more kids, and those took over an hour.
 

moonmommy

Senior Community Member
Not all techs are created equal. Most of the techs I know are very passionate and very thorough, but I have met 1 or 2 who only became CPSTs because they had to for work. It could just be that your tech was having a stressful day and felt pressured to rush, or has social anxiety issues, or something. If you were not satisfied with your experience, I would definitely recommend finding a different CPST to double check. I would love to do a check like that, and I'm sure there are plenty of other techs who would, too! Let me know if you need any links to find an event/station/CPST.
 

carseatfreak

New member
Where are you located to help find a place to get you back to.

Indiana

This check was at local hospital. I checked safekids the other day (have them on facebook) and didn't see any local (less than 1 1/2 hours away) checks on their site.

I have had my installs checked...it's just been a long while since I've done rear facing installs with the MA's. Since oldest dd was in one (and unfortunately I went by the 1 year or 20 lbs 'rule' that my ped told me at that time and she was ff at 15 months :( ).
 

carseatfreak

New member
Not all techs are created equal. Most of the techs I know are very passionate and very thorough, but I have met 1 or 2 who only became CPSTs because they had to for work. It could just be that your tech was having a stressful day and felt pressured to rush, or has social anxiety issues, or something. If you were not satisfied with your experience, I would definitely recommend finding a different CPST to double check. I would love to do a check like that, and I'm sure there are plenty of other techs who would, too! Let me know if you need any links to find an event/station/CPST.

I gave the tech the benefit of the doubt...hoping it was one of the issues you cited. I seriously was driving away thinking...should I go back and have them looked at by someone else...but didn't want to make a scene. I have been to another place in town that does them before my twins were born (and had their infant seats checked and wanted help with an install on the center seat of an Odyssey). I may try going back there...you have to make appts and they only do it during the week (I like the Saturday idea).

Thanks to all for sharing how your checks go!
 

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