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LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
livilou said:
Oh, sorry! Apparently I don't have access to wherever that was discussed so that explains why I didn't see it. :) Feel free to delete this post - sorry.

Oh, I didn't mean we can't discuss it again. I'm just on my phone and had a long response there and don't want to re-type it :p

I also didn't realize it was in a non-public forum. I'll copy and paste my response.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Ok, here was my prior response:

LISmama810 said:
Well, her assertions about US standards are misleading and simplistic. No, US seats might not meet foreign standards, but seats from other countries don't necessarily meet ours either. That doesn't mean they're worse, just different.

I agree our standards could be improved, but not because of her argument that we drive faster than 30 mph. That proves that she doesn't quite get it.

She also implies that it's Dorel seats that barely meet the standards, when really she has no idea.

As for her Dorel-specific arguments, she has some valid and some invalid points.

The 10-year-old recall? On it's face it looks atrocious, but there's more to it. If you read Dorel's response to NHTSA, the company had a lot of valid points. Yes, the straps degraded, but I'm not convinced they were a safety hazard. It was NHTSA--not Dorel--who dragged its feet on that issue.

The statement about rear-facing being inconvenient is concerning, but in all fairness, that was issued from their European division in response to a study in England, where they only rear-face until about 9 months. That doesn't excuse it, but it's also unfair to overlook Dorel's contributions in the US. They had 35-lb RFing seats when most companies still went to 33 max. They also came out with one of the first 40-lb seats on the market.

As for them coming out with more seats while other companies take a long time, Dorel is the only manufacturer to have an on-site testing facility. I imagine that allows them to speed up their process.

Also, the number of recalls doesn't concern me at all. I don't see recalls as a negative thing. I'd rather know about a defect than not know about a defect. Just because a company hasn't had a recall doesn't mean there isn't something wrong.

That's not to say I don't have issues with Dorel. I actually have quite a few of them.

They do have some unsafe (IMO) products that should be recalled and haven't been. (Namely the Scenera with the harness-slicing spikes.)

I have an issue with their marketing, particularly of the AOE (and especially the older version) as "the only seat you'll ever need" and the 100-lb weight limit that many people assume is for the harness. The fact that that seat is allowed as a booster at all is an atrocity.

I have a big problem with their insistence that their RF convertibles be used at 45 degrees. Not from a practical standpoint, per se, but I truly believe that is more dangerous for an older kid than using it more upright.

I'm personally having issues with them right now because some people were reporting that customer service told them they could remove the harness covers from their Complete Airs. I was a bit incredulous about that, so I called and was told the same thing. Rather emphatically, in fact.

Then Dorel held a technical update and said there were structural changes to the seat and if the seat came with those covers, they must not be removed.

Now they're refusing to give me a refund on my destroyed seat because they don't authorize removal of the covers. And their rep is telling me there were no structural changes.

So, bottom line: I, personally, will not buy Dorel products (anymore :rolleyes:) I also won't hesitate to recommend them to other people when appropriate. I feel the company is shady, but I don't feel their products are inherently unsafe. Just like I won't buy a Nestlee Crunch Bar: I don't feel the candy will kill me, but I won't support the company.
 

laurengt

Active member
I'm generally not a fan of "mommy bloggers" because (for many reasons, but the applicable reasons for this post are that) they can get very fixated on hating something and will pick and choose which facts to give to prove their points.

I'm not a Dorel fan because of a lot of reasons mentioned in the post and for some others too. I prefer car seat companies that are just that: car seat companies. Not exclusively, but I do prefer companies that just focus on making really great seats and not trying to run the mill on baby gear. (I'm partial to SK/Diono for this reason; just as I adore UPPAbaby and trust their strollers because they are in the stroller business.)

I had a Safety 1st seat that had a recall on it but the recall was them sending a little tube of lubricant or something to fix it ourselves. The seat was and is at my parents house and my dad fixed it so we have the seat in an emergency but I've pulled it from use. If there is something wrong with the seat I'd be more comfortable with a full recall not a "bandaid" to slap on it so save the company money. Just my opinion.

I agree with PP that Dorel seats are not inherently bad or unsafe and they have their place in the market, just not in my car.
 

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