Question Damaged Seat - WWYD?

Stephdeputy · Mar 14, 2014

What would you do in this situation?

I bought a Britax Frontier from Amazon and a Pioneer from Kohls, trying to decide which one I wanted. First time attempting to install the Pioneer, I pulled the recline tab and heard a snap. When I removed the seat, there was a thin (maybe 1/8" diameter) silver metal bar sitting on the car's seat underneath the Pioneer. I didn't attempt to mess with the Recline anymore, so I don't know if it works without the bar or not - it's not sliding around like I've seen photos of other Britax seats on this forum.

So, after all that, I was unable to get a good install with the Pioneer and decided to keep the Frontier. Now what do I do with the damaged seat? If I contact Britax, I'm sure they would provide a replacement piece or send me a replacement seat, but I need to get it returned to Kohls in order to get my money back. (I don't know the exact return policy, but I don't want to risk being stuck with a seat I don't need.) I certainly don't want to return it to Kohls without telling them as I'm sure they'll re-sell it. Which should I contact first - seller or manufacturer?

Baylor · Mar 14, 2014

I would call Britax. They are guaranteed for a year. They have good customer service. I would then sell it. I would not send back a seat that I broke for full refund. I just don't think it is ethical.

Aurezalia · Mar 14, 2014

Just go to Kohl's; tell them the seat is broken and that's why you're returning it. They will send it back to Britax and get a replacement, you don't have to worry about it.

Stephdeputy · Mar 14, 2014

I don't consider returning something that broke unethical. If I'd used it in a manner that was inappropriate, then by all means I wouldn't consider it. When something snaps on an almost $200 seat the first time you use it, I consider it defective.

Aurezalia · Mar 14, 2014

Baylor said:
I would call Britax. They are guaranteed for a year. They have good customer service. I would then sell it. I would not send back a seat that I broke for full refund. I just don't think it is ethical.

It's not unethical; as a matter of fact, it's expected. I worked retail in several different baby stores - BBB and local. BBB as a national chain fully expected this and there is a system in place between stores and the manufacturers to take care of issues like this. Even local stores, while they don't have a process as streamlined due to smaller amounts of product, send faulty product back to the manufacturer for a refund or replacement. It's not her fault that the seat had an essential piece break almost right away with normal use. When that happens, take it back to the store. They will not lose money on it.
OP will not be able to resell a seat for the full retail value she bought it for. She certainly should not lose money on this because the product was faulty.

safeinthecar · Mar 14, 2014

Baylor said:
I would call Britax. They are guaranteed for a year. They have good customer service. I would then sell it. I would not send back a seat that I broke for full refund. I just don't think it is ethical.

The recline lever is meant to be used. Just because she was using it when it broke, doesn't mean she broke it. Correlation is not causation.

Baylor · Mar 14, 2014

safeinthecar said:
The recline lever is meant to be used. Just because she was using it when it broke, doesn't mean she broke it. Correlation is not causation.

I am sorry. I must have misunderstood.

joolsplus3 · Mar 14, 2014

Even at Babies R Us, our returned stuff has an acronym, Returned Goods Damaged, RGD. Stores totally expect things like this to happen, it's not your fault, they'll give you back your money no questions asked. Then THEY can take it up with their distributor (At least I always hope that's what happens, that somehow word gets to the manufacturers that stuff is returned broken so they can ultimately design things better...like the million and one fisher price swing motors that don't engage properly

)

Mom2natalie · Mar 14, 2014

Definitely return it. It sounds like something was defective.

YinzerMama · Mar 14, 2014

I agree if it breaks immediately under normal use, something was wrong with it - either defective or just poor quality and therefore worthy of return.

Brigala · Mar 15, 2014

Yup. I say return it to Kohl's. Just make sure they know that it's broken so they don't think they can put it back out and sell it.

They will send it back to the distributor or the manufacturer.

I think Baylor thought you meant you broke it because you'd done something wrong with it, not because something just snapped with normal use. If you had, say, dropped it out the back of your pickup truck, or used a crowbar on it and broken it, my answer would be different.

Question Damaged Seat - WWYD?

Stephdeputy

New member

Baylor

New member

Aurezalia

Well-known member

Stephdeputy

New member

Aurezalia

Well-known member

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

Baylor

New member

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

Mom2natalie

New member

YinzerMama

New member

Brigala

CPST Instructor

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics