To sell or not to sell

Okay so I moved my newly 3 yr old out of her britax G3 advocate into a clek fllo I recently purchased so she could continue to rear face longer. Now my 14 month old needs the britax G3 advocate because her bsafe really is so close to being outgrown.

I always want the latest and greatest newest car seat technology and I think it's because my suburban is a 2003 and since I can't afford a snazzy one with more safety feature I feel like I must keep their car seats newish. We also have a Chico nextfit that was a seat I used for my 5.5 yr old niece who is now in a high backed booster in my car.

So Here's my question - we have a local mom/baby sale coming up and I am wondering if I should sell the britax G3 advocate and the Chico nextfit and get my baby a clek fllo or a new britax advocate?
Or should I just keep the G3 advocate ?

Also what is everyone's thoughts on britax and their recalls lately?
http://triangleoffice.ca/2015/08/25/is-britax-avoiding-a-costly-car-seat-recall/

Thanks for reading



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Is part of the reason you're wanting to trade up because you want something that will last longer RFing? Knowing what it's like to have tall kids myself, I'd do so for that reason without hesitation. HTH.

Honestly I'd sell it. I'm trying to sell my G3 as well, my son hasn't come anywhere near outgrowing his, but it's such a PAIN to fold him into the seat now and he is a short 2.5 year old. We love the Foonf that I bought a couple of months ago.

seb3244 said:

Also what is everyone's thoughts on britax and their recalls lately? http://triangleoffice.ca/2015/08/25/is-britax-avoiding-a-costly-car-seat-recall/ Thanks for reading Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Did your son have this problem described in this blog on his G3? I would have a hard time imagining that this is a common issue for many families -- there's no way my 2.5 year old could reach the lever in her Roundabout G4. If I had a loose harness, then of course, but if the harness is tight she can't really sit forward at all and her arms aren't long enough to be able to do that when she is sitting back in the seat and properly restrained. Maybe if she were FF and therefore less reclined? I just can't imagine it.

I am not worried at all about the issue described in this blog post, but I feel like I would need to see video of the kid doing this to even begin to be able to worry about it.

Nedra said:

Did your son have this problem described in this blog on his G3? I would have a hard time imagining that this is a common issue for many families -- there's no way my 2.5 year old could reach the lever in her Roundabout G4. If I had a loose harness, then of course, but if the harness is tight she can't really sit forward at all and her arms aren't long enough to be able to do that when she is sitting back in the seat and properly restrained. Maybe if she were FF and therefore less reclined? I just can't imagine it.

I am not worried at all about the issue described in this blog post, but I feel like I would need to see video of the kid doing this to even begin to be able to worry about it.

Click to expand...

I briefly had this problem with Ella rear facing in our Boulevard. I threatened to tape over the opening in the cover so she couldn't get to it and that worked fine, she did NOT want tape on her seat cover. It's not a problem that's recall worthy at all though, MOST seats that I've owned or used have at some point been figured out by my kids and at that point it becomes a discipline issue, just like not sliding the chest clip down or wiggling out of the harness. As of now, the only seat none of my kids can loosen on their own is the Frontier/Pioneer which gets complaints from parents because THEY can't reach the harness adjuster. TBH the woman's attitude in her post kinda pisses me off, Britax was right and I'm shocked they replaced her seat.


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katymyers said:

I briefly had this problem with Ella rear facing in our Boulevard. I threatened to tape over the opening in the cover so she couldn't get to it and that worked fine, she did NOT want tape on her seat cover. It's not a problem that's recall worthy at all though, MOST seats that I've owned or used have at some point been figured out by my kids and at that point it becomes a discipline issue, just like not sliding the chest clip down or wiggling out of the harness. As of now, the only seat none of my kids can loosen on their own is the Frontier/Pioneer which gets complaints from parents because THEY can't reach the harness adjuster. TBH the woman's attitude in her post kinda pisses me off, Britax was right and I'm shocked they replaced her seat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly -- I was actually thinking that tape over the adjuster flap is what I would do!

It always interests me when parents are outraged at the car seat manufacturer's response when they complain about their kid being able to open the chest clip and whatnot. The directly-quoted response always sounds perfectly reasonable to me, but the parent who is posting about it on social media is always furious and says that it is further justification of why the company is terrible.

Athena said:

Is part of the reason you're wanting to trade up because you want something that will last longer RFing? Knowing what it's like to have tall kids myself, I'd do so for that reason without hesitation. HTH.

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Yes. Dd2 is only 15 months but I will read face her until age 4. She is in the 90% for height already.
Thank you for your opinion

melissa621 said:

Honestly I'd sell it. I'm trying to sell my G3 as well, my son hasn't come anywhere near outgrowing his, but it's such a PAIN to fold him into the seat now and he is a short 2.5 year old. We love the Foonf that I bought a couple of months ago.

Click to expand...

Yes this exactly! We used the G3 until dd1 was 2.75 yrs old and it was bad. At the age of one it wasn't nearly as bad.

Nedra said:

Did your son have this problem described in this blog on his G3? I would have a hard time imagining that this is a common issue for many families -- there's no way my 2.5 year old could reach the lever in her Roundabout G4. If I had a loose harness, then of course, but if the harness is tight she can't really sit forward at all and her arms aren't long enough to be able to do that when she is sitting back in the seat and properly restrained. Maybe if she were FF and therefore less reclined? I just can't imagine it. I am not worried at all about the issue described in this blog post, but I feel like I would need to see video of the kid doing this to even begin to be able to worry about it.

Click to expand...

No my dd1 never did this. I was just curious if anyone else had heard about this before. And yeah I would want video as well lol

katymyers said:

I briefly had this problem with Ella rear facing in our Boulevard. I threatened to tape over the opening in the cover so she couldn't get to it and that worked fine, she did NOT want tape on her seat cover. It's not a problem that's recall worthy at all though, MOST seats that I've owned or used have at some point been figured out by my kids and at that point it becomes a discipline issue, just like not sliding the chest clip down or wiggling out of the harness. As of now, the only seat none of my kids can loosen on their own is the Frontier/Pioneer which gets complaints from parents because THEY can't reach the harness adjuster. TBH the woman's attitude in her post kinda pisses me off, Britax was right and I'm shocked they replaced her seat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Yes I am shocked as well that they replaced her seat.

Nedra said:

My thoughts exactly -- I was actually thinking that tape over the adjuster flap is what I would do! It always interests me when parents are outraged at the car seat manufacturer's response when they complain about their kid being able to open the chest clip and whatnot. The directly-quoted response always sounds perfectly reasonable to me, but the parent who is posting about it on social media is always furious and says that it is further justification of why the company is terrible.

Click to expand...

Yeah britax is so terrible she took the newer free car seat that britax sent her lol

seb3244 said:

No my dd1 never did this. I was just curious if anyone else had heard about this before. And yeah I would want video as well lol

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Whoops! Just saw that I referred your kid as your son instead of your daughter! Distracted today -- sorry!

Nedra said:

Whoops! Just saw that I referred your kid as your son instead of your daughter! Distracted today -- sorry!

Click to expand...

No worries at all lol I appreciate the advise either way

Hello all. Funny, I just randomly saw that my blog was mentioned here. I do appreciate all the comments to my car seat blog. All discussion from parents about child safety is great, in my opinion.

I totally understand all the scepticism. However, my son was very tight in his harness. And he was just a couple weeks shy of being 2.5 and was 35". The lever was in between his legs, he could easily reach it. The lever was VERY easy to lift (I've seen some brands that have the same feature, but the lever is very difficult to lift).

Perhaps tape or even sewing the flap closed would be a good choice. My feeling was I would have to keep on re-sewing or re-taping - perhaps not a big issue - but it also would make getting him in and out of the car more difficult with a harness that is always in the "tense" position. As well with tape my feeling would be that he would pick it off any way.

I can see how people would think it strange that I have another Britax. If I just had a refund for the original seats, I would have picked something else. We had two car seats to replace (one in my car and one in my parents). I couldn't afford to put out another $900-ish dollars on another set - and then throw the originals away - and I wouldnt sell them to anyone. The one that Britax told me to purchase was the "Click Tights" these actually fixed the lever problem. The button is so far away it would be next to impossible for a child to reach it - IMO. That gave me some comfort (other than the current recall - of which they sent me the fix kit for it).

Oh...to the video comment - I was just thinking this morning I wish I took a video. It happened May 2015, and I don't have the car seats any more (back at Britax). My son did do it, but people are correct - this wouldn't be a problem for every child.

My only goal is to at least create awareness so parents can make their own choice about their child's safety. I wanted other parents to at least know than not know. I would feel guilty if I never put the info out there and something happened.

In my opinion, we are all in the crazy thing together. We all want the best for our kids. Again, I am very appreciative of the conversation and the questions.

Sincerely, MKuss

Kuss said:

Perhaps tape or even sewing the flap closed would be a good choice. My feeling was I would have to keep on re-sewing or re-taping - perhaps not a big issue - but it also would make getting him in and out of the car more difficult with a harness that is always in the "tense" position. As well with tape my feeling would be that he would pick it off any way.

I can see how people would think it strange that I have another Britax. If I just had a refund for the original seats, I would have picked something else. We had two car seats to replace (one in my car and one in my parents). I couldn't afford to put out another $900-ish dollars on another set - and then throw the originals away - and I wouldnt sell them to anyone. The one that Britax told me to purchase was the "Click Tights" these actually fixed the lever problem. The button is so far away it would be next to impossible for a child to reach it - IMO. That gave me some comfort (other than the current recall - of which they sent me the fix kit for it).

Click to expand...

The harness mechanism in the "G" series Britax convertibles is not unlike those found on many other brands and products. Other mechanisms vary in how easy it is for a child to release, some are easier, some are more difficult. The thing is, kids are pretty smart. If they really want out, the Houdinis are going to eventually learn how to do it. And if you make it so difficult that they can't possibly do it, then it's also likely going to be difficult for some parents, like you said.

This is not the first complaint of this type for these convertibles, and there have been similar complaints on other brands, too. It really all depends on the child. If you have a child who is prone to escaping or releasing the harness system, then it's definitely wise to try to choose one they can't release very easily. Some models position them differently. For example, the release on the Britax Frontier 90 model is recessed a bit more and more difficult for a child to release. Similarly, some parents complained it is hard for them to find as well.

If your child simply refuses to stop releasing the harness or escaping, you could also try an aftermarket product or custom solution. While some of these may not be recommended in general, like those made by a third party, you certainly have to weigh the risks and make a choice for your child's situation. For example: http://carseatblog.com/27151/merrit...nd-of-the-line-for-the-carseat-escape-artist/. I know these particular ones don't solve your issue, but you might find a solution that does.

That Britax credited your purchase price to switch to another model seems like pretty good customer service to me. You basically got to try one model, found it didn't work for your child, and switch to another, even after any retailer money back period was over. This is the exact reason that advocates always recommend a good return policy. Even the most popular products that work great for most owners simply don't work well for some other vehicles, parents or children.

Also:
https://www.facebook.com/Britax/posts/10151095975888390

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=95150

Google Search "Houdini" @ car-seat.org

Kuss said:

Hello all. Funny, I just randomly saw that my blog was mentioned here. I do appreciate all the comments to my car seat blog. All discussion from parents about child safety is great, in my opinion. I totally understand all the scepticism. However, my son was very tight in his harness. And he was just a couple weeks shy of being 2.5 and was 35". The lever was in between his legs, he could easily reach it. The lever was VERY easy to lift (I've seen some brands that have the same feature, but the lever is very difficult to lift). Perhaps tape or even sewing the flap closed would be a good choice. My feeling was I would have to keep on re-sewing or re-taping - perhaps not a big issue - but it also would make getting him in and out of the car more difficult with a harness that is always in the "tense" position. As well with tape my feeling would be that he would pick it off any way. I can see how people would think it strange that I have another Britax. If I just had a refund for the original seats, I would have picked something else. We had two car seats to replace (one in my car and one in my parents). I couldn't afford to put out another $900-ish dollars on another set - and then throw the originals away - and I wouldnt sell them to anyone. The one that Britax told me to purchase was the "Click Tights" these actually fixed the lever problem. The button is so far away it would be next to impossible for a child to reach it - IMO. That gave me some comfort (other than the current recall - of which they sent me the fix kit for it). Oh...to the video comment - I was just thinking this morning I wish I took a video. It happened May 2015, and I don't have the car seats any more (back at Britax). My son did do it, but people are correct - this wouldn't be a problem for every child. My only goal is to at least create awareness so parents can make their own choice about their child's safety. I wanted other parents to at least know than not know. I would feel guilty if I never put the info out there and something happened. In my opinion, we are all in the crazy thing together. We all want the best for our kids. Again, I am very appreciative of the conversation and the questions. Sincerely, MKuss

Click to expand...

About my comment earlier on that you still took the other model britax seat I didn't think about the fact that they didn't offer you a refund. And that if they did you probably would have gotten a different brand.

Also don't you think it would have been cheaper for britax to just give you a refund? I mean shipping the new seats to you and the old ones back would be expensive.

CPSDarren said:

The harness mechanism in the "G" series Britax convertibles is not unlike those found on many other brands and products. Other mechanisms vary in how easy it is for a child to release, some are easier, some are more difficult. The thing is, kids are pretty smart. If they really want out, the Houdinis are going to eventually learn how to do it. And if you make it so difficult that they can't possibly do it, then it's also likely going to be difficult for some parents, like you said.

This is not the first complaint of this type for these convertibles, and there have been similar complaints on other brands, too. It really all depends on the child. If you have a child who is prone to escaping or releasing the harness system, then it's definitely wise to try to choose one they can't release very easily. Some models position them differently. For example, the release on the Britax Frontier 90 model is recessed a bit more and more difficult for a child to release. Similarly, some parents complained it is hard for them to find as well.

If your child simply refuses to stop releasing the harness or escaping, you could also try an aftermarket product or custom solution. While some of these may not be recommended in general, like those made by a third party, you certainly have to weigh the risks and make a choice for your child's situation. For example: http://carseatblog.com/27151/merrit...nd-of-the-line-for-the-carseat-escape-artist/. I know these particular ones don't solve your issue, but you might find a solution that does.

That Britax credited your purchase price to switch to another model seems like pretty good customer service to me. You basically got to try one model, found it didn't work for your child, and switch to another, even after any retailer money back period was over. This is the exact reason that advocates always recommend a good return policy. Even the most popular products that work great for most owners simply don't work well for some other vehicles, parents or children.

Also:
https://www.facebook.com/Britax/posts/10151095975888390

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=95150

Google Search "Houdini" @ car-seat.org

Click to expand...

Hello CPSDarren, thank you for taking the time to comment on my comments

I appreciate that you also included some links that help those who have issues with their child opening their buckles and chest clips. Thankfully, my son doesn't open his. He is just over 2.5years, I hope that is something I don't have to tackle in the future.

My issue is the lever in-between his legs that easily released the harness. On my particular Britax Boulevard 65 it was very easy to reach by my 2.5 year old son (even though he was tight in his chair). And, it was VERY easy to lift. I could lift it with my pinky finger.

The issues:
- If it was harder to lift (like some other seats) it may not have been an issue.
- If he was older than 2.5 he may listen and act more CONSISTENTLY to my instruction "don't touch it".
- If he was smaller/younger he wouldn't have the ABILITY to reach it.

The solution:
- The great thing about Britax is that (in my opinion) they have acknowledged that there is a problem, because they have fixed it with their "Click Tight" models. That is a credit to their design, innovation and manufacturing department. It shows they are thinking how to keep kids safe (IMO)
- With these car seats, the lever is now a button - that is in a plastic "tunnel". Sorry I'm not explaining that well. Basically, it means it's out of the child's reach, but can be accessed easily by parents/grandparents.
- It is great that I was allowed to purchase two of these "Click Tights" from ToysRUS on the basis that they refund me that money, and I send back the originals to them at their cost. For that I am grateful. If I had just my money back, I likely would have gone to a different brand, but to at least have the option to get rid of my original seats without incurring another huge cost - was at least helpful.
- I wish I could say it was great customer service. I did have to spend 1.5 hour on the phone in May 2015, and another hour-ish on the phone in August 2015 to get this to happen. They knew they had a car seat issue, they knew they fixed it with the "Britax Click Tights". I feel that this could have been told to me in the first 10 minutes.

Not all kids will have the issue we had. But for the parents that do find themselves with the "lever issue", a simple remedy should be offered up right away - SINCE THEY HAVE THE SOLUTION .

My hope is that the next person who has an issue doesn't have to be on the phone as long as I had to be to get the situation solved. Maybe the next person will have a wonderful customer experience. My hope is that with all this awareness, perhaps the next customer will have an easier time.

So far (knock on wood), the Click Tights have solved the problem for us. He can't reach it, and can't release his harness.

http://triangleoffice.ca/2015/08/25/is-britax-avoiding-a-costly-car-seat-recall/

I just want others to be aware of the situation, and the potential remedy.

Thanks again for the forum. All discussion is good .

Kuss said:

Hello CPSDarren, thank you for taking the time to comment on my comments

I appreciate that you also included some links that help those who have issues with their child opening their buckles and chest clips. Thankfully, my son doesn't open his. He is just over 2.5years, I hope that is something I don't have to tackle in the future.

My issue is the lever in-between his legs that easily released the harness. On my particular Britax Boulevard 65 it was very easy to reach by my 2.5 year old son (even though he was tight in his chair). And, it was VERY easy to lift. I could lift it with my pinky finger.

Click to expand...

As I mentioned, I realize the products in the link to our blog didn't address your specific issue, but it was an example of third party products out there that might be considered in extreme cases when no other solution is found for an issue like this one. I am very familiar with the mechanism involved. In fact, I believe the release lever on this product is better concealed and more recessed than those you find on some competitive models. As a smaller convertible with shorter overall dimensions, I can also appreciate that it is easier to reach than other models. Perhaps they will at some point find a solution for those in your situation.

In any case, every single carseat on the market has potential incompatibility issues, whether it be from an ease-of-use concern, vehicle installation problem or it just doesn't work for a particular child. The best solution we have to these issues is that we have a choice of dozens of different products from different manufacturers.

As any technician or advocate knows, even their favorite product just isn't going to work well in some cases, for one reason or another. One of my clients used a popular competitive seat. At the time, they were concerned about complaints that the lower LATCH attachments would loosen. So, we installed it with the seatbelt to resolve their concern. The problem was that this model did not sit up on a pedestal like the Britax model and so it was low to the seat cushion. Their child could and did reach down and release the seatbelt, uninstalling the carseat. Our ultimate solution was to move the carseat to the opposite side and twist the seatbelt buckle stalk another half turn, so the button was more concealed. In the short term, it solved the issue, but if the child was determined, another solution or likely a different carseat would have been necessary.

Similarly, most other carseats have installation compatibility issues in various vehicles. It would not be fair to demand a recall because they can't be installed safely in one or more vehicles. Otherwise, they would all be recalled. Budget carseats lack various ease-of-use features found on high end models. This can directly affect whether a parent installs and uses the carseat correctly and safely, but also not a defect justifying a recall.

It's definitely an issue that a parent should consider, especially if they have a child who is also likely to release the mechanism. I just don't happen to agree that this is a safety defect that demands a recall, like the one on the Click Tight models did. Personally, I think you found the best solution. A different carseat worked better for your situation. It's great that Britax ultimately helped you with an upgrade that worked better for your child.

I also think some of the simple solutions like tape or stitches mentioned on this thread might be very effective at preventing this for kids prone to release it, while not making it significantly more difficult for a parent to operate. They are very inexpensive and can be be easily applied if a parent evaluates that their child is releasing the harness.