Splash
New member
I emailed Russ about these, mostly about his stand that I had to pay extra to make the seat work as it should. These things are not safe...
How do you think it sounds?
Russ,
The Radians have arrived, and I have tried without success to install one in the center of my vehicle. Alas, it cannot be done. So my choice is to use it on the side, or not use it at all. I choose the latter. We will likely still get one as a back up seat, but given the installation issues, it will not be the main seat.
However, I am deeply shocked and saddened that a company that issues a retail price of over $250 for a made in china car seat then requires consumers to purchase additional pieces to make the seat work in a manner than it should. The crotch strap appears to be fine, but the buckle tongues... really. Major design flaw in that instance, unfortuantely. Not only are they extremely inconvenient, but also likely highly dangerous. I say this because I, with a wealth of CPS knowledge and a highly conscientious and safety minded parent, nearly made what could be a fatal error. I tightened the straps as tightly as possible across my son's chest and shoulders, and then looked over everything. It all appeared fine. It wasn't until I got in the front seat to drive away that I looked back and noticed 3+ inches of slack in the harness around his hips. I went back to tighten it, and had to pull HARD, very hard, to pull the webbing through the defective buckle tongues in order to remove the slack from the harness. Had I not noticed, and been in an accident, it is very likely that my child would have been more seriously injured based solely on the fact that he would have been inadvertently improperly restrained. I find this oversight inexcuseable in a safety device. It is not a convenience feature by any means, it is a design flaw that is very likely placing many children in danger without their parents knowing. Many people (almost everyone I know who owns a radian, in fact, which is about 30+ people) has had major complaints about the buckle tongues, and most had them replaced when SKJP was owning up to the problem and replacing a defective product at no charge. Everyone hated them, and many have fraying straps because of them. On a harness that cannot be replaced, this is even more disturbing.
I am not sure at this point what my entire thought is on the Radian. I am disturbed that many people get different answers on so many things, but I am mostly very upset by these clearly defective buckle tongues and a company that wants to charge consumers additional money to make the seat even useable. I am sure there is substantial mark up on the Radian car seats, as there are on most car seats. However, most are "ready to use" out of the box, *or* are promptly fixed by the manufacturer at no cost (I am well familiar with Britax customer service... a company that charges top shelf prices for their products but replaces anything and everything if it needs replacing).
I mean this email to be constructive criticism from a well informed and highly CPS knowledgeable consumer. SKJP is generally disregarded in the CPS world, owing solely to the plethora of after market devices (all unnecessary and many unsafe), most discord having to do with the Mighty-Tite. There was a great deal of buzz when the Radian premiered (and when it was first mentioned, back when it was known as the Profile). I have many friends who got in on the ninety dollar CPST special. Most people I know are pleased with their Radian, but 95% of them have replaced the buckle tongues because it is clearly a major issue.
Please take this chance to truly listen to this consumer feedback. If the design of the seat will not be changed (which I believe it absolutely should be), and a recall will not be issued (another thing I think might be worth thinking about), at least consider replacing these items at no cost for the people that want them replaced. Yes, it will cut into the bottom line by a small amount, but on an item where the profit margin is quite high and the fix is extremely simple and inexpensive, it will go a long way in customer satisfaction and raising the opinion of SKJP in the CPS community which gives so much attention to this seat.
How do you think it sounds?
Russ,
The Radians have arrived, and I have tried without success to install one in the center of my vehicle. Alas, it cannot be done. So my choice is to use it on the side, or not use it at all. I choose the latter. We will likely still get one as a back up seat, but given the installation issues, it will not be the main seat.
However, I am deeply shocked and saddened that a company that issues a retail price of over $250 for a made in china car seat then requires consumers to purchase additional pieces to make the seat work in a manner than it should. The crotch strap appears to be fine, but the buckle tongues... really. Major design flaw in that instance, unfortuantely. Not only are they extremely inconvenient, but also likely highly dangerous. I say this because I, with a wealth of CPS knowledge and a highly conscientious and safety minded parent, nearly made what could be a fatal error. I tightened the straps as tightly as possible across my son's chest and shoulders, and then looked over everything. It all appeared fine. It wasn't until I got in the front seat to drive away that I looked back and noticed 3+ inches of slack in the harness around his hips. I went back to tighten it, and had to pull HARD, very hard, to pull the webbing through the defective buckle tongues in order to remove the slack from the harness. Had I not noticed, and been in an accident, it is very likely that my child would have been more seriously injured based solely on the fact that he would have been inadvertently improperly restrained. I find this oversight inexcuseable in a safety device. It is not a convenience feature by any means, it is a design flaw that is very likely placing many children in danger without their parents knowing. Many people (almost everyone I know who owns a radian, in fact, which is about 30+ people) has had major complaints about the buckle tongues, and most had them replaced when SKJP was owning up to the problem and replacing a defective product at no charge. Everyone hated them, and many have fraying straps because of them. On a harness that cannot be replaced, this is even more disturbing.
I am not sure at this point what my entire thought is on the Radian. I am disturbed that many people get different answers on so many things, but I am mostly very upset by these clearly defective buckle tongues and a company that wants to charge consumers additional money to make the seat even useable. I am sure there is substantial mark up on the Radian car seats, as there are on most car seats. However, most are "ready to use" out of the box, *or* are promptly fixed by the manufacturer at no cost (I am well familiar with Britax customer service... a company that charges top shelf prices for their products but replaces anything and everything if it needs replacing).
I mean this email to be constructive criticism from a well informed and highly CPS knowledgeable consumer. SKJP is generally disregarded in the CPS world, owing solely to the plethora of after market devices (all unnecessary and many unsafe), most discord having to do with the Mighty-Tite. There was a great deal of buzz when the Radian premiered (and when it was first mentioned, back when it was known as the Profile). I have many friends who got in on the ninety dollar CPST special. Most people I know are pleased with their Radian, but 95% of them have replaced the buckle tongues because it is clearly a major issue.
Please take this chance to truly listen to this consumer feedback. If the design of the seat will not be changed (which I believe it absolutely should be), and a recall will not be issued (another thing I think might be worth thinking about), at least consider replacing these items at no cost for the people that want them replaced. Yes, it will cut into the bottom line by a small amount, but on an item where the profit margin is quite high and the fix is extremely simple and inexpensive, it will go a long way in customer satisfaction and raising the opinion of SKJP in the CPS community which gives so much attention to this seat.