Is $200 a good price for a used E3 v2 w/doubles kit?

southpawboston · Mar 21, 2008

i hope so. i didn't have time to research it.

DW found one on CL for $250, and it was the best price she had found in a long time. this includes the doubles kit. she wanted to hop on it without researching it because she felt it was a bargain.

so we went to see it (and i had no idea what "problem areas" to look for, as this all happened in the matter of a couple of hours). it seems to be well-used (lots of scuffing, dirt, etc)... it's about 3 years old. the woman was *really* nice, and it turns out her two sons went to our DD's preschool a few years ago and that we know some of the same people! anyway, we asked her if she'd go down in price and she said "sure... let's make it $200". DEAL!

now that i have it home, i found a couple of problems that need fixing:

1) fabric for front child's foot rest (above front wheel) is stretched and rubs on the front wheel when the child puts weight on the fabric. this i can fix with a little support system.

2) one hubcap is missing (no big deal).

3) the connector hinges for the doubles kit are missing (these are for attaching it in front-- it doesn't use them when attached in the back, the way we will be using it).

4) it doesn't have the fender recall fix applied. i already filled out the online form for it and it is on its way for free

.

i removed all the fabric pieces and mashine washed them-- it looks great now!

does anyone know the customer service phone number for phil & teds? i found the parts list online but the only number i can find is their new zealand HQ number!

thanks! (oh, and did we get a good deal?)

crunchierthanthou · Mar 21, 2008

yes, I think so. I'd pay $200 for that. :thumbsup:

what color did she get? (so I can decide how jealous I should be, not that I even have a second child to make use of the doubles kit or a child who rides in a stroller at all).

southpawboston · Mar 21, 2008

crunchierthanthou said:
yes, I think so. I'd pay $200 for that. :thumbsup:

what color did she get? (so I can decide how jealous I should be, not that I even have a second child to make use of the doubles kit or a child who rides in a stroller at all).

it's red. it's a little faded from being outside, but not bad. as an update, i found out that phil & ted's CS is excellent, and you can buy just about any part as a replacement. the hubcap is only $0.50, the hinges for the doubles kit are $3.00 each, and i can replace all the fabric parts as well. the foot well/basket storages is one big piece and i can get a new one in the same color for $25. :thumbsup:

crunchierthanthou · Mar 21, 2008

wow. so for about $30, you fixed all of your complaints. That's a pretty good deal. I bet you could resell it for $100 profit.

The Bjorns · Mar 21, 2008

Man, did you get a DEAL!:thumbsup: Awesome price and I love the red. We have the navy. I wanted something outlandish, but DH thought other colors might show more dirt.

One little tip, the connectors for the doubles seat for use in the "up top" mode gave me some trouble. Once the seat was in I could NOT get the seat off. I'd push in the little silver buttons and it just would not budge. The button insert (inside the adapter/hinge/connector thingy) kept popping out of placement. I just keep a small allen wrench (tool box extra from Ikea) in the storage bag/water holder that lets me push the buttons in enough and it pops out. Sometimes it's also helpful for the seat in the lower rear position, but that hasn't given me much trouble. You said you weren't going to be using it in this mode, but you never know...

Also, even though you're not supposed to use the rear seat for kids over a certain weight, we have on occassion done it (in a mall on a smooth surface) out of desparation and never had a problem.

Enjoy the stroller! Be prepared for lots of positive comments from people when you're out with 2. You'll see the lightbulb go on over their heads when they realize you've go 2 kiddos in there! Also, be prepared for the squabbles over who gets to ride rear! Kids love that seat!

southpawboston · Mar 21, 2008

The Bjorns said:
Man, did you get a DEAL!:thumbsup: Awesome price and I love the red. We have the navy. I wanted something outlandish, but DH thought other colors might show more dirt.

One little tip, the connectors for the doubles seat for use in the "up top" mode gave me some trouble. Once the seat was in I could NOT get the seat off. I'd push in the little silver buttons and it just would not budge. The button insert (inside the adapter/hinge/connector thingy) kept popping out of placement. I just keep a small allen wrench (tool box extra from Ikea) in the storage bag/water holder that lets me push the buttons in enough and it pops out. Sometimes it's also helpful for the seat in the lower rear position, but that hasn't given me much trouble. You said you weren't going to be using it in this mode, but you never know...

Also, even though you're not supposed to use the rear seat for kids over a certain weight, we have on occassion done it (in a mall on a smooth surface) out of desparation and never had a problem.

Enjoy the stroller! Be prepared for lots of positive comments from people when you're out with 2. You'll see the lightbulb go on over their heads when they realize you've go 2 kiddos in there! Also, be prepared for the squabbles over who gets to ride rear! Kids love that seat!

the problem with red is that it fades and does show the dirt and wear. you can always replace all your fabric pieces if you want to jazz your up... P&T even sells all three pieces together (canopy, foot well/basket, and seat) for a discount price, but i don't know what that price is... maybe around $80, based on the price for the piece i need?

oh, and i forgot to add, that the seller also threw in the phil & ted's carry bag w/wheels. we'll never use it, so we may try to clean it up and sell it

.

we don't plan to use the doubles kit "up top"... it will be in the back due to the childrens' age and weights, so we don't even need the hinge pieces. but we wanted the pieces on hand in case we ever do sell it, we would want to sell it as a completely functional stroller, KWIM?

these strollers are uber popular in our area. i hope someone doesn't walk off with ours mistaking it for theirs

.

the bjorns-- is it normal for the doubles kit to have a lot of up/down wobble when attached in the rear? even when it's clicked into place on those lower stubs, there's a lot of up/down free play. it doesn't worry me but i wonder if that's normal or if the tubing that makes up the frame of the doubles kit has "stretched" out at the ends and become a little looser fitting?

The Bjorns · Mar 21, 2008

We don't have any play with ours at all. However, we've just started using it in the rear since DD#2 is only 7 mo.

My guess is that the sping loaded insert (the silver piece with the release button) has lost some of it's spring so it's just looser. I remember when we were taking the P&T on test drives at the store I was playing with all the configurations, it was considerably easier to switch locations than we we first got ours. If you're ordering some replacement parts, I bet they have the silver insert thingy. If they don't, a good hardware store might even have something.

When we went to Disneyland with it the first time we only saw a handful of P&Ts (usually red!) so it was nice that ours wasn't lost in a sea of Gracos (although navy was harder to find than say lime green or orange).

southpawboston · Mar 21, 2008

they do sell those aluminum push-release tabs. maybe i should get a bunch of spares. i did notice that the two that hold the rear wheel axles in place seem to be frozen, i can't push them in to release the axle. it's weird-- after taking all the fabric pieces off, it amazes me that a startlingly simple tubular frame with three wheels costs $400 new

. they look much more sophisticated and technically advanced with everything in place. the profit margin must be phenomenal, as in my estimation, the cost of manufacture would seem to be no more than that of a $100 graco. not to mention, made in china. :twocents:

arly1983 · Mar 21, 2008

southpawboston said:
does anyone know the customer service phone number for phil & teds? i found the parts list online but the only number i can find is their new zealand HQ number!

Customer service is great. I couldn't fine their phone number either and I had lost our connecter pieces so i emailed them on their website and had an answer back in no time. I was going to order the pieces but they sent them for free.

southpawboston · Mar 21, 2008

it sounds like everyone loses those things, lol. that's great that they sent those to you for free! :thumbsup:

i found their number. i just googled "e3 fender recall" and got the US CS #.

Synchro246 · Mar 21, 2008

Oooh, color me jealous. I'd totally pay $200 for what you described :thumbsup:

lovinwaves · Mar 21, 2008

Congrats, SPB. Glad you found something!

broken4u05 · Mar 21, 2008

i would pay that much for that stroller. I paid way more from mine

mom2z · Mar 25, 2008

The US distributor for Phil & Teds is Regal Lager, they handle customer service in the US for P&T. Call them at 800-593-5522, or check their website, regallager.com
I bought an e3 earlier this year and had a warranty issue, their customer service was really excellent. And you can order a new footwell if the old one is stretched out, they are sold separately, although this is a common complaint with the e3 and a new one might do the same thing.
$200 is a really good price if it is in good condition.
The front connectors for the doubles seat may not have come with the stroller. You used to have to order them separately.

Enjoy it!

southpawboston · Mar 25, 2008

mom2z said:
The US distributor for Phil & Teds is Regal Lager, they handle customer service in the US for P&T. Call them at 800-593-5522, or check their website, regallager.com
I bought an e3 earlier this year and had a warranty issue, their customer service was really excellent. And you can order a new footwell if the old one is stretched out, they are sold separately, although this is a common complaint with the e3 and a new one might do the same thing.
$200 is a really good price if it is in good condition.
The front connectors for the doubles seat may not have come with the stroller. You used to have to order them separately.

Enjoy it!

thanks. i did check on replacing the footwell, as both the front and rear sections are pretty stretched out. it's one piece, and costs $25. not a bad price. the connector hinges did come with the doubles kit, but the owner lost them long ago. $6 for a replacement set also is not bad. i've already put an order in for all the little parts (i'm not replacing the footwells yet), and i'm really happy with their CS. :thumbsup:

LEAW · Mar 27, 2008

Gosh yah, that was a great deal. We got ours used on ebay - it was on our travel route from here to family for a holiday adn we picked it up on the way. Ours has a lot of up/down play on the 2nd seat in the bottom position. But not unsafe, just wiggles. You might consider getting the L hooks to put it on top - you can fold it and put it away with the 2nd seat in the top position, but not in the bottom. I can stand it up on one side of the cargo area in the van and put our stuff on the other side. I also frequently put the 2nd seat up top and put one kid in there and the other walks (or goes in a sling if it's the toddler riding) and then I have both seats when I'm ready for it, but the look of a single until I need it. I also use it in the top position as a high chair for ds, it's just the right height to push up to a table and dd sits in a regular chair. Big bonus for days when we're out all day.

When we lived in the city and needed it for walking, I'd keep a cheap bike lock on it - rather than lock it to *something* you can park it anywhere and thread the lock through the wheel and the frame - it's really hard to just walk off with a stroller that won't roll. So we'd park it outside the store and lock it to itself and not worry about it.

I might like to have your carry bag, pm me if you're looking to sell it.

Ours is red too, and 2 friends (we're now in the suburbs) just ordered new ones in red as well.

I've heard you can clean the fabric really well by just soaking in the bathtub, then flipping over, refreshing the water, and doing it again. The red does get dirty but well, it's a stroller, and we use it in the parks, so it's going to stay dirty for a while.

CDNTech · Mar 27, 2008

The one piece footwells were replaced with a two piece... it zips apart at the front of the basket. The two piece ones are not supposed to stretch nearly as much.

When I got my E3V2, they were giving out the two piece ones to anyone that asked because of the stretching issue. I still have my one piece one on the stroller (kids never stretched it out :shrug-shoulders: ) and the spare two piece one laying around just in case.

Sounds like you got a great deal.

I'm selling mine to another friend for more than that and it's considered a great deal (of course I have more accessories and no missing pieces.

)

southpawboston · Mar 27, 2008

aidensmom02 said:
Sounds like you got a great deal. I'm selling mine to another friend for more than that and it's considered a great deal (of course I have more accessories and no missing pieces. )

thanks. for $8.76 including shipping, i think i've replaced all the missing pieces!

i've also removed and cleaned all the wheels, and re-greased the bearings. i washed all the fabric pieces in the washer, and cleaned the frame thoroughly. instead of shelling out $25 for a new foot well, i just used zip ties and a piece of plastic roof gutter mesh to create a flexible "support" underneath the front foot well which you can't even see :thumbsup:. this has effectively reversed the effect of the stretching and the foot well no longer rubs on the front wheel. the rear basket is still a little stretched, but it doesn't affect anything. with the exception of the scuffed/stretched footwells and slightly faded visor, the stroller looks almost new, and it definitely rides like new.

Jewels · Mar 27, 2008

Do we get to see pictures?

Is $200 a good price for a used E3 v2 w/doubles kit?

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