I am posting this here as well as the Canadian side, since I realized that Americans may also be interested in the BEYOND crappy Customer Service I received from Sunshine Kids regarding the short strap issue.
Well...you can add me to the list of ticked off customers.
I DID call Transport Canada after getting NOWHERE with Russ from Sk. They won't budge (SK That is).
Barbara (from Transport Canada) was AWESOME!!!!!!!! :thumbsup: She was really easy to talk to, really friendly and really helpful.
Only problem is, Sunshine Kids is exploiting the whole "48 lb FF" rule that we used to have in Canada even though it's the SAME seat. They couldn't do this in the US as it's 65 lb there, so they HAD to replace any short strap problems there as a manufacturing error, but they are using this as an excuse here. So legally, there's nothing the government can do.
Which would mean, that because we bought TWO car seats from them, and have TWO tall boys (one who's having issues with it already because he's not even 4.5 but in the 92nd % for height, so...you can see the problem) it'll end up costing us a ton for shipping both ways, AND car seat for #2 in the interim (Oldest CAN use a booster, but I feel that he should be in a 5 pt harness as long as possible partly because he's only 4).
So, yeah right Sunshine Kids.
We really can't afford to buy new car seats, in that we can DO it but have to put it on credit card and pay it off that way - which I'm not crazy about adding to debt (I'm home so only dh working) but at the same time, I want to make sure my kids are the safest they can be. So, we'll be buying new 5 pt harness seats. Which ticks me off, because that means that the Radian, which we shelled out $200 plus tax for, lasted a WHOPPING 11 months. Oh yes.
But really, what the HECK is Sunshine Kids THINKING??? If there were really weren't that many produced with the short straps (which is what they CLAIMED), wouldn't it make more sense PR wise to replace them and have happy customers??????
I can tell you this, and I told this to Russ already - hubby is going to be training to be a CRT (and likely me too), and we'll have PLENTY of opportunity to be sharing our experience with SK with MANY MANY parents.
What a stupid stupid policy.
I hope they end up going out of the car seat business altogether (I read about the Mighty Tight due to all this short strap business, so I see it's not the car seat that's the real problem but the company itself).
But all in all, though it didn't the way I wanted it to, I am really glad to have talked to Barbara who suggested the True Fit (we have a Corolla and it's supposed to be 19" width - the True Fit that is), as well as I asked her about the Mada 5 (since she IS part of Transport Canada ) So I got some great info and opinions. Apparently there have been no complaints about the company who makes the True Fit.
I only wish we had seen the complaints about Sunshine Kids before (but of course we were just a part of it all near the beginning).
We are left with Two Radians, which I think I will donate. They won't work for us, but they are rated well, and if someone has a short child, they might as well use it. They don't expire for a good while, so someone might as well make use of them, right?
So, I have now become an official (what's the word here?) .... naysayer? Objector? Dissatisfied customer??? LOL, of Sunshine Kids.
Whatever. They're going to be the ones who REALLY lose in the long run.
Anyways...thanks to all for the help.
Booooooo (urns) to Sunshine Kids!
(Oh, and my four year took advantage of me being on the phone with Barbara and used MY toothbrush and our toothpaste too....which Barbara overheard and laughed at....BUT...could have been worse...he could have brushed the cat's teeth )
Well...you can add me to the list of ticked off customers.
I DID call Transport Canada after getting NOWHERE with Russ from Sk. They won't budge (SK That is).
Barbara (from Transport Canada) was AWESOME!!!!!!!! :thumbsup: She was really easy to talk to, really friendly and really helpful.
Only problem is, Sunshine Kids is exploiting the whole "48 lb FF" rule that we used to have in Canada even though it's the SAME seat. They couldn't do this in the US as it's 65 lb there, so they HAD to replace any short strap problems there as a manufacturing error, but they are using this as an excuse here. So legally, there's nothing the government can do.
Which would mean, that because we bought TWO car seats from them, and have TWO tall boys (one who's having issues with it already because he's not even 4.5 but in the 92nd % for height, so...you can see the problem) it'll end up costing us a ton for shipping both ways, AND car seat for #2 in the interim (Oldest CAN use a booster, but I feel that he should be in a 5 pt harness as long as possible partly because he's only 4).
So, yeah right Sunshine Kids.
We really can't afford to buy new car seats, in that we can DO it but have to put it on credit card and pay it off that way - which I'm not crazy about adding to debt (I'm home so only dh working) but at the same time, I want to make sure my kids are the safest they can be. So, we'll be buying new 5 pt harness seats. Which ticks me off, because that means that the Radian, which we shelled out $200 plus tax for, lasted a WHOPPING 11 months. Oh yes.
But really, what the HECK is Sunshine Kids THINKING??? If there were really weren't that many produced with the short straps (which is what they CLAIMED), wouldn't it make more sense PR wise to replace them and have happy customers??????
I can tell you this, and I told this to Russ already - hubby is going to be training to be a CRT (and likely me too), and we'll have PLENTY of opportunity to be sharing our experience with SK with MANY MANY parents.
What a stupid stupid policy.
I hope they end up going out of the car seat business altogether (I read about the Mighty Tight due to all this short strap business, so I see it's not the car seat that's the real problem but the company itself).
But all in all, though it didn't the way I wanted it to, I am really glad to have talked to Barbara who suggested the True Fit (we have a Corolla and it's supposed to be 19" width - the True Fit that is), as well as I asked her about the Mada 5 (since she IS part of Transport Canada ) So I got some great info and opinions. Apparently there have been no complaints about the company who makes the True Fit.
I only wish we had seen the complaints about Sunshine Kids before (but of course we were just a part of it all near the beginning).
We are left with Two Radians, which I think I will donate. They won't work for us, but they are rated well, and if someone has a short child, they might as well use it. They don't expire for a good while, so someone might as well make use of them, right?
So, I have now become an official (what's the word here?) .... naysayer? Objector? Dissatisfied customer??? LOL, of Sunshine Kids.
Whatever. They're going to be the ones who REALLY lose in the long run.
Anyways...thanks to all for the help.
Booooooo (urns) to Sunshine Kids!
(Oh, and my four year took advantage of me being on the phone with Barbara and used MY toothbrush and our toothpaste too....which Barbara overheard and laughed at....BUT...could have been worse...he could have brushed the cat's teeth )