Re: UGH! Brtiax buckles
Very strange. I called in about 2 weeks ago, described the problem I was having with my straps fraying (I had the exposed-metal harness), and told the lady that I had been told I could get a replacement set with the new style where the tongues were fully enclosed in plastic. She didn't bat an eyelash. I had registered the seat, so she looked up my info, and told me a new set would be in the mail by Monday (this was a Friday), free of charge. Sure enough, by the following Thursday, they had arrived and were the new style, with no exposed metal. She never indicated that there was a chance I wouldn't get the new ones, and she certainly never said anything about the new style being "in testing". I wish I could remember who I talked to, so you could maybe request to talk to her next time you called. They are much better than the ones with exposed metal...not only does it look like it will solve the fraying problem, but also the straps never get twisted in the tongues anymore.
BTW, mine has a DOM of 9/18/08, and I bought it in early December '08.