News Anyone with a TF want to call the company?

bobandjess99 · Apr 26, 2009

In another thread, a poster was upset she had received a replacement TF with an older DOM than her original, and when she called, they said it didn't matter because it was perfectly fine to use the seat TWO YEARS past the expiration date, if you are the original owner and know the complete history, that the expiration date on the shell was just so people would know when it was made??.

uuuhhh??

Is learning curve okaying a NINE year expiration for the TF? Is this some rogue CS person giving out potentially deadly info? Can we find out more?

I don't have one, so I would feel like a dork calling them, but does someone (several someones?) with a TF want to call and see what they get told? I'm quite curious here.

BW1426 · Apr 26, 2009

Add this onto the reasons why I'm already completely and utterly disgusted with LC :thumbsdown:

I have letters waiting to send out certified to their 3 top guys...I could revamp them and add this in.

IME, as well, their customer service was far less than adequate.

They've lost my business barring any huge changes.

canmom · Apr 26, 2009

Interesting... just FYI, I called them and they told me that it was ok to submerge straps

.

emandbri · Apr 26, 2009

That is so horrible.

ketchupqueen · Apr 26, 2009

Wooooow, sounds like they need to re-train their CS reps.

snowbird25ca · Apr 26, 2009

canmom said:
Interesting... just FYI, I called them and they told me that it was ok to submerge straps .

I'd be curious what they'd say if you called and talked to someone else. CSR are well known for giving out inconsistent info that isn't always accurate.. and it happens with pretty much every company. I know Britax and Sunshine Kids have, Cosco, I'd place bets on Evenflo...

Unfortunately I don't have my manual in front of me about the straps on the TF, but I think the manual just says surface clean.

I've heard other companies mention similar things about the expiry dates too. Certainly leads to one starting to wonder how much companies believe their own expiration dates.

Either that, or there are far too many misinformed customer service reps and something needs to be done about that...

jess71903 · Apr 26, 2009

I'll email. Do you think this might be because LC has SO MANY products and only one harnessed seat? Not that it excuses bad info- with something as important as a car seat, they need to know their stuff.

Andie · Apr 26, 2009

Just want to add it wasn't a "regular" CS person, it was the supervisor.

jess71903 · Apr 26, 2009

Oh, wow. That's worse!

stephie1012 · Apr 26, 2009

i think they are closed today but i will call tomorrow and let you kno what they say...i to got an older DOM on the one we just bought

ketchupqueen · Apr 26, 2009

jess71903 said:
I'll email. Do you think this might be because LC has SO MANY products and only one harnessed seat? Not that it excuses bad info- with something as important as a car seat, they need to know their stuff.

LC has/had several harnessed seats.

Besides the TF they currently make the Via, and made its other infant seat predecessors previously (under the Compass name.)

Mama! · Apr 26, 2009

Oh sheesh

Combine that with that HORRIBLE pic of the FF baby in the expired RA and they win my biz.

sunnyflower417 · Apr 26, 2009

I happen to be the person who posted about that! I just wanted to add that I have spoken to 3 or 4 other people and they have told me the same thing about the expiration dates. I asked one rep why they bothered to put DOE on seats if weren't going to adhere to them. I also asked if they were trained to say it's OK to use the seats past DOE and she said it was part of their training. I am not very happy with this company. I may just have to buy something else...
http://car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=81218

safeinthecar · Apr 27, 2009

snowbird25ca said:
I'd be curious what they'd say if you called and talked to someone else. CSR are well known for giving out inconsistent info that isn't always accurate.. and it happens with pretty much every company. I know Britax and Sunshine Kids have, Cosco, I'd place bets on Evenflo...

Unfortunately I don't have my manual in front of me about the straps on the TF, but I think the manual just says surface clean.

I've heard other companies mention similar things about the expiry dates too. Certainly leads to one starting to wonder how much companies believe their own expiration dates. Either that, or there are far too many misinformed customer service reps and something needs to be done about that...

The Recaro rep at Lifesavers said the same basic thing to me. (Known history seat still safe for 8-9 years) And this is definitely not a case of an uninformed rep, this was one of their engineers. I had a client on Saturday come in with a 6 yr 18 day old Snugride. I explained to him that they know that some seats are no longer safe and fail completely at 10 years. The companies set their expiration dates to fall well before that point because they want to make sure that seats aren't getting used when they are no longer safe.

On a personal basis, I make every effort to stop using my seats when they hit the expiration date the company has decided on, just to set a good example, but I don't believe that a seat will actually fail anywhere close to that date. I truly believe that the improvement in technology, reduction in flame retardency, lost parts, abusive use, etc are a much better reasons to retire seats as early as 5-6 years than fears of seat failure.

Melodiya99 · Apr 27, 2009

safeinthecar said:
I truly believe that the improvement in technology, reduction in flame retardency, lost parts, abusive use, etc are a much better reasons to retire seats as early as 5-6 years than fears of seat failure.

Since the lost parts, etc. reasons are some of the major ones for expiration dates, it does make sense that they say that the seat can last 9 years if it's always been your seat It's not like you'll suddenly forget how to use a seat at 6 years and 1 day. I think it's smart of them to have a posted expiration be sooner because of missing stuff, but if Britax can say that the frontier can last that long, why can't LC say that the tf can?

snowbird25ca · Apr 27, 2009

safeinthecar said:
I truly believe that the improvement in technology, reduction in flame retardency, lost parts, abusive use, etc are a much better reasons to retire seats as early as 5-6 years than fears of seat failure.

This exact reason is why TC used to say 10yrs provided that all those things could be met - all original parts, instructions present, never in a crash etc. They changed it recently to match what manufacturers were saying.

But I agree. Seats don't instantly start failing the day they expire... but most seats that are old enough to be expiring are old enough to have features that aren't as up to date as current seats... and it certainly makes me happy to see expired OHS seats.

dhardawa · Apr 27, 2009

Melodiya99 said:
Since the lost parts, etc. reasons are some of the major ones for expiration dates, it does make sense that they say that the seat can last 9 years if it's always been your seat It's not like you'll suddenly forget how to use a seat at 6 years and 1 day. I think it's smart of them to have a posted expiration be sooner because of missing stuff, but if Britax can say that the frontier can last that long, why can't LC say that the tf can?

I think the issue is that Britax says 9 years upfront whereas LC is printing an expiration date on the seat and then having customer service reps contradict it.

News Anyone with a TF want to call the company?

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