I need some opinions here, I'm curious to see what everyone's thoughts are.
I lent a friend (one of the little girls I babysit for) my Frontier to use. She outgrew her car seat and Mom and Dad hadn't purchased new ones yet. I was feeling a little guilty b/c they have to purchase 3 seats (one for Mom's car, Dad's car and a Radian for me) and I was very specific that the only seat that will work is a Radian and I felt bad about them having to purchase a specific seat. So while they were deciding what to order etc... I let them use my Frontier in one of their cars so she's only in a booster in one car (she's TOTALLY not booster ready at all) and I rearranged my seats so that she's riding in my Radian in my car.
My Frontier is BRAND NEW (did I say like BRAND BRAND NEW), but I knew I had to be OK with crumbs etc... letting them use it - I know they let their kids eat/drink in the car all the time. So I decided I could handle that and let them borrow it.
FFW to today, I asked yesterday for Mom to bring the seat and let me have it for the day - I wanted to play with it b/c I'm trying to decide if I'm going to use my Regents for a long trip we have coming up or if I'm going to get another Frontier and use them instead. So she brings it today - I get it out of the car, put it in my garage and later go out to install it in my car and I notice that the buckle (the red push button part) has something all over it. At first glance I thought it was just really dirty, then I realized it had been scribbled on with a black marker. I immediately tried to clean it off, but it's not coming off - I can also tell they tried to clean it, but it didn't come off at all.
I'm really upset that they didn't tell me it happened, especially since she was giving me the seat today. So I'm trying to decide if I'm validated in being upset over it and if I should do anything about it. I mean I know I lent it to her, but I also know if it had been the opposite way, I would have told them right away when it happened and I would have replaced the buckle for them (even though it still works) I would have done this even if the seat was old and not in good shape in the first place! (Except that this would never have happened to me b/c I would NEVER let my kids have markers in the car period. Not to mention while riding in someone else's $300 brand new car seat! And Mom knows what a freak I am about my seats and that I don't even really let the kids eat my car! )
Now my question is, do I tell her I'm replacing the buckle and ask for them to pay for it? And do I give her the seat back? I don't have anything else to give her (except a booster) b/c I need my Radian installed and my kids need their Regents - Mikey is too big for the harness on the Frontier and I will not let go of my Madison Regent (besides Julia would KILL me - she's a bit attached to her seat! ) I hate to have them put her in a harness with me knowing, but geesh, I don't want to give them my Frontier back!
Also, I'm not irritated about this and would never say anything, but if you were giving a car seat back to someone, wouldn't you have at least knocked the crumbs and cleaned up the spilt milk (dried in the cup holder) before they got it back? :thumbsdown:
I lent a friend (one of the little girls I babysit for) my Frontier to use. She outgrew her car seat and Mom and Dad hadn't purchased new ones yet. I was feeling a little guilty b/c they have to purchase 3 seats (one for Mom's car, Dad's car and a Radian for me) and I was very specific that the only seat that will work is a Radian and I felt bad about them having to purchase a specific seat. So while they were deciding what to order etc... I let them use my Frontier in one of their cars so she's only in a booster in one car (she's TOTALLY not booster ready at all) and I rearranged my seats so that she's riding in my Radian in my car.
My Frontier is BRAND NEW (did I say like BRAND BRAND NEW), but I knew I had to be OK with crumbs etc... letting them use it - I know they let their kids eat/drink in the car all the time. So I decided I could handle that and let them borrow it.
FFW to today, I asked yesterday for Mom to bring the seat and let me have it for the day - I wanted to play with it b/c I'm trying to decide if I'm going to use my Regents for a long trip we have coming up or if I'm going to get another Frontier and use them instead. So she brings it today - I get it out of the car, put it in my garage and later go out to install it in my car and I notice that the buckle (the red push button part) has something all over it. At first glance I thought it was just really dirty, then I realized it had been scribbled on with a black marker. I immediately tried to clean it off, but it's not coming off - I can also tell they tried to clean it, but it didn't come off at all.
I'm really upset that they didn't tell me it happened, especially since she was giving me the seat today. So I'm trying to decide if I'm validated in being upset over it and if I should do anything about it. I mean I know I lent it to her, but I also know if it had been the opposite way, I would have told them right away when it happened and I would have replaced the buckle for them (even though it still works) I would have done this even if the seat was old and not in good shape in the first place! (Except that this would never have happened to me b/c I would NEVER let my kids have markers in the car period. Not to mention while riding in someone else's $300 brand new car seat! And Mom knows what a freak I am about my seats and that I don't even really let the kids eat my car! )
Now my question is, do I tell her I'm replacing the buckle and ask for them to pay for it? And do I give her the seat back? I don't have anything else to give her (except a booster) b/c I need my Radian installed and my kids need their Regents - Mikey is too big for the harness on the Frontier and I will not let go of my Madison Regent (besides Julia would KILL me - she's a bit attached to her seat! ) I hate to have them put her in a harness with me knowing, but geesh, I don't want to give them my Frontier back!
Also, I'm not irritated about this and would never say anything, but if you were giving a car seat back to someone, wouldn't you have at least knocked the crumbs and cleaned up the spilt milk (dried in the cup holder) before they got it back? :thumbsdown: