Called Evenflo about Maestro cup holders

[Phineasmama]

I posted pics in the 3 across thread yesterday with my new Maestro in the center position, and someone asked if it was okay to remove the cup holder(s) since I had to do that to get 3 across. Well actually I just removed one, but anyways.

I just got off the phone with Evenflo and she told me that in harness mode it is okay to take off one or both of the cup holders. She said it will make no difference in safety and it's perfectly fine.

However, in booster mode, you MUST have the cup holders on there. She said it provides extra stability and is used kind of as a belt guide for the lap belt and would keep it from sliding off or something like that. Made sense to me I guess.

Just thought I would share what I found out!

 

[EmmaCPST]

Very interesting - that was me that asked, thanks for following up about it!! I would rep you but I'm all out haha.

 

[Phineasmama]

Maybe some other time haha I was interested to see what they had to say...I'm glad they don't require the cup holders though, makes my life a lot easier!

 

[jjordan]

Hm, well, that's very interesting, because I'm pretty sure that some (or all) of the institutional models of the maestro do not have cup holders. However they do have a little doohickey that covers up the cup holder spots. So maybe those little covers serve whatever purpose the CS rep thinks the cup holders serve? Or maybe the CS rep was making stuff up...

Phineasmama, you might call Evenflo again and ask if they can send you the doohickeys to cover the cupholder spot.

 

[Phineasmama]

You mean covers for using it in harness mode or booster mode? I am not planning on using it in booster mode any time soon. It didn't look like there was anything sharp that could injure the child if they weren't on- at least not that I saw

 

[momtotwogirls]

I think they are afraid of kids sticking their fingers in the hole and it getting stuck. I think they have little hole covers that they can send you.

 

[Pixels]

I believe that CS representative was making things up, honestly. The cup holders don't do anything in booster mode, the belt isn't even near them really. They have been consistent in the past, saying that the caps must be used if the arm rests are removed.

 

[Phineasmama]

I will call them again and request the caps then

 

[Judi]

Here are the institutional ones.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=181189

 

[tam_shops]

Yep, call for the caps and YES, I think the rep was making things up.

I called about it 2 years ago now and was told it was fine. I removed them. Then, someone here said, they'd been told *not* to remove them. So I emailed to get written confirmation, was told that I could *not* remove them b/c it left holes, that I had to put them back on.

I told her it's too late now, the seats do not fit installed w/ the cup holders on and if I'd known that I could not remove them when I bought them, then I'd have returned them...

So, I called back b/c then I was ticked...Got a manager eventually, she agreed (reluctantly) to send me the caps to cover the holes (ones used for institutional seats). For 2 sets, to Canada, it was $6.

I snapped the caps on and that was the end of that.

So, when you call, if you are given the run around, just tell them they told you to take them off, you did and now you've used the seat and would be stuck with it....hopefully it'll work for you, if the person is being a pain! LOL

tam