A Happy Ending...

We have been looking at strollers and car seats since the end of February.  The first time I walked into Babies R Us was probably one of the most overwhelming experiences I have ever had in my life.  Seeing the four isles of strollers, I didn't even know where to begin!  What stroller should I buy?  Should I get a travel system?  An umbrella stroller?  How much should i spend?  Is spending more money mean that the product is better and/or safer for our baby?  I got a hold of a great book called "Baby Bargains" - a recommendation from my friend Cassidy Pinegar.  This book puts out a new edition each year talking about ALL baby products on the market with user reviews, grades and the nitty-gritty of the product - likes, dislikes, recommendations, etc.  

After much reading and about 20 visits to Babies R Us, I came the conclusion that I wanted to buy a Chicco car seat and stroller - seemed like a middle ground between the really cheap and the really expensive and I liked the way it looks.  

So, I got online and ordered my car seat and stroller from a company called HappyMothers.com.  When the stroller came, I realized that one of the straps was broken.  I immediately called happymothers.com and explained to them what was wrong - they referred me to Chicco to get a replacement piece.  I was a bit annoyed that I had paid one company for a product and now had to deal with another company - but whatever, I called them and told them what the issue was and they said that they would immediately send me a replacement for the stroller.  The problem with that was the fact that in order to replace this small little piece, I had to literally take apart the entire stroller and replace the whole lining of the stroller (which was obviously NOT meant to be taken apart by the user).  A little hesitant, the lady assured me that there would be instructions on how to do it.  

Fast forward two weeks later, I had not seen any replacement piece from Chicco yet, so I called Happymothers again to tell them that I was dissatisfied and would like a new stroller, that I didn't want to have to deal with taking apart my stroller and compromising its safety AND furthermore, that I was close to my due date and didn't have time to deal with this any longer.  I had definitely given Chicco ample time to get me the piece.  The lady from happymothers told me she would call Chicco and see what was going on and quickly called me back and said that the piece was on the UPS truck and that I should be receiving it THAT day.  It came - but with no instructions.  Can I say, lame?!!  Anyway, I was frustrated, called back and they gave me the "because-it's-a-"parts"-issue,- I- had- to- deal- with- Chicco" excuse and soothing it over with her "I understand your frustration" talk, I hung up furious.  HELLO, I DID NOT PAY YOUR COMPANY FOR A DAMAGED PRODUCT!!!!  You could tell the the lady had dealt with hormonal pregnant women and just didn't care to go into it further than she did.

I picked up Jason that day after him being on an overnight shift and I asked him if he would call for me.  For some reason, most customer service reps tend to deal better with males than females.  So, he called, got the same run-around from the first person he talked to, but then asked to speak to a supervisor.  After being on the phone for a good 20 minutes, happymothers decided to make it a "claims" through their company with Chicco-- so they'd have to pick up the damaged stroller, process it through claims and THEN send us a new stroller (but he could not guarantee how long it would take.)  Still dissatisfied, Jason told him that while it was still a unsatisfactory response, he'd have to deal with it.  Nearly five minutes from hanging up with happymothers, we got a call from the supervisor.  He simply said, "Do you want the good news?  Throw the whole damn stroller away...we're sending you a new stroller immediately."  HOORAY.  V-I-C-T-O-R-Y.   

We are happy with the outcome and will probably use happymothers.com again in the future.  Moral of the story?  Don't give up, get your hubby on the phone, demand good customer service and ALWAYS ask to speak to a supervisor.  It'll make the difference between a good and a bad outcome.  Now we are just waiting for our new stroller to come.  Hopefully this product is not damaged!  But for now, I'm just going to smile and be grateful that our stroller is one its way...