Give your views on the safety of pushchairs

Former_MSE_Wendy

[title=http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/dp/wtd_underline.gif] What’s this all about?[/title]
Consumer Focus, the campaigning and lobby group, is running an investigation into the safety of hinges on pushchairs and would like to hear from people who have been injured by them.

The investigation started after the voluntary recall of Maclaren pushchairs in America last year but has been widened to all brands of pushchair.

It’s aim is to advise manufacturers and retailers on how to make pushchairs as safe possible and help consumers know how to use them safely.

[title=http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/dp/wtd_underline.gif] How to take part[/title]
It would like to hear from people who (or someone in their family) have been injured by a chair, be that trapping a finger in a hinge, or worse.

You can either email [EMAIL="cogi@consumerfocus.org.uk"]cogi@consumerfocus.org.uk[/EMAIL]
Write to: Complaints of General Interest, Consumer Focus, 3rd Floor, Capital Tower, Cardiff, CF10 3AG.
Or complete a short online survey

It will produce a report of their investigations later this year and we'll let you know what it says in the weekly email.

[signupbox]test[/signupbox]

PartylitePrincess

I bought a McClaren Quest at the begining of 2009 for my daughter as a replacement for her Mamas & Papas Luna which I'd found to be too bulky when travelling on public transport and too wide in most shop aisles.

This was a big mistake! Although the McClaren Quest was lovely to push and looked really attractive (I had the pink & brown model), it had a nasty habit of collapsing all by itself particularly when going up/down kerbs or on eneven surfaces.

Time and time again I put this down to not having made sure that the bar at the back was firmly flat before sitting my daughter in it, so I paid more attention but this still kept happening.

Then one day when walking back from nursery last Summer, the buggy again folded suddenly and at the same time the footrest snapped. My daughter paniced and trapped her hand in the hinges at the side where the buggy was folding (with herself still in it) and as a result was left with a small cut and very bad bruising on her fingers.

I immediately contacted Boots as I had purchased the buggy from their website and they arranged for it to be collected the next day and refunded me the full price paid.

I now have a Mamas & Papas Pulse+ in a lovely lilac/pink colour which is much nicer than the Quest and I can use it confidently.

When I heard about the recall for McClaren buggies I wasn't at all surprised and wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

fernliebee

I've got a maclaren techno and have never had any problems with it. TBH sounds as if your's was faulty from day one, and you prob could have just returned it on the basis of it folding of it's on accord- very dodgy!

I always fold my buggy up while DD is in her car seat or standing on the doorstep and I'm outside I don't let her put her fingers near the hinge mechanism. I can see how other buggies would prob do a similar thing to littlies fingers if folded on them and to me it just seems common sense that fingers could be injured if trapped, just like I wouldn't let DD play with doors as she could trap her fingers, if she cut her fingers off in a door I wouldn't be calling for a recall on doors. That said I think the hinge covers they are offering is a good safety feature if you are worried.

loocyloo

i've had several maclarens with never a problem, both singles and doubles. mine are used lots as i am a childminder!

again, the children are never involved in folding up or down the buggy, and again, i agree, i think sometimes you get a dodgy pushchair no matter what make! i had a mothercare double that was useless, swapped for a maclaren!

lauren_1

I have 2 triumphs (one is 8 years old and one is 3 years old) both still in weekly use. Never had a problem with either of them.

COGI

I am really sorry to learn about the accident. Could you possibly complete the survey. There should be a link on the MSE site.

Or contact the Complaints of General Interest team at [EMAIL="Cogi@consumerfocus.org.uk"]Cogi@consumerfocus.org.uk[/EMAIL].

Many thanks

PartylitePrincess wrote: »

I bought a McClaren Quest at the begining of 2009 for my daughter as a replacement for her Mamas & Papas Luna which I'd found to be too bulky when travelling on public transport and too wide in most shop aisles.

This was a big mistake! Although the McClaren Quest was lovely to push and looked really attractive (I had the pink & brown model), it had a nasty habit of collapsing all by itself particularly when going up/down kerbs or on eneven surfaces.

Time and time again I put this down to not having made sure that the bar at the back was firmly flat before sitting my daughter in it, so I paid more attention but this still kept happening.

Then one day when walking back from nursery last Summer, the buggy again folded suddenly and at the same time the footrest snapped. My daughter paniced and trapped her hand in the hinges at the side where the buggy was folding (with herself still in it) and as a result was left with a small cut and very bad bruising on her fingers.

I immediately contacted Boots as I had purchased the buggy from their website and they arranged for it to be collected the next day and refunded me the full price paid.

I now have a Mamas & Papas Pulse+ in a lovely lilac/pink colour which is much nicer than the Quest and I can use it confidently.

When I heard about the recall for McClaren buggies I wasn't at all surprised and wouldn't recommend them to anyone.