AWFUL CENTURY CUSTOMER SERVICE

[MERIBICH]

I HAVE THE AVANTA SE CARSEAT. TODAY I NOTICED ONE OF THE BUTTONS I HAVE TO DEPRESS IN ORDER TO RECLINE THE HANDLE WAS PERMANENTLY DEPRESSED. I CALLED CENTURY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD ONLY SEND ME A NEW ONE IF I SENT THEM THE OLD ONE FIRST. I ASKED THEM WHAT I WAS TO DO FOR A CARSEAT IN THE 2WEEKS IT WOULD TAKE TO REPLACE AND THEY SAID THET DIDN'T KNOW. I WAS VERY ANGRY BUT EVEN MORE ANGRY WHEN I READ THE MESSAGE POSTED ABOUT EVENFLO'S EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. CENTURY LOST A CUSTOMER AND EVENFLO JUST GAINED ONE!

[tobymc]

You can report this to NHTSA too. I recommend this to everyone who has problems with their carseats. Reporting problems to both the manufacturer and NHTSA (www.nhtsa.gov) gives the best chance that it will get proper attention. You really want someone to make sure that your problem was a once in a million thing, not a common problem.

Sorry to hear about your bad customer service experience. Often they can send you a new seat, charge it to you, and then credit you when the old one comes back, or something like that, since being without a carseat for 2 weeks is certainly unacceptable. Some families have other carseats they can use in the meantime.

If you do decide to buy a new carseat now, you may want to consider going ahead and getting a convertible. If you post the ages, weights and heights of your babies, as well as your type of car, I can make some suggestions. Most babies move from an infant only seat to a convertible, then to a forward facing harnessed seat, then to a belt positioning booster.

I'll remember not to suggest any Century seats!

Toby, CPS tech
www.carseatdata.org