Defective box of dipes! GRRRR!

[Marisa6826]

We buy Sophie's Pampers Cruisers at Costco, but seem to have gotten a defective box.

I've had EIGHT freaking leaks in TWO days. The dipes aren't even completely wet, and are leaking. I went through two outfits in the damn mall in one hour today. I had to resort to buying the second outfit at Nordstrom since my backup outfit was too small.

No, she's not anywhere near ready for the next size (she's in 4s right now at about 22 lbs and the CS lady agreed that the 5s would be way too big). The dipes are just messed up. In fact, when I grabbed a different bunch from another pack, they were just fine.

I called P&G and really let them have it. They're sending me coupons to replace the 124 (!!!) leaky dipes I have. Funny thing is that Costco won't take the coupons!

-m

[luvbeinmama]

You should just take the box back to Costco, return them and get another box. I've had a couple defective boxes from Costco in the past (with DS - Huggies) and they've never had a problem taking them back.

[Marisa6826]

Didn't even think of that! Does it matter than the box is half gone? I'm not even sure I still have the receipt.

Thanks!

-m

[brigmaman]

We once had a defective batch of Huggies. The tabs would rip when we tried to attach them. My mom sent a letter and received all kinds of great coupons!
It might work out better for you to contact the company.
ETA- ok read the whole post next time, Trish!

[bonbon98]

Don't worry if you don't have the receipt. Costco will take anything back!

Bonny
Mom to Evan & Emma 5/7/02

[LD92599]

I've taken a 1/4 used box of Pampers back to BRU w/ no questions asked (though i did offer an exlanation of WHY!). I am positive Costco would take 'em back...they are *awesome* with returns!

Sorry that happened...good excuse for a new outfit though!

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030305/0/7/0/-5/.png[/url]

[August Mom]

Sorry that happened. Leaks are no fun. It sounds like you have it worked out. However, I just wanted to mention that 5s may not be that big. When DS weighed 23 pounds, I switched him to 5s. The 4s still appeared big enough, but were somewhat "low rise" in the back and I was getting leaks. I use Baby Dry, so the fit may be different with Cruisers, but I just wanted to point that out. You might want to use one of your coupons to buy a smaller package of 5s to see how close she is before getting another huge box of 4s. Just a thought.

[lisams]

Costco is awesome about returns, you don't even need your receipt, they can look up your account using your card. That's one of the perks of belonging to a club. I bet they would return the diapers without a question. If they say anything about half of them being used, you could at least ask for half of your money back.

Something cooky is going on with the Cruisers. One of the packages I got at Target had about half of the diaper's tabs that were tucked in, making them useless. I wonder if they are using new machines and are having quality conrol problems?

Hope you get your money back and don't have anymore leaks!!

Lisa

[Marisa6826]

Chanda-

The 4s go half way up Sophie's back, so I don't think that's the problem.

They're leakiing by her little thighs. She's not a chunky babe at all, and there's almost an overlap on the tabs, so I think the dipes are truly just defective.

We were in the city all day today and didn't have a single leak using a different pack. Granted, I was super paranoid (brought THREE spare outfits!) and changed her almost once an hour. Even still, I hated having it constantly in the front of my thoughts throughout dinner with good friends.

-m

[cinrein]

I've had the random Cruiser also with the tucked in tabs. If you work at it, you can manage to pull the tab out and still use the dipe!

Cindy and Anna February 2003

[tippy]

Costco will take your diapers back with or without a receipt. If you have used over 1/2 they will give you 1/2 your money back (that is their policy) if you have more than 1/2 the package they will refund the full amount. My guess is that they will refund the entire amount since I doubt the person at the register will count them. Sorry you had this problem. I haven't had that problem using the huggies baby shaped dipes.

[lukkykatt]

When you talk to P&G, I would also ask for them to pay for the outfit that you had to buy. It is an expense that you had to bear because of their defective product, and it is certainly worth a try. The worst they can do is say no...

[Marisa6826]

Ooooh. Didn't think of that. I think it might be too late to call and complain since I technically called the day before the leak in the mall happened.

I forgot I had packed those defective dipes in my dipe back and hadn't switched them out.

What do you think?

-m

[Sarah1]

Some luck you have.

5s are definitely too big for her. Audrey's almost 26 lbs and still wears the Cruisers in 4s (from Costco). I have to say that the ones made for Costco, IMO, seem to be flimsier than the ones you buy at the drugstore or Target. I don't know if anyone else mentioned that.

[sbjf]

I haven't read other responses, but I bought a box of Pampers size 1-2 from BJ's, just like a Costco, and I have to say that I have been wondering if Pampers distributes a lesser diaper at these wholesale clubs. They just do not feel like the sample diaper I received in the mail from Pampers.

[Marisa6826]

No, I think these are pretty much the same. I had a regular sized pack sitting in the car and opened them up to see if they were any different. Nope. Absolutely identical to the stupid purple leg stripes and bigass Big Bird on the butt. WHY do they do this to nice white dipes?? I HATE that you can see that through summer clothes.

What's cool about getting all these freebie vouchers is that I will also be able to use them for Swaddlers for Amelia ;).

-m

[lukkykatt]

Hmm. If you already talked to them and worked out a solution the day before, then that might change things.

[Sarah1]

>bigass Big Bird on the butt.

Nice alliteration! :P

[deborah_r]

Marisa,

Sorry you got the defective dipes. I have some reservations about buying those big boxes at Costco, and I don't know why. Instead I hoard coupons and wait for sales at the grocery store, and I usually get them for less or about the same price, per diaper.

Anyway, I was wondering about why you have Sophie wearing a size 4? I'm just curious, because Kai is about 21.5 lbs and he still wears the size 3's no problem. I never thought about going up in size until he gains a few more pounds, maybe at 25 pounds or so (I think they are for 16-28 pounds, which I know is a loose estimate on their part). Maybe because he's kind of short, and maybe Sophie is taller (Kai is only about 28.5 inches, I think. Can't get him to stay still long ennough to measure) So what I'm wondering is how you decided to switch to the size 4s, not questioning your decision at all.

[hez]

Hey-- just wanted you to know that the Costco diapers are made on the same lines running the diapers for everyone else. I've stood on the line and watched them do the bag/container changeovers. It's just different packaging! So, buy the diapers where they're the cheapest-- they're all made on the same manufacturing lines!

[hez]

See my note above about them being the same diapers no matter who's selling them. I'm not sure what you received in the mail, but consider that stores keep a certain amount in inventory. So, if we advertise a new product, it's always possible you picked up older inventory that they had to finish up selling. I was in a Kmart once, and way up on the top shelf they had diapers that were over 2 years old, based on the packaging I saw. I couldn't believe it! The diapers would be safe to use, but think about how many new features had probably come out in that time!

Finally, realize that S1/2 diapers cover that whole range of sizes, so they will be slightly different than just a S1 or a S2 for fit, but like a S2 for absorbancy. I've always wondered why we did that, but I'm not in marketing, so I don't know the answer :)

[hez]

Sorry I didn't respond to you earlier-- I missed seeing this! I would be pretty ticked off, as well. We so rarely get a leak I'd be completely unprepared for multiple leaks.

I'm glad you got the coupons and response, and very sorry you had such a bad experience. I'm glad you called the 1-800, and I'm going to PM you myself if you don't mind...

[Marisa6826]

Deb-

At the time we switched up, the weight guidelines were different, and the tabs on the 3s were not as close as I would have liked them to be.

Pampers only recently just changed their size/weight ratios (the lady at CS admitted this), but she said that Sophie was solidly a size 4. Sophie's about 21-22lbs and 30-1/2" tall.

She's not chunky at all (well below the 50th percentile for height and weight), and the tabs on the 4s just meet together. When we left the size 3s, they still had the hard plastic tabs that you couldn't overlap if you wanted to, and the sides weren't as stretchy.

I'd be happy to send you some (nondefective!!) 4s if you want to try them out with Kai. I just looked at the boxes and the weight range for 4s is 22-37lbs. HUGE range!

As far as the Costco boxes, I bought a pack at Target and compared the two together. They're absolutely identical as far as I could tell, and Heather (works for P&G) just posted that they're from the same production lines.

It just works out to be a bit cheaper, and I don't have to run out an buy them so often. I, too, have bunch of coupons/free vouchers, and plan on using them for Amelia's dipes since they have pretty long expiration dates. I also sometimes give them to the clueless new Mommies staring dazed and confused as the displays in the stores ;).

-m

[deborah_r]

Thanks for the info Marisa! No need to send any 4s, I will pick up a small pack since surely he will be into them in the not-so-distant future! I was glad to read Heather's posts, so I don't have to be concerned that the Costco Pampers are sub-standard.

[DDowning]

I stopped using Pampers months ago because of the new design and switched to something else. The minute I switched, C slept through the night and has been since.

The thing that I don't get, is that I keep seeing all of these posts about people complaining about the new design and all Pampers does is send you free coupons. That doesn't make the problem go away, or improve it now does it? Its almost as if Pampers is just humouring the folks that call without really taking any action.......

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I don't get it either. A free coupon is not going to get me to buy *more* of the hideous dipes with the big purple stripe and the "big ass big bird on the butt"

Who ever thought of such an idea anyway? Is there any mommy out there who likes the purple stripe and the character on the back?

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[starrynight]

That would bug the heck out of me! We had a ton of leaks with luvs and some with pampers on Eliza but everything else gave her a rash so we switched to cloth. I love not worrying anymore about it! Maybe the packs we had problems with were defective but I just think it's the way she is shaped I could never get a good fit in the back.

I'm glad you got some coupons out of it!

[lisams]

I noticed that the Costco Cruiser's box has more diapers in a big box then the same sized big box Target has (when they have the promo), so maybe since there are more diapers crammed in the same size box, the diapers are just more squished? I have noticed the Costco diapers seem a little thinner, so maybe this is why?

Lisa

[lisams]

And what bothers me is that those stripes show through light colored clothing. I think it's silly and probably costing us.

Lisa

[hez]

The free coupons don't fix the problem, but your calls definitely help. I have friends whose entire job is to track consumer comments and make recos on improvements. Anytime there is a defective diaper returned from a consumer (like with a missing tape or something) and the consumer gives us the lot # from the side of the bag or box, the defect gets sent to the manufacturing line which produced it. I won't get into all the gory details on our quality program-- suffice it to say QA systems are about 1/2 my job right now. I know it seems like your comments go into a black hole-- I can assure you they don't! It just takes a little bit for improvements to get into the market...

[Rachels]

I HATE the new design. I never had any problems with the old ones, but with the new design, I get defective dipes as often as not. YUCK. And I agree-- the purple stripe and the big-ass-bird are awful.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/2/character39.gif

"We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are

[tippy]

Wow...thanks for the inside scoop on the whole world of diapers from behind the scenes!


Edited for spelling

[luvbeinmama]

I have to agree here, I've never noticed a difference and I get dipes from Costco and the grocery store (sale plus coupon!) on a regular basis. Of course, I use Cruisers for daytime use, Huggies overnites for nighttime as the Cruisers tend to not hold as much, and Huggies Convertibles for outings. The convertibles are especially helpful right now at the YMCA after swim lessons as there is no place to lay DD down for a diaper change!