Bugaboo Complaint Update

Well, the CEO of Bugaboo phoned me today. Apparently there were a few glitches that caused my problem to go unacknowledged:

1. All mail addressed to New York actually goes through The Netherlands to reach New York so they might have gotten lost in transit
2. They completely lost a month or two of emails that were erased from their server at the time I made my complaints, so they have no record that I actaully emailed them. Luckily, I have them, and here was the last email to me (cut and pasted exactly) which basically is very nice but says "tough luck."

Dear XXXXX:

For some reason the because to the design of the car seat the snug ride
to fits different than the safe seat 1 that is why the difference in how
it came off. If there is anything else I can do for you please let me
know.

Thank you,

rebekha menze
customer service representative

bugaboo north america
12 west 23rd street
3rd Floor
new york, ny 10010
USA
p +1.212.645.2340 x.110
f +1.212.645.2341

(i.e. the Snug Ride is the good car seat that's easy to use but not the one I have)

The CEO wanted to know where I bought it (so now I have to dig through credit card receipts.I know it's a place in Brooklyn but can't remember which place)

This carseat difficulty sometimes happens because if Graco's carseats are off by as little as 1/16th of an inch, it won't latch in.

He asked me to find out who my local Bugaboo vendor was and email it to them. They will call the vendor and send them a new adaptor. I will then go to the vendor with my carseat and stroller and see if they can make it work once the adaptor arrives. I called our local store and they don't actually carry Bugaboo although they are supposedly a local vendor. If you want one, they order it for you (which is why I ordered it on line anyway - no sales tax and free shipping.) The woman I spoke to was about twenty-three and somehow I can't see that she'll be any more successful than husband and I will be at getting the carseat to work.

He also said they didn't get many emails from readers about my problem but they have people who read all the popular blogs, which is how they found out about my complaint. I got about 75 emails from people who said that they sent emails on my behalf. I believe you guys but I wonder if there is still something wrong with their email system. Did you really send an email?

I relayed the above plan to husband and he was NOT HAPPY. He's actually furious (this is calm husband) that they didn't just send me a new carseat. He told me to just go buy a Graco System which is what we had with our first kid (but wore it totally out- we took it everywhere.) He feels it's been too long and he is sick and tired of waking the baby up to transfer him to a stroller. He was incredulous that after all this time all I asked for was a carseat that worked and they are going through these other steps. I wasn't that mad but then I started trying to find the receipt (we had a brand new baby - do you remember where you put your receipts or if you sent in a warranty? You're lucky if you even get to shower with a new baby!) The thing that finally occurred to me (thirty hours with no sleep so I'm a bit slow today) is that it's up to me to prove that there is a problem. It seems like a lot of effort for something that isn't my fault. It's just a different philosophy from LLBean, where my sister works. You can send something back twenty years later if it's torn and they will repair or replace it. I didn't ask for a new stroller, lots of accessories as an apology or anything unreasonable. Sometimes a person just wants to hear "I'm so sorry. What can we do to make this right?" and not have to make any extra effort.

Update: Bugaboo contacted me again and found a local place that has Bugaboo products in stock. I'm to go in with all our gear and see if they can make it work for me. I wonder why I was just told I was out of luck back in November rather than having this suggestion made.

Comments

[Fairfax]

I agree... they should say "We're sorry... How can we make it better?" That's the best customer service you can provide.

[kiminottawa]

You shouldn't have to go anywhere and do anything to get that damn thing to work IMHO. They should be sending you whatever you need. And it seems alot of us sent emails - you say 75 - and that doesn't raise a red flag over there? ummmmm OK.

[Ali]

All hail to the power of the blog.

[drey]

I wrote in... definitely. WRote in. but no response from them either way. Like writing to a rock, really! They can't send you a car seat because that is too simple for them. Companies like these need to make things real hard. Perhaps you should make it hard for them too. Go to the newspapers. Tabloids love things like this .... right? :P

[Alyssa]

I agree with everyone that has said why the hell should you have to run all over the place. Send you a new one. Period.

I totally sent a e-mail on your behalf because this stuff just annoys the hell out of me.

[designdna]

how unfortunate!

perhaps they feel these strollers are a one time purchase and therfore are not concerned with brand loyalty. each household is merely worth the $1000.00 purchase, and once made your value as a customer is zero.

i guess i am confused that they recommend a car seat that is only compatible part of the time. to me, compatible only part of the time is indeed incompatible. apparently they are aware of the specifics of the incompatibility, knowing their way around the issue right down to 1/16th of an inch. there are other car seats without this issue, so why, particularly with no corporate ties, do they make a recommendation that will cause trouble?

i would consider bugaboo a luxury brand and most luxury brands offer excellent customer service. if your high ticket item is a disaster you would certainly want to make up for it with prompt courteous service, to reassure your customer malfunction is the exception, not the rule! this scenario really degrades the brand from luxury to hard-scrapple nickel and dime. you know what they say, success only magnifies who you are.

by the way, i always had excellent performance and service from maclaren. hundreds of thousands of travel miles and they held up beautifully.

[nancy]

Lame, Lame on their part!!
They should be ashamed of themselves. My twins will NOT
receive any bugaboo products!
Thanks Pink.

[midcenturyjo]

Definitely sent an email and I'm sending a second. I will not be recommending this product to my "of my god we are so successful and established we better start breeding and spend our 6 figure individual salaries on top end designer kid's stuff" friends. Definitely won't be recommending it either to my friends who struggle to buy the very best for their new ones either. Send Pink a new car seat!!!!

[sezz]

Wouldn't it be nice if this could be sorted before your childs 18th birthday. These items have a limited useful period and the clock is ticking. Apalling service but I get the feeling the CEO is now a reader of your blog. Good luck!!

[Desiree]

Well you sure have gone a looooong way on this one Pink,I hope everything will work ok soon! Good luck with the bugaboo adventure!hugs D

[MG]

Hi there!!

I was googling doorknobs and saw the great doorknobs that you got. While trying to figure out what the Hemingway room was, I read your problem with the bugaboo and safe seat adapter. I have the same problem!! I hope you don't mind if I tell you what works for us. When we actually use the adapter we put the adapter on the ground, click the seat in by rocking it back and forth and then put it on the stroller. However, most of the time I just put the car seat into the basinet, which is awesome because with the bugaboo and car seat canopies up it creates a little privacy bubble. If I'm going up a curb or over something bumpy I put one hand on the car seat. I wish I'd realized that I could do this before I bought the stroller, I would have saved myself $45! For the record, Bugaboo's response stinks.

[James]

Well, I sure am glad I found out about this. I came here via Google while searching for reviews. I've been reading all the reviews (it's the one thing the dad-to-be can do) of several strollers. I like the way the Bugaboo looks but if this is the way their customers are treated then we will go with the Orbit. You would think they would be going to the ends of the earth to make up for their server errors and product shortcomings. You should contact The Consumerist blog because I've never heard of a luxury brand treating its customers with so much disrespect. Good luck to you.

[Amy]

Good luck. I completely understand your frustration. It's ridiculous that a premium product like this has such crappy customer service. Isn't the power of the internet amazing though, how else could you get the CEO to call you! Pretty ridiculous that he said he lost your email - it sounds so primary school, like the dog ate my homework, you know it's just not true.

[Connie]

Maybe you caused something in cyberspace. The bugaboo site won't load sufficiently for me to make a complaint! And forgive my asking, but isn't the response you posted just barely literate??? What's up with that?

[Tara]

I used their on-line communication 'system' because their home page didn't give an email addt. I think that they're just covering their butts
I hate hate hate companies that make excuse after excuse for shoddy service

[jenni hopkins]

I am so glad you are bringing this to the attention of your readers. We are expecting a son in July and I was considering the Bugaboo, but now will definately go a different way! The first rule of a product that cost as much as the bugaboo does is CUSTOMER NEEDS TO BE HAPPY!!! I am so sorry that you've had such a headache over this, but know that you have saved many other families the same headache. Good luck with it, keep us all posted.

ps. why is the email they sent you so cracky? who wrote that?

[j mowery]

damn pink, that is totally wrong of them. a girlfriend of mine is looking at that stroller, I will direct her here so she can read about your trouble. I can't stand companies that would treat thier customers (who have paid a pretty penny to possess thier products!) with such disregard. poo on bugaboo!!!

[SallyF]

I have invented the phrase 'customer service rage' for such occassions - you're welcome to use it, I have found it very handy to sum up my feelings about the likes of ntl, comet and generally any big company that misguidedly calls its complaints dept customer service when it clearly doesn't offer any service at all.

big pooey pants to the lot of 'em. I like to quote their complaints policy back to them and include the words legal action and trade ombudsmen in all my paperwork - and thank god you had everything on paper so you have copies.

oooohhhh just don't get me started I can feel my blood boil just thinking about it.

I'm 7 months pregnant so am really pleased I know about Bugaboo problems now before I ever consider buying anything from them - phew!

[Jane]

READ THIS BUG A WHATEVER BLOG READER!

1. I emailed!
2. Get her the carseat already, it costs a fraction of the mega profit you are making off that stroller!
3.Britax makes a LOVELY knock off also at a fraction of the price, so look out your trendy days are nearly over!

[julie at BV]

I e-mailed them. I have the it in my sent e-mail section.

[lsaspacey]

Boo on the Bugaboo! I have three friends currently pregnant. No Bugaboos for them, that's for sure.

[mal770]

that's too bad you had such an awful experience with bugaboo... when i have kids i will make sure not to buy one (like i will have the $$ anyway...haha)

[bmedgt]

Whatever happened to "the customer is always right"? You'd think companies would be eager to address consumer complaints. And who loses 2 months of emails?! How ridiculous.

[samantha]

I totally sent an email via their website. The web page let me know it was a successful transmission but no one from the company responded, so who knows where it went. Good luck finding a solution. It's absolutely silly you don't have a product that actually works as promised for the money you paid. And now you have to jump through their hoops? Infuriating. I won't buy from them and everytime I see someone ask about their products on a blog, I will site your difficulties and post a friendly warning.