Baby pram concern or caution ?

dalkey1234

Hi all , i have spent the past few days internet shopping for prams and am somewhat cautious with my discovery so i am looking for some advice .

The Pram i am searching for is a travel system 3 in 1 (buggy , car seat , cot) i have looked at all the major retailers and was taken back a little by the price so i decided to explore the internet to see what other systems are available.

firstly i came across a shop in Rathcoole and noticed on a few forums that the shop had mixed reviews , the product/ pram was somewhat cheaper than the major stores and it also had more style if i am honest, i decided to follow my gut feeling and give the shop a miss after reading some of the reviews and continued with my internet search.

The next stop was ebay uk and this is were i started to get concerned, i found the same pram system in nearly every ebay shop but all at different prices, i was curious so i decided to look further into this and to my surprise i find all these prams had different names , some of the models were english names but all them seemed to have the same build structure (ie frame construction and features) the difference in price from one ebay shop to another had some serious fluctuations to say the least.

my next port of call was ebay.ie and again i find the same situation but this time i also found that we had one major irish supplier situated in Carrick on Shannon, this supplier was also listing these prams at different prices but on inspection they had the same construction as the ones from ebay uk. i recalled that from the forum's i have delved through that some people also had mixed reviews about this shop but it had more positive reviews than the shop in Rathcoole. i called the shop to investigate and to enquire about a deal i spotted on one of their pram systems, the chap had broken english and i had to explain myself 3 or 4 times, i wanted to know if the pram was in stock so i got a little annoyed to say the least when i had to keep asking this question. it turned out that the particular pram i wanted was not stocked and would need to be shipped from Poland and would take 1 week, the company in carrick on shannon is Irish registered but the owners are polish.

i done some more investigation back on the e bay uk site and find the same story and i also find shops in germany with the same system, then i looked at Amazon and to my surprise it is flooded with these prams , the price range on amazon was jumping from 100 - 700 pounds for very simular prams with different names ???

what i would like to know is why is the market flooded with these prams and are they safe , why are they all using differnt names and why are they all differnt prices. i know i should really follow my heart and run away but i am curious and a little concerned. i think i will be taken a trip to Mothercare to make my purchase tbh but can anyone shed some light of these polish prams

Procrastastudy

It's amazing how annoying using 'i' istead of I is! :pac:

Anyway not much imagination is needed to be fair. They could be fakes or knock offs; they could not conform to certain safety requirements, for example the Irish safety standard might be higher as to require something more expensive or it's simply a case of different prices for the same thing. It happens all the time in other industries - however a €600 differential would cause me concern.

Personally I's have posted a pic and question in the parenting forums. (NOT an encouragement for you to cross post lest we both feel the wrath of dudara!)

athtrasna

As the previous poster said, beware knock offs from internet auction sites.

Think about it this way, your baby is going to be the most precious thing in your life. Do you want to risk their lives in a cheap copy of a decent travel system? I shop online a lot but draw the line at something which could make the difference between life and death.

Shop around here in physical shops, Smiths, Mamas & Papas, Mothercare, Argos for starters as well as some of the independent shops, Euro Baby is often organised on the radio though I don't know if it's any good. If you're not in the Dublin area consider a day trip. It also could be worth heading to Newry, there tends to be a decent price differential north and south.

Procrastastudy

Bear in mind if it's purchased from a physical store (ideal) or from within Ireland you'll be covered under product liability legislation (small comfort to you but massive deterrent to retailers).

ABajaninCork

I'd just go ahead and buy from a reputable retailer such as Mamas and Papas or Mothercare. Might cost you a few quid extra, but at least you'll have peace of mind.

rameire

buy second hand, check adverts.ie

Jarren

I'm going against the grain here and getting this imported from Poland in May :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73f0DQEu46U

Just over 400 Euros but OH likes it so it gets my vote too :pac:

ABajaninCork

Travel systems, pushchairs/buggies and car seats should NEVER be bought second-hand IMO. Buy new, then you know what you're dealing with. It's your child, so totally worth the extra few quid.

uck51js9zml2yt

dalkey1234 wrote: »

Hi all , i have spent the past few days internet shopping for prams and am somewhat cautious with my discovery so i am looking for some advice .

The Pram i am searching for is a travel system 3 in 1 (buggy , car seat , cot) i have looked at all the major retailers and was taken back a little by the price so i decided to explore the internet to see what other systems are available.

firstly i came across a shop in Rathcoole and noticed on a few forums that the shop had mixed reviews , the product/ pram was somewhat cheaper than the major stores and it also had more style if i am honest, i decided to follow my gut feeling and give the shop a miss after reading some of the reviews and continued with my internet search.

The next stop was ebay uk and this is were i started to get concerned, i found the same pram system in nearly every ebay shop but all at different prices, i was curious so i decided to look further into this and to my surprise i find all these prams had different names , some of the models were english names but all them seemed to have the same build structure (ie frame construction and features) the difference in price from one ebay shop to another had some serious fluctuations to say the least.

my next port of call was ebay.ie and again i find the same situation but this time i also found that we had one major irish supplier situated in Carrick on Shannon, this supplier was also listing these prams at different prices but on inspection they had the same construction as the ones from ebay uk. i recalled that from the forum's i have delved through that some people also had mixed reviews about this shop but it had more positive reviews than the shop in Rathcoole. i called the shop to investigate and to enquire about a deal i spotted on one of their pram systems, the chap had broken english and i had to explain myself 3 or 4 times, i wanted to know if the pram was in stock so i got a little annoyed to say the least when i had to keep asking this question. it turned out that the particular pram i wanted was not stocked and would need to be shipped from Poland and would take 1 week, the company in carrick on shannon is Irish registered but the owners are polish.

i done some more investigation back on the e bay uk site and find the same story and i also find shops in germany with the same system, then i looked at Amazon and to my surprise it is flooded with these prams , the price range on amazon was jumping from 100 - 700 pounds for very simular prams with different names ???

what i would like to know is why is the market flooded with these prams and are they safe , why are they all using differnt names and why are they all differnt prices. i know i should really follow my heart and run away but i am curious and a little concerned. i think i will be taken a trip to Mothercare to make my purchase tbh but can anyone shed some light of these polish prams

You could also try Tony Kealy in Walkinstown. We found him good when fitting car seats which we eventally bought in Rathcoole. have to say never had a problem with Murphys. We got a floor model buggy at considerable discount of him.
There is also one in Dundrum sc....cant think of the name off hand but has a good selection.

Its always worth trying out the prams before buying online. You also need to be sure the car seat fits the car...some dont.
We got a besafe izi x3 which i regret not knowing about from birth. its expensive but does from birth to 4 or 5. Its rear and forward facing.

Theres a mega thread in parenting on car seats

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A. Do not buy secondhand

B. Buy from an established supplier

C. Preferably buy in person where you can examine the pram.

D. Like many products, prams manufacturers have many styles and different models in each style. Like cases, models vary from country to country.

dalkey1234

Thank you for the positive feedback and yes I know were I want to spend my money but the fact remains that these prams are flooding the market and might not conform to safety standards, you only get one chance at raising children and safety is a must. What about un suspecting buyers walking into these shops based in Ireland and being sold an inferior product.

this product is all over the internet for sale so I know it is not knock off good,s

it is shipped from Poland direct to your door so my first thought was it is manufactured in Poland but now after more intense looking it seems it might be cheap Chinese product's purchased in bulk quantities and shipped to Poland, Then this product is marketed in Poland and through website,s to UK & Ireland also some new business start ups in Ireland are retailing this product.

rameire

in addition to my advice on buying second hand.

I have bought many baby items second hand, and my child is no worse off.
saved a fortune on prams, seats, toys, clothes,
most things are washable.

dalkey1234

Jarren wrote: »

I'm going against the grain here and getting this imported from Poland in May :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73f0DQEu46U

Just over 400 Euros but OH likes it so it gets my vote too :pac:

THIS IS THE PRODUCT I AM TALKING ABOUT,, research this product before you buy , i have found this exact buggy with some slight changes to the workings of it , it has lots of different names , like appolo , baby care , baby bug etc etc etc ,, i would look a little closer before commiting to this product

Jarren

I've seen the product ,tested and was very happy with the built quality .

Thanks anyway

dalkey1234

dalkey1234 wrote: »

THIS IS THE PRODUCT I AM TALKING ABOUT,, research this product before you buy , i have found this exact buggy with some slight changes to the workings of it , it has lots of different names , like appolo , baby care , baby bug etc etc etc ,, i would look a little closer before commiting to this product

here is just one example , this is a pram i found that is very similar to the one in the video you posted , there are some slight changes to the workings but it bares a strong likeness don,t you think, it has a different name, infact it has about 20 or 30 different names but it is the same product with a slight change to the workings, if you look at online auction sites you will find this product is selling from 170 - 500 pounds or euro ,

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Baby-PRAM-PUSHCHAIR-CAR-SEAT-swivel-wheel-3in1-25-colors-/320790195338?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item4ab095ec8a#ht_16817wt_1161

dalkey1234

if you are happy to purchase it well go ahead and do it but I wont be sending my money to Poland , the reason I started this thread was to make Irish buyers aware of what i have discovered when looking for a pram.

my concern now is are young or old Irish Mums and Dad,s at risk or worse is a new born baby at risk.

my next plan is to visit one of these baby shops that stock this product and take a few details and then go to trading standards to see have these prams went through the proper testing program

athtrasna

dalkey1234 wrote: »

this product is all over the internet for sale so I know it is not knock off good,s

Not sure how you think this is the case. There are copies of most things aka knock offs, available for sale all over the internet.

dalkey1234

athtrasna wrote: »

Not sure how you think this is the case. There are copies of most things aka knock offs, available for sale all over the internet.

Knock offs to me was stolen , so i stand corrected , yes they are knock offs aka cheap copies or replicas of another product

lainycool

I have bought one of these travel systems and I am extremely happy with the quality of it!

Arciphel

OP do you own a shop which sells prams or have any other vested interest in "spreading the word" about these prams? You only have six posts and all are about these prams, ready back over your posts there is something about the way you are putting your points across which just seems a bit off to me. Said I would come straight out and ask.

kippy

The only thing you shouldnt really buy second hand unless you are 100 percent confident of it's history is the car seat. Absolutely no reason why anything else cannot be bought second hand.
Indeed the seat is the main item really. The rest from what I have seen is pretty standard, cheap or not.

lainycool

Arciphel wrote: »

OP do you own a shop which sells prams or have any other vested interest in "spreading the word" about these prams? You only have six posts and all are about these prams, ready back over your posts there is something about the way you are putting your points across which just seems a bit off to me. Said I would come straight out and ask.

I was thinking the same thing!

Cabaal

dalkey1234 wrote: »

THIS IS THE PRODUCT I AM TALKING ABOUT,, research this product before you buy , i have found this exact buggy with some slight changes to the workings of it , it has lots of different names , like appolo , baby care , baby bug etc etc etc ,, i would look a little closer before commiting to this product

Lots of products are the same but come under different names,

A perfect example of this are tV's, loads and loads of random brand name TV's come with Samsung displays in them but then you can also buy TV's directly from Samsung.

Just because its a design available under a different brand name doesn't mean its dodgy straight away, often different brand names can be for the different countries the item was originally intended for.

Again a very simple example of this was Jif and Cif, same product, different name for different countries. Company eventually dropped one though after maybe 10+ years.

dudara

Moved to the Parenting forum

dudara

Moonbeam

Arciphel wrote: »

OP do you own a shop which sells prams or have any other vested interest in "spreading the word" about these prams? You only have six posts and all are about these prams, ready back over your posts there is something about the way you are putting your points across which just seems a bit off to me. Said I would come straight out and ask.

Please report posts if you suspect that there is an issue .

Hobbitfeet

I have been to this shop in carrick on Shannon te the guys there are polish the prams they sell are polish. I know lots of Irish and Europeans who have bought from here with no problems the buggys have lasted them really well. I have 1 polish friend who bought from here and her buggy is still going strong and on the 3rd baby!!
I bought my pram second hand from adverts and its perfect I did of course view it before buying. No problems at all. Buying second hand saved me around €350 and I got a nearly new top of the range buggy

Moonbeam

i do not think that this thread is relevant so I am closing it.