Problems with some Baby Products

Recently, we have had some problems with some of the baby products for Owen. First we discovered a hole in our pack 'n play. The pack 'n play is very gently used and the hole is definitely not one that could be created by a baby. It is about four inches in length and along the seem where the side mesh meets the solid fabric of the base. So...Mom wrote to Graco and told them the issue. Graco responded by sending us a FedEx prepaid label so we could ship the item back to Graco at their expense. They will replace the product upon receipt.

Then, a station on Owen's "Around We Go Activity Center" had never really worked correctly. It was what Mom had named the "squishy fishy" station. Basically, it consisted of some fish inside a water filled cavity. There were two shells on either side of the cavity that when pressed would squeak and were supposed to put air into the cavity and make the fish move. The shells were very hard to make squeak and the air did not move the fish around. So...Mom wrote to Bright Starts and told them the issue. They wrote back and said that the center we got had been replaced, but the activity modules were interchangeable. So, they sent us a replacement module. Now Owen has something new to discover (the frog hopper module).

And finally, we bought a new set of Playtex Ventaires 9oz bottles at the beginning of March. This was our third set of bottles and all had been washed the same way (by hand in hot soapy water). After two weeks of using the new bottles, the stamped graduated indications on the side of the bottles was disappearing. This made it quite difficult to fill the bottles to the proper level. So....Mom phoned Playtex and after answering a bunch of questions and confirming the manufacture date of the bottles (also stamped on the bottle) the company admitted that there was an ink problem a couple of years ago and they we just happened to get one of the sets that used the bad ink. Playtex offered to send a coupon for $15.99 that would allow us to replace the set.

All of these issues have been relatively minor, but all of the companies involved have been very understanding and accommodating. It is reassuring to know that Playtex, Graco and Bright Starts (all big manufacturers of baby products) stand behind their products and support their customers.