When I found the Rascal Babies website I thought it seemed a great idea. Reusing buggies to raise money for charity; it's good for the environment, good for the charity, and saves money at the same time...I bought an Ocarro Pram & Pushchair. First it took 20 days for the buggy to be dispatched. I contacted Rebecca after about a week to see what was happening; she was very friendly, said there was a delay as they had been very busy and that I could have a refund if I wanted. Instead I opted to wait.I wasn't expecting the buggy to be in perfect condition and was more than prepared for some wear and tear. When I opened the parcel there was some dirt on the frame - meh, I thought, maybe they missed a bit. However, one of the clips on the handle didn't work so it slid in and out on one side, the brake only operated on one wheel, instead of both rear ones as it should and when I went to push it I found the two front wheels flopped from side to side - they clearly didn't have and bearings in any more (there are utube videos showing this problem and how to fix it). The thing was simply not safe to use and in no way lived up to the websites promise of 'refurbished to an extremely high standard'. I was so dissapointed I didn't even open the package with the bassinet.I contacted Rebecca again and to her credit she offered to take it back but said the damage must have occured in the post. When I pointed out that it would be very hard to wear out bearings in the post she claimed that they must have shattered after being mishandled. It would take tonnes of force to shatter bearings, yet there had been no damage to the packaging - spooky...She did organise for the buggy to be picked up, which was great. However, three weeks after the buggy had been picked up there was no refund and my emails had been ignored. In the end I was forced to write a letter before action threatening to take her to small claims, after which I recieved a full refund but no email or apology for the delay.In summary the whole thing was a massive waste of my time and energy at a time when I had much more important things to be dealing with. Maybe my experience was a one off but I wouldn't risk dealing with her again.Also, I tried looking up both rascal babies and Rebecca on the register of charities and found nothing. It's possible they are not registered if they make less than £5000 per year but there is worrying little transparancy about how much of the money actually goes to Parkinsons UK. The website makes it seem like all of it but my experiences have made me somewhat skeptical about the charity aspect of the operation.PS For those others who have reported being charged 'restocking fees', you should know that these can only be charged if the value of the goods has been reduced by excessive handling (you are allowed to remove packaging to inspect the goods). In this case it's hard to see how any one could significantly reduce the value of a used buggy by handling it! And no, it doesn't matter what it says in the terms and conditions, the law (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013) always takes precidence.
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Rascal Babies prides itself on restoring and selling used pushchairs and prams, and other baby equipment, that have been refurbished to the highest standards.Our online store sells an extensive range of preloved baby equipment including car seats, toys, nursery equipment, and loads more.Since Rascal Babies was founded in 2009, we have sold thousands of children’s toys, products, and used prams to loads of happy parents and smiley toddlers.See more
