Complain about a product or service

Graco Cribs

Linda of Coopersville MI (10/08/08)
After contacting Graco about the recall on my daughter's crib, a customer service rep told me they would send me replacement parts. This was back in July. I have contacted them 3 times by phone and once by e-mail, and each time they claim they never received my order, and I have to re-order it.

Well, last night I tried to return the crib to the Wal-mart we bought it at, and basically because the CSM there doesn't know how to do her job, they refused to exchange the crib. She told me I'm sorry I can't help you, regardless of the recall.. to me this is ridiculous. I have a 5 year warranty on the crib and it has only been 2 1/2 years since I purchased it. I don't have the receipt because I didn't think I would ever have to return it. The thing is, I had called that Wal-mart and told them that I have a crib that is on recall, and asked if it was ok if I bring it in to exchange it, and the night manager told me No problem, bring it in and we'll give you in store credit towards another crib...

Also, after digging into it a little more I found out that this exact same crib (model # and serial #) was on recall about 8 months before I even bought it, because of the locking clips that hold the drop side up, popping off. Which I have had to replace twice, and was the reason for my calling them back in July, because the locking clips popped off again. So in other words.. Wal-mart is continuing to sell recalled items, and then refusing to correct their wrong doing when the customer realizes what Wal-mart is doing.

My husband works at Wal-mart, so as you can imagine money is tight. I had to pay a babysitter to watch my 2 children, because I drive a tiny GEO PRIZM and cannot fit 2 children in car seats in the car along with the crib. My daughter has no bed to sleep in, because I refuse to put her in a bed that has killed and injured other child.

Susan of Sunny Isles Beach FL (12/10/07)
Graco crib Model 8740 had a recall on it which I just learned about. We were never notified, though we never had a problem with it. but a child died when the drop-rail fell on him and suffocated him. I read about this online and wondered whether it's safe to use this crib anymore or should we be given a replacement crib for this one?

Amy of Fitchburg MA (11/26/07)
I almost cannot describe to you in words how angry and disgusted I am with both the GRACO/Simplicity Companies and Wal-Mart after the Recalls on the Simplicity Aspen 3 in 1 crib. I am shocked at the nonchalance with which these situations have been handled, and suggest that the problem may be far more severe than is portrayed.

I purchased my Aspen crib from Wal-Mart in Early 2005. At that time, I did most of my shopping at Wal-Mart for several reasons. First, when Wal-Mart came to Gardner some years ago, it put all of its local competitors out of business. As such, it became the only nearby store of its kind, the most accessible for area residents. Also, Up until recently, I did view Wal-Mart as a store which sold good quality items for reasonable prices. The Aspen crib was just such an item. I believed that this item, while simple in design, would be a safe, budget-conscious buy for my nursery. I was wrong. I put the crib together in July of 2005 and sent in the registration form so that I could receive recall notices if any were issued. However, I never received any such notices. I only began using the crib in March, 2007.

I began having problems with the crib almost immediately. Within a few months of crib-use, I began having trouble with the wooden mattress support slats, which were falling out. When this happened, the Mattress would cave-in. Luckily; I had no close calls.? The baby never fell into the mattress supports, or got wedged in between the mattress and the crib. At that time, I presumed that the crib was safe, and guessed that I must have put it together too loosely. I re-installed the provided screws several times in the same 2 or 3 loose slats, but these slats continued falling out routinely. Eventually I ended up purchasing longer screws which would offer more support to these slats. I had no more trouble with the mattress base after I took that action.

I also noticed early on that the hardware on the drop side was shoddy, and that it may have been bending or breaking. On occasion, when I leaned over the drop side, it would fall under my weight. (I am not heavy.?) Again, I presumed that this was my fault? and that I should not be bearing down on the drop side. I had never even used the drop side, but when I inspected it, it appeared as though the hardware had broken at some point possibly when it fell. At that point, I stopped using the crib. I wasnt sure what to do, and I was looking at new cribs.

Weeks later, I learned of the drop-side recall.?I had not received notification from the company, but saw this on the news. I was astonished that this problem that I believed I had created was actually caused by a serious flaw in the manufacturing of the crib. I registered for the replacement hardware immediately, online.

Weeks later I received an automated call that asked for additional information before the hardware could be sent. In this message, I was reassured that I could continue to use my crib. I think that was a very serious error, as the cribs are clearly unsafe. I would also mention that while the website requested information about whether I had a wooden or metal mattress base, it never alluded to or mentioned the previous recall on this SAME CRIB! As far as I can tell, neither GRACO nor Simplicity made a good faith effort to ensure that their customers with wooden mattress bases knew that there were multiple safety issues with the Aspen crib. (Note: I have only learned about this recall within the past few days as a result of research and phone-contact with a Simplicity employee.)

Several weeks later, I received the metal replacement hardware for my crib. I installed it within a few days and began using my crib again, assuming it was now safe. (Again, please note that at this time, although I had been in contact with Simplicity many times, I had never seen or heard information regarding the wooden mattress base recalls.) Then, on Wednesday 11/21/2007, my babysitter placed my 9 month old son in the crib for an afternoon nap. hour later, I got home, and looked in on my son. He was fast asleep; and only his upper-torso and head were visible above the mattress, which had collapsed when the wooden support slats had come loose. 2 had fallen out completely, and one was hanging. My sons legs were straddling the halfway collapsed rail. This was the only thing keeping Connors head and body from sliding further down, (which could possibly have allowed him to fall on the ground, or be suffocated or strangled by the bars or mattress.) This experience was obviously very frightening. We began using the port-a-crib again that day.

Due to the thanksgiving holiday, I was not able to contact Simplicity until Saturday 11/24. It was only after I explained our situation that the woman on the phone informed me of a past recall on this same crib for the mattress base. Further online research let me know that this recall was issued in December of 2005, nearly 2 years ago. I was never contacted! The woman on the phone offered to send me a new GRACO crib, including a mobile; (which I have no use for, as my son is too old to safely use a mobile in his crib.) I accepted the offer what else could I do? However, the more I think on this situation and the problems and dangers it has caused me and my family, the more upset I become.

There is little anyone can do to soothe the extreme guilt I feel as Connors mother for placing him in that death-trap for so many months. You can only imagine how strongly I distrust GRACO, Simplicity AND Wal-Mart for their parts in this debacle. I accept this new crib with extreme misgivings, knowing that it comes from the same manufacturer that sold me a crib which bore 2 RECALLS IN 2 YEARS WITHOUT EVEN NOTIFYING ITS REGISTERED CONSUMER! The Aspen crib was unsafe in almost every way it could be unsafe, short of being covered in lead paint. I am terrified of leaving my baby unsupervised now, and keep the port-a-crib he sleeps in at night in my room. It terrifies me to realize that there is no way of me knowing whether the items I am buying for my child are safe or deadly. 30 or 40 dollars on to the price of the item, so be it. I would still have bought the crib, and it would still have been a relatively inexpensive, budget-conscious item at $150 or $175. You cannot be cutting quality on cribs and other childrens items just so your company can be competitive in terms of price. This goes for everyone; the manufacturers, and Wal-Mart. (I feel Wal-Mart has a responsibility to cross-check the items it stocks to ensure they are not deadly to babies. This would be good for everyone, including them. If I were a Wal-Mart executive, I would not want to be tied to these crib recalls.) To conclude, I want these companies to know that they have severely altered my views as a consumer. I will never trust a manufacturer or retail outlet again. I will complain when I am unsatisfied. I will NEVER purchase another GRACO or Simplicity item, EVER, and I would be willing to tell anyone I speak with not to buy your product. I have not shopped at Wal-Mart since the incident, and I may never shop there again. This experience has been frightening and traumatic for me, my spouse, my sitter and our families. I rarely complain, but I can hardly imagine a greater cause for outrage.

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