Help Me Howard: Conversion Kit

WSVN -- When Shani looks at her adorable son Dacosta she just has to smile. However, when she found out she was pregnant with him her reaction was a little different.

Shani Vaughan: "And so, when it hit me I am going to have a baby I almost had a nervous breakdown. I was terrified."

But everything turned out fine, and when Dacosta came home Shani and her husband were ready.

Shani Vaughan: "Lots of preparation. Getting a room decorated and buying furniture, and buying all the little baby things that you need."

They even did one thing they thought was smart, buying a beautiful convertible crib.

Shani Vaughan: "They said it goes from a crib to a toddler bed, eventually to a full sized bed, and we wanted something that would grow with him so every year we wouldn't have to buy new furniture."

It was a great plan and...

Shani Vaughan: "And he grew and the furniture did not."

The problem started when Dacosta neared two. Shani went back to the store and paid for the conversion kit to turn the crib into a toddler bed.

Shani Vaughan: "They told us it was a six to eight week delivery time."

But eight weeks turned into 18 weeks and 18 weeks turned into 28 weeks. As the waiting time grew, Dacosta out grew the crib.

Shani Vaughan: "A crib that he climbs out of. That he has fallen out of and hurt himself. He has already busted open his lip."

For his own safety Dacosta now sleeps with his parents. In the meantime, the store blames the manufacture for not making enough conversion kits. The manufacture blames the store for not delivering the conversion kits.

Shani Vaughan: "It's to the point now I am just tired of the run-around. It's been seven months. I am beyond frustrated, beyond.

Shani finally told the store, if you can't deliver the conversion kit we paid for replace the crib with a bed. They said no.

Shani Vaughan: "Well we can refund you the money for the conversion kit, and I have explained to them, but that renders the bed useless. You cannot convert it to the bed."

It's a beautiful bedroom set for a newborn. It would be beautiful for a 2-year-old if the crib could became a bed. So Howard, does the store have to produce the materials to convert the crib.

Howard Finkelstein: "The law is clear on this one. Because the store sold the crib as a convertible crib, the stores inability to deliver the conversion kit requires them to return the money, entire crib and kit to Shani, just not the entire cost since she got the benefit of using it for over a year."

When I spoke to Toys R Us, the parent company of Babies R Us, they were helpful and moved very quickly. They blamed the delay on the manufactures inventory constraints. In other words, they didn't have enough conversion kits. But Toys R Us took care of it. A couple of weeks later they delivered the conversion kit to Shani and the company gave her a $50 gift certificate for having to wait.

Shani Vaughan: "I am happy with the final product. He climbs in and out of his bed on his own."

Dacosta now has his toddler bed and when he gets a little bigger the kit will allow it to turn into a bed. He's happy. She's happy.

Shani Vaughan: "You call Help Me Howard and Patrick Fraser and things happen. I tried for seven months to get something done. The minute they were contacted by you guys, within two weeks we had everything."

Glad we could help, and a suggestion, if you aren't happy with a store, go to their corporate headquarters or go straight to the manufacture of the product. In fact, many times the makers of the product would rather you do that than deal with the store. But no matter what you do don't give up.

CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
EMAIL: helpmehoward@wsvn.com (Please include your contact phone number when emailing)
REPORTER: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
MIAMI-DADE: 305-953-WSVN
BROWARD: 954-761-WSVN