HELP: Front Wheel Problems Valco Runabout Deluxe Special Edition

[Princess_Alisa]

Hi there,

I am just wondering if there is anybody out there who has the same problem with their Valco Runabout Special Edition 2005:

I have been using this pram for 3 months now. For the first 2 months I used it with the bassinett. Once I changed into the normal seat, the problem started. The front wheel was very loose all of a sudden and started to wobble. It almost felt like as if I would loose the wheel while walking around with the pram.:mad:

I took it to Babies Galore where I bought it from ($740 including the bassinett). They said they had to send it to Melbourne for reparation and gave me an umbrella fold stroller as a substitute, which was suitable for a 6 months old - my daughter was 2 months at the time. I asked if I could have an other one, they said no, that umbrella stoller was all they had. :banghead: :thumbsdown:

After 2 weeks without a pram I finally got it back. When I went for my first walk, I noticed, that the wheel was still faulty. Maybe not as much as before, but it was still loose and made an annoing noise. We went back to the shop trying to get a refund but the shop assistant said, she can't do anything before talking to the supplier. Then she played around with the wheel and put that plastic thing, which stops the wheel from swiveling up and down. Since she did that, the pram does not steer straight again.

On Monday we have an appointment in the shop with the Valco Rep.

Just wondering, if this has happened to anyone else out there and if yes, PLEASE write me your story,!!!

Thanks a lot!:)

[Mrs Little]

We have a valco pram...like yours and it seems to be fine.

My friends had one...and their front wheel came flying off when hubby was pushing their son to the car. Their son fell out and got some serious cuts and bruises and her hubby when A over T.

They took the pram back to baby kingdom where they bought it and asked for a refund....they got one! They bought a totally different pram.

I always worry that mine will do what theirs did...the valco people say it's my friends fault as they must have put the pram together wrong. Isn't that slack....

Hope all goes well for you.

Mrs Little & Son.

[HannahBannan]

i was going to buy that same pram but someone talked me out of it for that reson she said that they dont make a front wheel that is safe enough they wont take there pram of the market they just try to improve it thats why they bring one out evey year.

[Princess_Alisa]

It's just such a rip off, this pram! So expensive and then not even safe..!!

[My3kids]

My Brother & SIL bought one in early 2005. They had the front wheel replaced but it was hard to get done! Both of them were so P**S Off with the baby shop as they got it up here in QLD then took it back home to NSW, they had to fly up to get it sorted as the New Owner from a well know baby shop would not fix it unless they brought it back to the store, HOW RUDE! Than had told them they would send it away to get fixed and my brother chucked the biggest wobbly custorms even left, The owner ended up taking a wheel off a brandnew one and putting it on theres, Since than no problems. I haven't been back to that store since, I own a Bertini shutle and I think there the best prams out!

[Princess_Alisa]

Thanks so much for your stories! I will print them out and bring them to the shop tomorrow. :thumbsup:

If anybody else has good stories about a broken front wheel on a Valco Pram, please write it to me!!!

[mel04]

I have the same pram, only been using it for 2 months and no probs yet.
How did you go with the rep?
Hope they sorted something out for you.

[Princess_Alisa]

Yesterday we had our appointment with the Rep at Babies Galore. He knew we were coming to get a refund because we had all the extras like footmuff, nappybag etc with us that came with the pram).

When he said he would repair the problem again I said that it would not be enough as we had already enough problems with this pram and research showed us that there was a constuction fault with this pram and many were returned in the past (I had about 10 pages of collected complaints from all different forums with me).

He started to explain to us that there was a "bad batch" last July and the reports I have red must have been from this time and obviously our pram as well. And then he said he would exchange the whole pram for us and gave us his direct number if we had further problems. So if this one will cause problems again, we'll get a refund.

But he also recommended NOT to take off the front wheel, when we put the pram in the car. He said we should take off the back wheels instead.:confused:

I have to say that the valco rep was relly nice and tried to do his best. And now we will see if this pram is any better. I have to admit though that I still don't trust this pram after all the trouble. I have to go for a big walk tomorrow to test it out properly.

I'll let you all know :)

[Nan]

I have the exact same pram with all the 'bells and whistles' in the Nitrogen colour scheme. My front wheel is ever so slightly wobbly, but all in all has been no trouble at all. We got it in September 2005.
My SIL has one, too. As for the sales rep saying they had a bad batch in July, well.....quite frankly they must have had a bad batch in 2004 as well!! My SIL got hers (black denim colour) at the end of 2004 and had to have a new wheel put on, too. After that it is still slightly crooked (as opposed to perfectly vertical), but is working okay now.
Love,
Nan. xx

[meme]

hmmm, i don't have this brand but when i was enquiring about prams at our local baby shop i was told by the owner not to consider a valco as they had recently had a lot of them returned because they were not good. so i don't think it's an isolated experience.
hope you don't have anymore dramas with it.

[tash n jag]

It definately is not an isolated experience. I go walking with a friend who bought her Valco pram early 2005 (baby was born in May - so it was before then) and her wheel does exactly as described. Her baby's head also lies lower than his feet (another problem). She took hers back 3 times and they "fixed" it each time by replacing parts. The shop (I think Baby Kingdom) assistant commented that a lot of these prams had been returned for the same reasons. They were given a new replacement pram (the same type) in the end. No probs with the second one but that first one was definately faulty.