Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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167 of 170 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A simple solution, August 27, 2003
By A Customer
We are the parents of twin eight month old boys. About a month ago they began crawling and pulling themselves up on the furniture. We have a steep staircase off our kitchen and I knew we would have to gate it off. I am not a very handy person and although I wanted a secure gate I did not want one that was difficult to install. I read all the gate reviews on Amazon and I was drawn to this one as it comes with templates for installing the hinges and latch. I am glad I ordered this gate as it lives up to its name--Simple and Secure. I had the gate installed perfectly in less than 30 minutes. It is very strong and blends well with our decor. We have a 42" stairwell and the gate fit without the need for any extensions or extra parts. Unlike some other reviewers, I did not find the closing "click" too loud or bothersome. In fact, it is reassuring to know that the gate is securly locked behind you. I would definitely recommend this product to any family having infants or toddlers.
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110 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Versatile, effective, secure and simple (once you install), April 18, 2003
By A Customer
The width (29-44 approx), versatility in installation, and simplicity of this gate justify a 5 star rating from me.The ability to adjust top and bottom rails of the hinge side to different widths to accomodate molding or other uneven surfaces is a huge plus. I have thick molding and needed something with the freedom to adjust. This alone makes it a perfect fit for our 80 year old house and its stairway. This gate comes with a template, nice touch, as long as you have even and level wall surfaces to deal with. I don't! But after putting it together once, and then taking it apart again to make the adjustments I felt it needed, I was able to install this gate in our difficult stairway. The instructions recommend installing into wood or studs, and due to the plaster used on my walls and inability to find a stud inline with the other side of the gate, I have actually installed it at a slight angle without compromising the safety of the gate. Great quality product, several ways you can install to accomodate your needs. Instructions are complete and pictures detail very well. The gate can be opened with one hand, but utilizes a push-in-and-turn dial, similar to a child-safe medicine bottle.
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105 of 109 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
WARNING - Will Not Stand Up To The Test Of Time, January 21, 2005
This is the first online review that I have ever written. I write because I hope that someone out there will learn from my experience and save money that I have lost on this product.
NOTE: Most of the reviews that I have seen on this product are from people who are happy with this product right out of the box. This is a different perspective. I have been dealing with this company and this product for OVER A YEAR and I am truly disappointed.
Like all of you, my wife and I chose this product because we felt that it would securely keep our two wonderful sons away from our stairway. We were also interested in it because it was metal (dog proof!). For these reasons, we ended up purchasing THREE of these gates for our home.
Initially, I was disappointed a bit with the installation of the product. The screws that came with the hardware kit were too short for really secure installation, in my opinion. I ended up using some longer, stouter decking screws. Otherwise I really don't think the things would have stayed on the wall. After installation, however, the gates performed well for a time.
Less than a year after purchase, however, the knobs on two of the gates froze. This rendered them completely useless. We had to remove the gates from our stairway just so that we could go to bed at night and then, of course, our stairs were left accessible to our toddlers. I contacted The First Years, and they agreed to replace these two gates with two new gates of the same variety. The only hitch was that I had to send them my broken gates first - which left my stairs exposed for an even longer period (I have noticed at least one other reviewer mentioning this customer service issue).
I received the new gates without a problem. It is now less than a year later. Within 4 weeks of each other, ALL THREE of my gates have failed in the same fashion. Let me be clear. I have now had the opportunity to use FIVE of these gates. ALL OF THEM HAVE FAILED IN THE EXACT SAME FASHION. They were obtained at different times and from different locations. This leads me to believe that there is a REAL DEFECT IN THIS PRODUCT.
I have spoken with customer service about this problem. Their corporate line is that the warranty is not valid more than 12 months from PURCHASE. It matters not at all to them that they sent me brand new gates less than 12 months ago. They hang their hats on the fact that my original purchase was over 12 months ago.
After pointing out to their supervisor several times that this warranty policy made no sense at all, the best she was willing to do is send me two different gates that are LESS EXPENSIVE, LESS SECURE, NOT SUITABLE FOR STAIR USE, AND ULTIMATELY UNFIT FOR MY FAMILY'S NEEDS.
Bottom Line: We have now spent an additional $200 on new gates from a new company (Kidco - like them so far). Please learn from our experience and save yourselves some money and frustration.
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