Frequently Asked Questions
Company
How is renting a better deal then buying?
Like many decisions it is a matter of specifics. Do you think you will use this $1200 travel system after the 6 month point? Or will you spend another $500 on an travel stroller. Will you have more then one child to put through a SNOO to justify buying it new? Or will it break down from sitting long unused in that closet? The answer depends but up until now the choice was buy it or don’t.
Rent Baby Tech offers a new approach that benefits you as parents, citizens in your community, and the environment at large. Most baby products:
- Have limited lifespans by their usability for your little one
- Are large, bulky, and awkward to store
- Expensive to buy and can be expensive or impossible to repair
- Mold away in a shed or garage losing all their utility
Why rent from Rent Baby Tech instead of buying used?
An excellent question! We are all about reuse, that is one of our core tenants. The advantage of Rent Baby Tech comes from three distinct specialties.
Quality is important because it is the difference between a product lasting months and lasting for years. RBT specializes in baby gear. We eat, sleep, and sometimes cry into these products so we truly know them in and out. We know which makes and models stand up over time and which ones will be expensive to repair. Whether its purchased or rented you can be assured that we put our name behind our work. All of our products carry a guarantee that we back up.
Cleanliness is just as important as quality. Each nook and cranny must be inspected, washed, rinsed, cleaned, sanitized, and dried to get our seal of approval. We wouldn’t send something out the door unless we would put our own little ones in it. Each manufacturer has specific cleaning instructions and we know that they know best, not to mention we want to ensure your gear has been taken care of properly.
Guaranteed is our way of demonstrating not only good faith but exercising our brand. All of our rentals are guaranteed for the course of your rental. Any refurbished product carry a 30 day warranty at minimum. We know we provide the best products and this is how we show it
Cleanliness is just as important as quality. Each nook and cranny must be inspected, washed, rinsed, cleaned, sanitized, and dried to get our seal of approval. We wouldn’t send something out the door unless we would put our own little ones in it. Each manufacturer has specific cleaning instructions and we know that they know best, not to mention we want to ensure your gear has been taken care of properly.
Guaranteed is our way of demonstrating not only good faith but exercising our brand. All of our rentals are guaranteed for the course of your rental. Any refurbished product carry a 30 day warranty at minimum. We know we provide the best products and this is how we show it
Delivery and Transportation
How can you possibly offer free delivery and pickup for rentals in Los Angeles?
Our secret is that there is no secret, we sit in traffic just for you! We do require a $100 minimum order size though. We use electric vehicles to reduce our environmental impact and take advantage of HOV lane access to get you your gear faster.
We may sometimes ask for flexibility with you to help ensure our delivery routes are efficient. We may ask to come a day early or later as driving to El Segundo and Thousand Oaks on the same day makes us cranky.
If your here for a short stay you can rest assured you will have the gear on or before your rental start date. We may drop off before you arrive or pickup after you have departed if that can be accommodated but we know your successful vacation sleep and travel is our priority. Your RBT rep will work with you to find a way.
Can you deliver to my VRBO / AirBNB?
Yes! We’d love to get your gear delivered ahead of time if possible even. If you have contact information for your provider and can share ahead of time (with your approval) we can get in early and drop off the gear.
If no early drop off is available we’re happy to meet you based on your availability. Work with your RBT rep to ensure we are successful in dropping off and picking up.
Please note that most short term rental properties do not allow for storage of gear after your departure. They will often put gear outside or throw it away! Please help us avoid this trouble by keeping good communication with your RBT rep.
Please note that most short term rental properties do not allow for storage of gear after your departure. They will often put gear outside or throw it away! Please help us avoid this trouble by keeping good communication with your RBT rep.
Can you deliver to my Hotel?
Yes! We’d love to get your gear delivered ahead of time if possible even. Please add a note during checkout letting us know what hotel this is and we will coordinate with their concierge desk.
Hotels are generally more accommodating then short term rentals so they will help with both dropoff ahead of time and pickup after your departure. We love the concierge!
Can I pick up and drop off my gear from you instead?
Yes! We would be happy to coordinate this. You can select this option during checkout and your RBT rep will help coordinate an appointment to get you your gear from our secure property.
My delivery quote in checkout was expensive, what can I do?
Unfortunately even we have our limits. Our delivery formula is pretty simple. Every mile after the first 30 is $4/mile. This includes round trip delivery for your gear so pickup and delivery.
If you are too far to make this reasonable we have a few options which you can discuss with your RBT rep after you request your reservation.
- We can deliver to friend or family, we can quote you a new delivery based on your options
- We can meet you somewhere. Even if its a Whole Foods parking lot we will find a spot that works for you.
- You can come pick up from our facility based on a schedule that works for you.
Early AM or evening hours are available by appointment so work with your RBT rep to make a plan.
More shipping options are in the works and coming soon.
ordering
Why didn’t I have to make a payment to place an order?
We actually don’t collect payment until the day the rental begins. Yeah we know our competitors like to charge you today to lock you in but we don’t think that’s right. When you rent a car you don’t pay until you’re there picking it up so why make this any different? We find more then 9 out of 10 reservations complete their order so why charge up front?
How do I make my payment?
Through our dedicated customer portal! Generally within 24 hours of placing your order an RBT rep will be in contact to finalize your rental and create your account. In the portal you will find:
- Your rental agreement for eSignature
- Secure CC or ACH setup for paying your invoice
- Messaging with our customer support team
- Our knowledge base
- The request pickup form
Please keep an eye out for this email, you can always find our customer portal here: Portal.RentBabyTech.com
Is there a minimum number of days for an order?
Currently we require a 3 day minimum for most products.
Gear
Am I guaranteed to receive a particular brand or model?
While we do our best to offer a thorough list of our equipment available we aren’t always up to speed on the website. New gear comes in often! If you have specific requirements about the gear you’re looking for please be sure to discuss this with your RBT representative. Otherwise we use a standard and premium classification to group similar products. Graco and Chicco convertible car seats are generally interchangeable due to materials, features, and value.
We offer premium upgrades for those looking for something familiar or maybe just looking to treat yourself (or your little one)!
I don’t see what I’m looking for, can I request something specific / special?
Totally, we’ve learned about many great products through our customer requests. Please use our chat or give us a call at the number in the upper right hand corner and we can work with you to get you just what you need.
Repair
Where do you get the parts to repair my gear?
Some manufacturers have genuine parts available for purchase, we call these OEM parts. These are our favorite because we can trust that they will fit, look great, and be warrantied. We love these manufacturers because they help us deliver on our mission!
Some parts are generic such as a bearing or o-ring. These generally carry trade markings that allow for exact replacement by high quality manufacturers. Parts like these can bring a stroller back to life at a fraction of the cost of replacement.
Other manufacturers prefer these repairs be done by themselves or by no one at all. Given the high cost of shipping something like a stroller it quickly becomes more economical to throw the item away and buy something new. For these case we can help source replacement products from a secondary market such as Facebook, Craigslist, eBay, and other local services.
Rent Baby Tech has no affiliation with Facebook, Craigslist, or eBay. All rights and trademarks are reserved by their respective owners.
How is Rent Baby Tech qualified to perform these repairs?
As of today there are not authorized service providers for most stroller brands. There are plenty of bicycle, automobile, and lawn mower repair stores which are able to acquire accreditations or certifications to work on gear. Notice those products tend to be not only more sophisticated in design but are engineered to last a long time? Its no coincidence that products which are serviceable hold up longer. However a robust service industry extending the life of manufacturer’s products which isn’t always in line with the strategy of selling more gear.
We are therefore in a space similar to your cell phone repair store. Providing a necessary service without access to the best possible parts and training. Fortunately most strollers and other baby gear is serviceable to a certain degree and with a bit of mechanical aptitude they can be disassembled and reassembled easily. A 3D printed cog can save a baby swing from the landfill so why not?
That sounds like a systemic problem?
Sure is! We’re not the only industry either, this all falls under the concept of “right to repair”. Wirecutter has an primer on the topic here.
