• Is the equipment purchased new and in good condition?
• Can I extend my hire?
• Is there a bond?
• Will my hired goods be clean?
• Do you have appropriate liability insurance?
• Can we use our car seats/child restraints from overseas?
• What if my baby comes early?
• Is there a bond?
• Are you trained to install car seats/capsules?
• If I hire a car seat or baby capsule, how do I know it hasn’t been in a car crash?
• Do you have a refund policy for early returns?
• What happens if my hired car seat or capsule is in a crash while I have it?
• Price match guarantee
• Booking cancellations and refunds
• What is the current law in Australia relating to kids and cars?

Is the equipment new and in good condition?

All our equipment is in excellent condition, purchased brand new through our relationships with both local and international brands. We take great pride in the very high standards we maintain.

Can I extend my hire?

Yes, only if it the item is not already reserved for the next hirer. We cannot make any guarantees regarding availability of extensions. Payment for extensions must be paid in full on the day of request and will be allocated to your credit card. If a product is returned early, there is no refund. You cannot however top up from one hire term to the next ie. pay for 4 months and ask to extend to 6 and pay the difference between the two. You can rehire any item you have already on hire either at the extension rate of $10 per item for capsules and for bases or by rehiring other items commencing a new hire term with the applicable fee.

Will my hired goods be clean?

Absolutely. Rock-a-Bye Baby is owned and operated by a Sydney mother who understands the importance of having functional, safe nursery equipment whether you are at home or on holiday. Each hired item is carefully cleaned according to the manufacturers instructions and care is taken not to use astringent or allergenic cleaning products.

Do you have appropriate liability insurance?

We most certainly do. Due to the nature of our business, i.e. hiring baby equipment/installing car restraints, insurance is complex, expensive and extremely difficult to obtain. However, due to the fact that we are a trained, quality hire service, we were able to obtain this coverage and it is always kept current. You should ask about this before hiring from any baby equipment company; most policies do not cover the hire of baby equipment.

Can we use our car seats/child restraints from overseas?

The simple answer is no. Under law every child car restraint sold in Australia must meet very stringent safety requirements, which are set out in Australian Standard AS/NZ1754. This standard covers all aspects of the restraint including design, materials, performance, safety testing, labelling and so on of child restraints. All restraints must carry the Australian Standard AS/NZ1754 sticker and all our restraints carry this standard. Most child restraints purchased overseas, including car seats from countries such as the USA and the United Kingdom do not comply with this Standards and cannot legally be used in Australia.

What if my baby comes early?

If you have a current booking and your baby makes an earlier than expected arrival, please have your partner or friend call us on our mobile 0406 984 452 and we will supply you with an alternate carseat or capsule if your booked one is not ready. Your hire dates will simply be changed to encompass the early arrival.

Is there a bond?

Yes, a bond of $50 per item is required for each hired item except hospital grade breastpumps, which have a $100 bond. All bonds are refunded by direct transfer or cheque only - no cash refunds - within 7 business days of the items return to us. All hire items and any accessories must be returned in good clean before bonds can be refunded. A cleaning fee of $20 applies to those items that are soiled, sandy or stained.

Are you trained to install car seats/capsules?

Yes we are. Our fitters have been trained by the training arm of the Roads & Traffic Authority as well as being an accredited member of A.C.R.I., the Australian Child Restraint Resource Initiative. All our hired child restraints come with the offer of complimentary installation by a trained restraint fitter. The safety of your child is of paramount importance.

Booking cancellations and refunds of prepaid accounts

To confirm your booking a 50% payment of your hire fee is required to secure the stock of your choice. Refunds are available if the cancellation is within 10 business days of the hire term commencing, any cancellations within 10 business days of the proposed hire term commencement will not be accepted for a refund.

Do you have a refund policy for early returns?

Refunds on early returns are not available. To assist parents we created the Flexi-Rent Program so you can hire only for as long as you need the capsule, hiring month to month rather than for a set term.

What happens if my hired car seat or capsule is in a crash while I have it?

If you are involved in any type of car accident, no matter how minor, you must inform us immediately. For your own safety, we must replace your car child restraint with another. The first restraint will then be destroyed by us. The restraint must be returned to our office as soon as practicable. Accidents can't be helped and events like that in no way affect your bond refund. Your bond is still refunded but you will be required to either claim current retail replacement cost of the capsule from your insurer or if you prefer, you can settle the account with us yourself.

Price Match Guarantee

• If you find an identical item offered by any other hire company operating in Sydney at a cheaper rate, we will match it. "Identical" is defined as the same brand, same manufacturer, and same model number.
• Our price match guarantee only applies to written quotes made with operators operating in Sydney and does not include package deals, specials, typographical errors, coupons, advertised specials or where the advertised price is conditional or the product is part of any promotion involving any free or bonus offer. The offer from our competitor must include free installation of the hired restraint by a trained restraint fitter and price matching excludes deliveries, collections and the Sydney Airport Concierge Service fee.
• Our price match guarantee does not apply to promotional offers and is not available on installation, retail items, parts, accessories or delivery and collection fees.

The new child restraint laws are now in effect. Here is a quick guide for parents:

New laws have been passed that make it mandatory for children under seven to be restrained in an appropriate child restraint. These laws are designed to increase the safety of your children and reduce the number of children injured or killed in car accidents.

Summary of the new legislation:

Babies younger than six months of age must be restrained in a rearward facing restraint.
Children from six months to four years of age must be restrained in a rearward facing or forward facing restraint. Children under four years of age must not travel in the front row of a vehicle with two or more rows.
Children from four to seven years of age must be seated in a forward facing restraint or booster seat. Children from four to seven years of age can only sit in the front row of a vehicle with two or more rows when all other seats are occupied by children of a lesser age in an approved child restraint.

What if my child is small, or large, for their age?
If your child is too small for a restraint specified for their age, they should be kept in their current of restraint for as long as necessary. If your child is too large for a restraint specified for their age, they may move to the next level of restraint. Basically if your child is under seven and fits in a restraint, they should be in one, providing they suit the weight requirement as specified by the car seat manufacturer. New car seats suiting children up to 36kg will be available on the market shortly.

Why was the legislation implemented?
The current evidence shows that most parents in Australia move their child out of child restraints and into adult seat belts from around five years of age. Research indicates that this is too early and increases the potential for serious injury and death.

Car accidents are associated with a large number of child fatalities in Australia. Between 1999 and 2003, 587 children aged 0-14 years died as a result of transport accidents. This accounts for 40% of all fatalities in this age group due to external causes. A study conducted in the United States found infant car restraints reduced the risk of death by 75% for children aged up to one year and by 60% for those aged 2 and 3 years.

According to Dr Jeff Potter, the National Transport Commission’s Senior Manager–Safety, new age-based minimum standards would improve public understanding and reduce injuries.

“While many parents and carers strive to do the right thing, the research shows children are moving to bigger seats too early. The new laws will provide better guidance informed by the latest available technology, research and world’s best practice,” Dr Potter said.

Why do the new rules refer to the age of the child, rather than their weight, size or height?
Regulations using the age of the user will result in the smallest percentage of infants being inappropriately restrained, rather than if the regulations were specific about the height, weight or size of the passenger. Guidelines are also easier for parents and carers to understand and follow if given in terms of age, as it is much easier to remember a child's age than their height and weight.