FAQs

FAQs about our drop in sessions

Do I have to pay to come to drop in sessions?

We are committed to keeping our drop in services free, to be as accessible as possible to all. Drop in sessions offer support with all types of sling and carrier, your own or ours, carrier hire is optional if you’d like it but there is no pressure to use the hire service. Many families ask if they can contribute to the drop in service in some way when they find it useful, so we have an option to “pay as you feel”. At the session you can use the contributions tin, or scan a QR code to contribute online. If you’d like to contribute to drop in, click here for our Buy Us a Coffee site or here for PayPal.

Are the carriers available to try on and take home at drop in sessions?

We always have a selection of carriers for fittings and hire at every drop in session, and you can take them home on the day.  The exact carriers will change day to day as carriers come in and out, you can check the inventory or what’s currently in stock by getting in touch or checking our inventory site here.

Can I just come along to drop in sessions or do I need an appointment?

We know what babies are like, and that’s why we run drop in services rather than trying to commit people to a certain time or day. No need to book, just roll in and you’ll be welcome. Obviously this means that some days will be busy, and some quiet. We’ll ask for your patience if you happen upon a busy day. Joining our hire service online in advance is a great time saver, so if you can do that before you come, or even on your phone as you wait, we’ll be grateful. Here is the link you need.

FAQs about carrier hire

How much does carrier hire cost?

Our standard hire fees are £12.50 for four weeks of hire. This applies to all standard soft carriers in the collection regardless of RRP. Most people choose this four week option as it is excellent value.

Our bulky carrier hire fee is £15 for four weeks. This applies to most of the framed or backpack style carriers. This is to reflect the greater cost in storing and transporting these bulky items, as well as the increased cost of cleaning – they do not fit in the washing machine! We do not charge for rain and sun covers with our framed carriers.

Our twin hire rate is to ease the burden on parents of multiples, with the first carrier at our standard hire rate, and the second (or more) carrier available at half price. This rate also applies to the range of twin-specific carriers we have at the library.

Accessory hire fees are half the standard hire fee, and apply to items like carrying weather covers, infant inserts if hired without the carrier itself, and other assorted items.

Occasionally, hire fees are different. Notable cases include if you renew for a period which is less than four weeks (extra weeks are only available as part of a longer hire period). We charge £4.25 for an extra week on a standard hire, £5.25 on a bulky hire, £6.25 on a double twin hire and £2.25 on an accessory hire.

Can I renew my carrier hire without coming in to a drop in session?

Yes! Our hire service will automatically renew, which makes it super easy to keep hold of your carrier for longer – you just do nothing and your hire will renew at the previous hire rate when it rolls past the return date. We don’t charge late fees. If you’d like to return your carrier, come along to a drop in session and we will check it in for you. If you’d like to swap, come to drop in and we will swap it for you at no extra charge, as many times as you like within your hire period.

Do you take a deposit?

In order to hire we ask you to provide debit card details, which are stored securely using the Stripe payment system as a deposit. They can also be used to pay hire fees at sessions, or renewal fees without coming to drop in yourself.

Can you hire more than one carrier at a time?

Yes, and many people do. All we suggest is to make sure you will have enough opportunities to use the carriers within your hire period to get the most from your comparison. Other than that, you can hire as many at a time as you like.

Can I take my hired carrier on holiday or out of the country?

Absolutely, as long as you send us a picture of you using it in an exotic location – we love to see our carriers travel the world. Seriously, though, you are responsible for returning the carrier to us, so if you want to take it abroad then do so. Have fun.

I’m not enjoying the carrier I have on hire, can I change it for another?

Yes, come to any of our drop in sessions and we will change your hire for you for something else, for no extra charge. Remember, we want you to enjoy your carrier hire. We want you to love it and be comfortable in it. That’s our job. So you can swap as often as you would like to, whether you’ve three weeks or three days of hire left.

Can I buy this carrier from you?

In most cases, we will have to say no. We are not a retailer and many of our hired carriers are offered to us at lower rates as samples or demo models for hire. It would not honour the arrangements we have with the retailers and our sling library supporters if we sold them on. Sometimes however, a carrier is due to retire from our library. At which point it will need a new, loving home. So do ask, and see what we have for retirement, but in most cases we need to keep our carrier collection whole.

FAQs about carrier return

Can I bring it back early if I can’t make the return date?

That’s no problem. Bring your hire carrier back to any WYSL drop in and we’ll check it in for you. Unfortunately we can’t offer partial refunds. But if you’d prefer a shorter renewal, for example a single week, just get in touch and we’d be happy to arrange that for you.

Can I post the carrier back?

It is fine to post the carrier back to us. Please allow enough time for it to be delivered before it’s return date and don’t allow it to fall overdue. Consider your method of postage to offer enough insurance, keep your proof of posting, and package your hire carrier well to avoid damage. The carrier is still your responsibility until it is checked back in to us. Carrier returns being lost in the post has unfortunately happened before, and we have to charge for a replacement in that case.

Please post to this address, with no alterations or differences as it can make packages very hard to collect from the sorting office.

WYSL c/o Nicola Lawson, The Circle Farsley, 26a Farfield Avenue, Farsley, Leeds, LS28 5HL

Do I need to wash my hired carrier before return?

There is no need to wash your hired carrier to return it – we will wash and check all carriers on return before they go out to a new hire home to make sure they are clean and safe for all families. We do appreciate it if you’ve time to sponge any obvious suck, mud, or other marks, as you go – as it makes washing easier.  It’s important you return all straps, bags, hoods, covers, and lumbar support pieces that belong to your carrier as we can’t consider it returned if it’s incomplete. Oh, and please check all the pockets on your hired carrier before dropping it off! We’ve had some rather important things left in the pockets over the years.

Please let us know if your hire carrier needs special laundering – for instance if it has been in contact with an infectious disease e.g. Chicken Pox. We keep our babies safe using NHS guidelines, and we will quarantine and launder it appropriately.

What happens if I bring my carrier back late?

Your carrier will automatically renew if it falls past the return date, so carriers can’t really be late. If you have hire time on your account you didn’t use, you can transfer it to another carrier, keep it for the future OR even transfer it to a friend. We don’t want you to lose out!