Fixing My Bed??

[madamesketch]

Hi All,
Bought a brand new bed from eBay about 7 months ago.
It is metal with a metal frame around the edges and a metal support bar up the middle.
There are wooden slats that connect from the edges of the frame to the middle support bar. These slats slot in on both edges to plastic pockets with nipple things on them, and these nipple bits then pop into the holes on the metal frame and support bar.
The problem is these plastic bits are useless and split under the combined weight of me and my OH, which means that any slight movement such as turning over/sitting up in bed etc makes the wooden slats direcly underneath us fall out of the split plastic bits and go crashing to the ground! It makes a deafening crash and mattress then falls down the gap! We replaced the split plastic with the spares provided, but they just split again so we've just had to balance the slats in the split plastic and not move all night.
OH thinks the wooden slats are flimsy and a bit useless as well as plastic. he says they have bowed in the middle which isn't helping them to stay in the useless plastic bits.
I'm really fed up with it - I need my sleep!!
Does anyone know what we can do to fix this? Cant afford a new bed and even if we could, all of the ones I've seen seem to be put together the same way.

[chris_on_tour2002]

are you sure that you haven't just put the slats in upside down? they are intentionally bowed and they should arc upwards. this gives additional spring and also ensures that the slats splay out and effectively get longer when a force is applied, namely your mattress and you when you get into bed. they then sit nicely in the plastic holders. if you put the slats in upside down (bow down) then they will slip out when pressure is applied.

check this first before undertaking any remedial work.

that's normally how these types of beds go together. if i'm wrong in this case and there is a genuine fault then i suggest you go back to the supplier or even direct to the manufacturer. you shouldn't have a fault after just 7 months' use.