to not want a used car seat for my new baby?

[MaloryArcher]

DC2 is due imminently.

A colleague of DP's offered him their used (but apparently in mint condition) car seat.

He didn't mention payment so I presumed it was a gesture of
goodwill and that he'd take it home some day and we could have a look at it and didn't really give it much more thought.

Now that I've thought about it I'm not comfortable using a second hand seat that I know nothing about. Especially now it's transpired that he was always intending to pay for it and was thinking of offering £70 for it (RRP £95).

I'd rather buy a well reviewed cheaper one (have found a safety award winning one for £55) so that at least we know it's as safe as possible.

He thinks a more expensive brand, second hand is better.

Who is BU?

Your dp is.

I would never accept s second hand car seat unless I knew the person very very well and was confident they place the same importance on safety as me.

Guidelines state not to buy second hand car seats anyway so your partner is BU.

There are a very few things I would never get second hand and a car seat is one of them. Also, he's being bloody cheeky asking that much.

YANBU.

Get your DP to have a look at this

Nope yanbu. I bought a second hand travel system that came with a used car seat and bought a new one after researching it on which and the cheaper ones have scored better on there than the expensive ones.

Two things you don't compromise on with a baby in - car seat and cot mattress!

He is. You don't know the history of the seat and underneath they have an expiry date. Check that date. They shouldn't be used if expired.

I always recycle mine, cutting off the seatbelt straps so no one else can use them.

Car seat is about the only thing I wouldn't dream of buying second hand.

The colleague hasn't asked for that much Terry. I'm not sure they have actually asked for payment at all.

DP was just going to go ahead and offer and was unimpressed when I pointed out the stupidity of this.

I'm not precious about brands and am happily re-using DD's old stuff.

I just don't want a hand-me-down car seat for my brand new squishy wee baby.

Your DP is.

I had a second hand seat but it was from my best friend and I knew that there had never been any incidents with it, so was happy with that - I wouldn't have used one from anyone I didn't know as well as her.

And why bother offering so much for a second hand seat? Might as well buy a new one at that rate. Madness.

You shouldnt use second hand seats, because if they have been in crash, the foam inside it could have broken, theres no way of telling if it has and if it has it compromises the safety of the seat.

Oops, misread. Fair enough for the colleague. That just makes DH doubly unreasonable.

Car seats have an expiry date, usually 5 years from manufacturing. This is the standard date for maxi-cosi seats.

So even if it was in mint condition I would still be wary of its age. Many seats can sit in stockrooms for awhile before there even get purchased, so asking when they purchased it wouldn't always be helpful. Also not worth £70 second hand.

No always buy a new cat seat. Pretty much everything else can be second hand but not that.

The plastic can also degrade over time, patricualry if it hasn't been stored in the right way.

AFAIK, all seats in the States have a four year expiry date.

Definitely get a new seat (or use the one your other child used, if it is still unexpired and wasn't in any accidents). The more expensive seats are usually more padded and comfortable for the child, but they all have to pass the same rigorous safety tests.

I have sold an outgrown car seat. I knew it had been treated carefully and never been in an accident so I was happy to sell it. However I could never understand why anyone would be happy to buy it from me, given they didn't know me from Adam.

I didn't bother reading your OP or subsequent posts.

You couldn't possibly be BU

Do not get the second hand car seat.

There are a few safety guidelines and advice that I find OTT and relaxable, but the car seat rule is not one to be bent.

I used to work for a baby shop and now I'm a Nanny so I feel slightly qualified to comment:

NEVER take a used car seat. EVER. You have no idea where it's been or how it's been stored. It takes just one bad knock, or a drop and it's not age to use anymore.
Regardless of if you trust the family, they say it's been stored safely etc etc - do not take the risk!

Any not age

Yanbu, my boy was in practically all second hand clothes, but a new car seat.

YANBU. That's a ridiculous price and it doesn't sound like someone you know that well. I do have second hand car seats - mine from my best friend and DH's from my sister, so I would have known if either had been in an accident.

Hippy - it doesn't need to be an accident to damage them. Just a drop or a knock or even just age or poor storage conditions

YANBU.
Guidelines clearly say avoid secondhand car seats. There is little that I would refuse secondhand, but car seats is one of them... Despite that I'm still being pressured to use a 6 year old seat given to us. I just refuse. Saftey is paramount.