About second hand car seats?

[Pandora2016]

All of the guidance seems to state emphatically that you should not buy a second hand car seat. Which seems logical to me.

Yet there are loads of them for sale????

If buying a second one is so terrible, shouldn't this be banned? Exactly who is buying them anyway?

DD2's 5 point harness seats were more or less bought, fitted into our cars, and stayed there until she outgrew them. Never travelled on a plane or train, no accidents.

They were 2.5 years old when we removed them and sold them on to grandparents of twins for occasional use. Seemed reasonable to me.

I wouldn't sell on a car seat but I'd pass one on to someone I know who can trust me that the seat is safe and I will take ones that are passed on likewise - my uncle passed on a seat because they had decided to switch to one with a separate base and I could trust him that it hadn't been in an accident.

My ex-inlaws decided that a second hand seat they had picked up in a second hand shop that looked at least 10 years old was a suitable 1st birthday present for DD (and wasn't even right for her age as it was a high-backed booster) - I refused to use it.

Because some people genuinely can't afford them new.

We have 2 cars and my mum is emergency contact - that means 3 car seats. I personally cannot afford 50-100 even for a cheap seat 3 times over. I have bought from friends/friends of friends whom I trust.

Yabu to judge so broadly.

When I bought a second hand car seat, I did take a really good look at the people I was buying it from. They seemed like very good parents. Their boys were cheeky but well behaved, the house was full of toys and there were children's drawings everywhere. I find it hard to believe that an obviously loving parent would put another parent's child at risk. People that callous are quite rare, surely?

I can see by this thread that most people think I was unreasonable to but a second hand seat (even those who were happy to sell them). Still, I think I made a balanced decision.

Hang on, you can afford two cars but not two car seats? That seems a bit strange to me.

Night piano I doubt they'd be callous, but they might be stupid - you will hear people on MN querying whether they really need a new seat after an accident, I could imagine that happening.

Why is it strange?

I had a car before I met so and had dd.

I think that the issue is sometimes a parent can believe they are passing on a safe seat but it's not necessarily safe. So they might well come across as a genuine, caring person but just not realise that the seat they are passing on has had bad history. Look at the good egg car safety link I put up - I do think those are extreme examples of bad second hand seats but people definitely do things that they don't necessarily realise are a problem, like changing the seat cover, removing the harness to wash and rethreading wrongly (and without a manual you might not realise the mistake), including after market products you don't realise aren't original, losing parts like the chest pads (these have a function) or newborn support, having used the seat with one harness strap twisted for several years leading to undue and unnoticed wear on that strap, storing under something heavy, exposing to extremes of temperature, dropping, or even just selling on a seat which has terrible safety ratings or has been recalled or one which is old and uses older safety mechanisms we now know to be less safe.

I think it would be a rare person indeed who would lie about the history of a car seat just to make a fiver but somebody passing on in good faith believing that everything is okay is still a hidden danger. At least with a brand new seat you know that everything is in order when you buy it (though I did see a horror story about discount baby goods places transporting car seats unsafely on that facebook link!)

If you are going to buy second hand, learn how to inspect a car seat properly for damage would be my advice. Look for cracks and dents in the polystyrene, look for any discolouration or stress on plastic parts. Check the cover fits properly. Know what accessories should come with the seat, check the harness thoroughly, especially the parts you can't see. Look for a manual, best if you can get the original (it is a sign the owner took care of the seat if they know where it is), if not, check the manufacturer's website and cross reference. And yes check the date of manufacture, just because the longer something has been floating around the more chance it's had many owners and potential for missed damage. If the previous owners can account for all that time, it's probably okay.

I understand that some people might genuinely be unable to afford a decent new seat and I don't know what the answer in their circumstances might be. However there is a lot of people who will happily spend a thousand pounds on a pram with full accessory list and then plead poverty when it comes to buying a car seat.

Toolazy, I know, but they assured me that the seat had not been in any kind of crash. They had two kids very close in age, and the youngest had just grown out of it.

Not all of us have extended family and/or friends with slightly older children. I don't regret buying from Gumtree. ..

However, when my youngest needed an upgrade to the next size (and bearing in mind that I don't drive, so seats hardly ever get used, I did a few days free childcare for a friend and she bought me a cheap but well-reviewed car seat in return.

Those of us who buy used car seats don't tend to do it lightly. It is a matter of necessity.

nightpiano I don't think many people would be callous enough to sell a seat they knew was unsafe but I do think a vast amount of people are clueless about what might damage a seat or might be unsafe etc.
My in-laws love my DC to bits. They buy toys for them have a play room for them at their house etc. However they just don't think car seats are essential, MIL actually said "I think you can be too safe" when I was talking to her about fitting DC's seat correctly. They would think nothing of passing on a seat that was ancient, that FIL had tried to fix etc. I don't think they are alone.

I thought the people I bought the car seat from were just as clued up as I am. They didn't want to see it in landfill. Oh dear, I sound defensive. .. Bertie, you have posted some very useful links (as always).

I'm skint but car seats and shoes I'll never compromise on. With a second hand car seat not only do you not know how it's been treated eg - dropped, banged etc you also don't know how it's been stored. I believe no one should ever use a car seat over 5 years old from production as the exposure to different temperatures damages what it's made of making it less effective in a crash. I will compromise on most things but never car seats (or shoes, another debate I guess).

I'm with hairyfairy on this one. I've been broke (walking to work with holes in shoes type broke) and surely this is the kind of thing you make a priority? Like rent and food on the table?

Even if the car seat gets used twice a year and rent/ food on the table is a much bigger deal?

I'm grateful for all the information on this thread, and glad that other people are reading it so that they can make informed choices, but I could do without the judginess.

I agree with hairy and Pandora, car seats are one thing that shouldn't be scrimped on. I am looking to buy a car seat within the next few weeks and despite being quite skint at the moment I will buy the most appropriate car seat regardless of cost. I am looking at a few varying in price between £150 and £360 and I will go with the safest and most suitable option. It will mean cutting back on other things for a while but you can't put a price on a young child's safety.

My pram cost £25 off eBay. Dd's shoes are generally primark or second hand off eBay. I don't have the luxury of being able to afford new.

I am sorry if that offends you but I really don't give a toss what you think. I need to work to keep food on the table and a roof over dd's head. That means getting a second hand car seat then so be it

I bought a second hand maxi cosi for DC1 and used it for all three of them. I don't drive so it was used very infrequently and when I bought it it had only been used as the attachment for the pram, only once or twice in an actual car so... Didn't see an issue with it. Then again I'm a bit of a weirdo that also didn't baby proof my house in any way and my three kids somehow survived unscathed.

Secondhand shoes are far worse than secondhand car seats. Bad shoes will ruin a child's feet. If the car seat hasn't visible damage, it should be fine.

You couldn't be more wrong erica. The truth is that 2nd hand shoes might damage a little ones feet but a 2nd hand car seat that had even a tiny amount of unnoticeable damage could risk your child's life.