To hate buying second hand

[PumpkinKlNG]

I rarely buy second hand as all it is is bad experiences, I have just bought a second hand push chair for my daughter, had it a week and it’s already broke! No come back as obviously I have no rights, I get why people buy second hand but I’ve mainly only had bad experiences now I will have to pay out to buy a brand new one 🙄 which I should have just done and saved myself £30!

I've bought loads of baby and child stuff second hand, and these are my rules:

I aim to pay a third of the new cost. There's a baby chair I want that is £50 new. I can't find it for less than £30 second hand, and I don't think it's worth saving £20 as it has parts that could break, that could be close to broken already.

I never buy something really expensive, as it is too much of a risk. So for example, I'd rather buy a new cheaper pushchair, than spend hundreds on an expensive second hand one. So I bought a new pushchair was £250 rather than spending hundreds on a second hand more expensive one.

I buy most furniture second-hand like settees, tables etc. I search Ebay for certain John Lewis ranges that I've hankered after in the past. I can only afford new if it's from Ikea so prefer to buy stuff that will last second-hand.

Well don't then.

I buy loads of stuff second hand and I’ve never had any problems, not even missing pieces from jigsaws. You must be unlucky!

Well what other bad experiences have you had?
I've had a look through the list of things I have bought over the years in fb and not had one problem.
These include
Severaknlarge silver mirrors
Dining table and 6 chairs
6 x malm drawers
Wet suit
Kettle ( free)
Soap and glory gift set unopened
No7 magnifying mirror for £3
Parlux hairdryer which is brilliant
Bayliss heated rollers
North Face winter coat
Bundle of 7 lady Vintage dresses for £30. ( absolutely love them)
Saved a fortune. I. Pleased with my purchases and sellers have made a bit if money. I'll sell them on when I'm done with them.

@PumpkinKlNG

Because I don’t usually buy second hand but when I have it always been a problem but I assumed maybe I had just been unlucky No it’s not something that can be repaired it collapsed when she was in it. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky then but I will never buy second hand again!

A very catastrophising viewpoint. Are you always seeing things so 'black and white'?

Second hand is brilliant. I have money but I still seek out a bargain and always get compliments on my clothes, son's clothes etc.

If you're against reselling charity stores are always grateful for a used buggy.

I bought a second hand pushchair when second DC was born. It was way better than the vastly expensive new one that we had for pFB.
In fact I think the people we bought it from must have barely used it. I used it for about 3 years and then sold it again.

A lot depends on your budget, and whether you’re able to repair/maintain things. For example, DD’s bike was £250 used, but would have been £500 new. DH and I are both good at bike maintenance, so I expect it’ll last well enough to be used by DD2, then eventually resold for close to what I paid for it. However it’s more than many people would be happy to spend on a used kids bike, when you can buy new ones for half that. The difference is I wouldn’t expect a new £100 kids bike to last well enough to be passed down through several children, so I’m cost per use it works out IF you’re privileged enough to afford the upfront cost. It’s Vimes’ Boots theory in action, and I fully understand that for many people it’s just not an option.

We had nothing when we were kids, and my nan used to buy us clothes from jumble sales. Even though I know there is nothing wrong with second hand, it's certainly more environmentally friendly and far less wasteful...now I can afford nice things, I can't shake the stigma and bullying I received for wearing second hand clothes and so I can't bring myself to wear seconds.

I can't shake the stigma and bullying I received for wearing second hand clothes and so I can't bring myself to wear seconds
I understand. My mum is absolutely horrified that I buy at charity shops. Once I told her I got a coat from a CS when we were having a phone convo and next thing I got a cheque in the post to buy myself a new one!
She has mellowed though.
She came to my house after not coming over for a year and loved my statement mirror. She was pleasantly surprised when I said it was £100 from fb ( over £500 new)
Another time she told me I looked amazing in a dress (once I finished fainting because she is not one for compliments) i told her it was a second hand All Saints dress. It is perfect on me. She was stunned. Although she will never buy second hand she is less judgemental of me.
I'm not saying that's where I get everything from. I can enjoy a good spending spree in Selfridges and JL but I don't stay away from pre used or pre loved either.

90% of our furniture is second hand - some vintage stuff that's obviously been well looked after to be sold on, some just plain old second hand (sofas, our sofabed in the office, some drawers in the living room, an office chair). All of them at muuuuuch lower prices than we'd have paid for them new (especially our prized Ercol dining table and chairs which I got for £40 and I will never stop being smug about the bargain).

I also don't buy books new, I buy a lot of clothes second hand, we've had a lawn mower from marketplace, a second hand fitbit, all our cars through the years...

We've never had an issue! But it's luck of the draw and I guess, you're right that there are no rights for second hand sales (as far as I know).

Love 2nd hand, very pleased with my charity shop purchase today, exactly what I wanted

After a divorce I was/am struggling financially and have bought loads of things second-hand. It's been fantastic, I can't really think of anything that was a dud. Clothes, furniture, toys, garden stuff etc. I am a bit wary of electrical though. I feel quite proud that I'm helping with the senselessly disposable society we've become too.

I think it depends what you’re buying! I’d buy clothes second hand (from the charity shop), or books, or maybe decorative items from the home. I probably wouldn’t buy baby stuff second hand for that specific reason (other than books) or anything that could break like electricals.

@Twillow same it makes me feel good! I bought a lovely brand new looking shirt today from a charity shop for £1. I bought it as I can breastfeed in it and don’t want to buy a load of brand nee stuff specifically for breastfeeding that I might not wear again. However the shirt I can wear to work when I go back from maternity leave. I hate waste!

I only ever buy brand new for my baby, because I'm fussy and want things IMMACULATE 😆

I but loads second hand out of choice rather that necessity. I also accept hand me downs from relatives and pass on stuff to others for free and it's lovely seeing things used for multiple children. My engagement and wedding rings were also second hand from an antique jeweller. I can't think of anything that's gone wrong prematurely with anything and saved literally thousands of pounds.

Bigger ticket items (cars, jewellery) i buy from shops and garages with a warranty. Otherwise it's worth the risk if you do it a lot.

Di you drive Op?
Are all the cars you've had ( if any) brand new?
I used to get new from the showroom every two or three years but soon learned it was a ridiculous waste of money a d theres better ways if getting newer cars.

I like buying secondhand, especially if I can save money/not contribute to so much waste especially plastics.

In this case OP you got ripped off.
There are lots of bargains second hand, unfortunately the seller you dealt with was a chancer.

........or the seller had no idea that it was going to break ?

As the pram broke while you were using it, the seller could claim you’d been heavy handed with it or taken it over bumpy ground. Or forced it to fold the wrong way (not causing it to break instantly but damaging something so it was weaker). Of course you may have done none of these things, it could be bad luck or previous wear and tear, but as it came to you fully functional and broke after you’d been using it I don’t think the seller can be blamed. Unless they’d tried to glue something broken back together of course!

Wear and tear is normal but presumably you examined pram carefully and didn’t spot any faults or broken parts before you used it?