not sure about this - childminder has bought second hand car seat for my child to use. thoughts?

[hana]

just wanting some opinions here please.
our childminder (who is fab by the way) has bought a used car seat for my daughter to use - she has just moved out of her 'bucket' type seat, and into the next stage ( the one with heavy base and a 5 point harness - she is 1)

I'm not at all comfortable with this and when I spoke with childminder she didn't seem prepared to purchase a new car seat....is this something that I have to stump up for? I didn't think that childminders could buy second hand seats - for the reason of not knowing the history of the seat.

So any thoughts on this one?

Did she get it from a friend or was it out of the paper/boot sale? If it s from a friend I dont see a problem, but a boot sale maybe different. She doesnt have to provide a seat, but if she uses the car then obviously she needs one, at least she told you it was secnd hand aswell. I am a cm and provide all seats myself, so i know they fit my car nd they stay in all the time so no errors with fitting can occur when rushng

I would voice your concerns to her but be prepared to fork out for a new seat for her to use if you dont want her using the one she bought. Yoiu must say something as if, god forbid, anythi8ng happened you would never forgive her or yourself, best of luck

It has often been common practice, for minders to sell seats aroud between themselves depending on contracted children etc, but that was the old way. I am not saying that NO childminders I know would never buy a second hand one, but everyone know knows it is bad practice. All the road safety info pushes to parents the risk in this. see brake,org,uk and THINK DEP ROAD SAFETY SITE. I can honestly say the only secind hand car seat I have ever used in over 5 years is one from my nephew so I do honestly know its history as its only ever been used in my car or my mums!
In the kinders defence ( only a little bit) I have 8 car seats on the Go plus 2 spares in loft. 6 in use at mo are between £50 -£95 car seats so work it out ( 2 are boosters) thats anything between £300 - 570 quid on car seats. granted some of those I bought for my daughter then passed on to mindees as she grew but i know I have spent over £200 on brand new cars seats for minded kids only in last 18 months.
Another minder I know not only makes her parents all provide their own cars seats but also makes them take them home out of her way at weekends etc. Guess wich one of us has the tidier house! not me.
I personally prefer to be at a financial disadvantage than have the stress of arguing with a parent if they leave the child with an inapproriate car seat, as I have had to bail out the above mindee before now by loaning her one of mine because seat parent left is not correct for child! scary situation.

was bought at a nct nns - not from a friend or relative
am surprised she did tbh

I have spoken to her about it letting her know I wasn't comfortable and had a few issues about it. guess just a bit miffed that I have to buy a new seat as I thought it was a cost for her not me. I def don't want to use this seat, so looks like I will have to get a new one.....

I didnt think that NCT let you sell car seats, I am due to do my first sale and have looked at the rules and it said no car seats?

If you are going to pay for one for her then check out all the different places, you can check on britax website which seast fits her car, then shop around kiddicare have good offers on and boots had 20% off car seats which is a good saving.

It does seem a shame you have to pay for a seat but at leaset you will be safe in the knowledge it is a brand new seat only for use by your child.

Hi - I help run NNS and we aren't allowed to sell car seats. We ARE allowed for people to give them away free if they're selling a travel system though...

I'd not be best pleased either. Perhaps you could think about goign halves with her or something?

At the end of the day do you want your child transported in a car seat that may not be safe? You have to tell the CM that this is not acceptable to you. Can you not leave your car seat at the childminders for her to use when your child is with her?

I wouldn't recommend going halves - who would it belong to?

I would also be surprised if the car seat was bought at an NCT sale - it is definitely not common practice.

I always buy mine new. At my last inspection, the inspector was quite specific that CMs should not be using second-hand car seats.

I would just like to know what is supposed ot happen to all the outgrown, perfectly serviceable car seats, given this wierd idea of never re-using them. They are rather bulky objects to send to landfill, and I'm sure incinerating them releases a great deal of toxic gases.

thanks for your thoughts everyone

was definately bought at an NCT sale as I was there and saw it....she told me as well.

I wouldn't go halves, as theoriginalixena said, who would own it?
And I can't leave it with her as that just isn't practical as I shoot off to work - they are bulky seats, and fitting them isn't a quick job

So, will prob have to buy one for the couple of days I work. Will actually have to buy 2 as we also need a new one for dd3 as dd2 isn't ready for the next stage. Guess I assumed wrong that she should buy it

but thanks

Like madamez I'm curious about not re-using car seats. I understand that there should be caution, given that if the seat has been involved in an accident then it may affect the integrity of the seat.

But if you get the seat from a friend or relative and you know the history - is there a problem? I have 3 car seats for DS1 - one for our car, one for Grandma and one for our Nanny - and I got them all from friends who had finished with them. Incidentally DD1 and DD2 are now 12 and 10 and I passed their seats on - but if I had kept them - would they have been "too old"?

Clearly if for some reason they're not safe, I would not hesitate to go out and buy 3 brand new ones - but as other posters have pointed out they're not cheap, and it seems an awful waste to put them into landfill.

If I'm happy they've not been in an accident (and I am), is there any other reason for buying a new one as opposed to reusing one?

I would expect the childminder to provide the seat. But, I wouldn't have a problem with a used seat. One thing I would do, however, is specify that my child is never to ride in the front seat even if there is no air bag.

We used a childminder until DD was 14 months old. And one day I spotted DD in the frontseat of the people carrier. And I asked her to to put DD inthe front again. She said OK. And I presume DD didn't ride there again, but I suppose I'd never know if she did.

Could she not use the cars seats from your car?

I provide all my car seat (all bought new) and would never use a used one (you just never know)

Also if you were to buy them make sure that only your children use them and you get them back!! Not being funny but she may think that she gets to keep it!!

Good for you voicing your concerns I say

I should learn to type

"And I asked her not to put DD inthe front again..."

I'm a Cm and I say in the contracts that parents should provide car seats. You can get a fairly inexpensive one from mothercare that goes from 9m to 11 years. Later converting into a booster. That way you are buying a seat that you may have ultimately have needed to buy for your own use iyswim.
Another idea is that I'm sure you can get second hand carseats checked for safety. I think my mindees mum brought one secondhand and took it to halfords to have it looked at. I could ask her, and confirm this, if you like.

I'm a Cm and I say in the contracts that parents should provide car seats. You can get a fairly inexpensive one from mothercare that goes from 9m to 11 years. Later converting into a booster. That way you are buying a seat that you may have ultimately have needed to buy for your own use iyswim.
Another idea is that I'm sure you can get second hand carseats checked for safety. I think my mindees mum brought one secondhand and took it to halfords to have it looked at. I could ask her, and confirm this, if you like.

surr3ymummy - I'd be happy to use a seat that came from a friend or a relative - the issue is that she bought it from a stranger and therefore doens't know the history of the seat. Despite thinking she 'looked honest' that's all the cm knows.

never thought about this when I signed the contracts......but seriously considering getting a nanny as it's a hassle with timings when I work ( that's another thread!)

so have decided to buy a new seat for dd3 for those 2 days - will sort out over the weekend

Personally, I would happily use a second-hand car seat from a relative or trusted friend, but there is a difference when it comes to Ofsted.

And I really wouldn't be happy getting one from somewhere that I don't really know the history of (car boots, even NCT sales etc.)

OK, I know mundanes are encouraged to be stupidly paranoid about everything so they will spend more money, but how likely is it, really that fiendish people are deliberately selling car seats that have been in accidents to unsuspecting parents?

I would expect the childminder to provide the seat. But, I wouldn't have a problem with a used seat. One thing I would do, however, is specify that my child is never to ride in the front seat even if there is no air bag.

Have you seen the price of the seats? I found one the other day which I could use in the mddle lap belt for £89.00 and that was reduced! We childminders are not well paid and I am using one that my childminder friend lent me for the baby I mind at the moment, I am not having him after dec as his Mum is going on Maternity leave. If I were to buy a brand new one, I'd expect the parents to make a contribution to the cost as it would be mainly for their child. I never let under 10's ride in the front of my car, all kids have to use available car seats and belts in the back, this is mainly for safety and child protection which covers me and child, parents are told this at interview.

If you want her to use a new seat, which btw you are right too, then buy one.

What price your childs safety???

Now I always wonder about his too. Surely if a car seat has been damaged in a way that will make it no longer fit for purpose it will be fairly obvious. The metal frame will be bent or twisted or broken. And that will be immediately obvious to anyone. Ditto the straps. If it's just a question of the padding, or cover being damaged will that matter? And if it does that will be obvious too.

Car seats don't have to be expensive, but a cheap new one is safer than a more expensive secondhand one. personally i'd spend some pennies and buy one for the childminder to use.

orm- no car seat damage is usually undetectable but will cause the seat to fail under pressure.