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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

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

42 replies

hana · 24/09/2007 18:25

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?

OP posts:

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OrmIrian · 26/09/2007 13:19

Oh OK. I must admit I didn't know that. I've never had to use a second-hand car seat. But I'd take issue with "Car seats don't have to be expensive" TBH. They don't have to be but they usually are! We looked into getting a next stage car seat for our youngest recently - a booster seat (as oppposed to a booster cushion) - and was quite to see the price of them. All well over £50 - when we brought my DD's they were half that. Wonder if it's anything to do with the new legislation and certain retailers cashing in

NAB3 · 26/09/2007 13:50

A seat could have been damaged and you wouldn't know.

Car seats are a necessity. Stop complaining about the cost and get one bought!

We had a weekend where we spent almost £300 on two seats. It is necessary.

OrmIrian · 26/09/2007 13:53

Well good for you nab. £300 wouldn't be an option in this household atm.

NAB3 · 26/09/2007 13:54

It isn't about being good. It is about the safety of our children and it isn't something I would ever compromise on.

ladymuck · 26/09/2007 14:21

Any stats or research showing car seats failing when there is previously undetectable damage?

NAB3 · 26/09/2007 14:23

I doubt it. How would they know when the damage was caused?

StealthPolarBear · 26/09/2007 14:26

It isn't about people maliciosly selling them on. I was going to take mine to the tip after an accident but you quite often see stuff that's been pulled out if it looks OK - presumably for resale.

NAB3 · 26/09/2007 14:29

I would hope that no one would sell on a damaged car seat but you just have no way of telling. Car seats get recalled too. Bets thing toi do is to take them to the tip once they have been smashed up completely, if in an accident.

ladymuck · 26/09/2007 14:32

In which case how do you know that there isn't undetectable damage when you have to do an emergency stop stay, or if you drop the seat on the pavement?

I'm just a bit sceptical about the way this fear is bandied around. In the US for example the official guidance is that you can use a car seat that was in a car which had been in an accident provided that you cannot see and damage and the vehicle was drivable after the accident, so the severity of the accident is important.

NAB3 · 26/09/2007 14:33

Each to their own opinion but I think an emergency stop would be okay as I am assuming no impact would happen.

margoandjerry · 26/09/2007 14:34

What's the difference between a second hand car seat and a second hand car? Both could have been in a crash and have a vital safety component damaged or weakened in some way and you would never know.

I think you can worry about these things too much tbh, considering we were all carted around in sleeping bags in the boot of my mum's estate! Not advocating that, btw!

luckylady74 · 26/09/2007 14:39

try www.kiddicare.com -my seat was 29.99 in the special offers with a 5 point harness

preggersagain · 26/09/2007 15:55

but is it worth the risk for the sake of 30 quid- would you tell a coroner "the car seat looked ok, but we bought it from someone we don't know so we'll never know if it was damaged and therefore if dc could have survived"

and yes we used to be carted around lying in a carrycot in the back seat or lounging in the boot but that was when cars were slower and there were fewer on the road.

the only way to find out if a car seat is safe is to put your child in a fatal situation- hands up who's prepared to do that because i'm certainly not!

margoandjerry · 26/09/2007 16:31

No I agree, it's not worth it. but it's just interesting that some things get viewed as an absolute no-no whereas something just as potentially dangerous is fine.

BTW, I have always had second hand cars and new car seats so no model of logic myself. I just wonder why we treat all this as gospel and don't question other things we do automatically.

sammibaps · 26/09/2007 16:37

I wouldn't like to think my child was using a used car seat like the others have said you don't know its history. Alternatively, take to a Halfords or specialist carseat fitter to get it professional checked out.

madamez · 27/09/2007 14:46

I think perhaps if it's possible for an expert to judge whether or not a used car seat is in usable condition, then this service ought to be widely available and widely publicised.
But I'm not too sure this will happen as then the manufacturers wouldn't be able to make quite so much money out of terrorizing parents into buying new ones, would they?

Buying second hand seats is, of course, of particular interest to the car free who don't want to spend money they can't really afford on an item that's hardly ever going to get used.

preggersagain · 27/09/2007 14:49

madamez- NO EXPERT can check whether a seat is safe- it can only be done by placing your child in it and having an accident- now if you are willing to put your own child at risk like that then i'm sure penny pinching parents will jump at the chance- personally i'd spend the £30 to know that my car seat was safe and legal.

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