Comments on: A Used Carseat

By: L

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:22:12 +0000

For the little one due next week I bought a crib from an friend (and ordered a new non toxic mattress) and a car seat from the charity kids shop I volunteer at. The car seat looks unused. Both had minor recalls (they sent us new parts)
I think as long as they are in good shape and for the plastic car seat with in dates, they are no worse then regular hand me downs. We are carfree and I know the carseat will barely be used.

By: FrugalBabe

FrugalBabe — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:08:06 +0000

@Sheri: That was a concern I had, but I discussed it with the lady selling the seat, and didn't doubt her at all when she said that it had never been in an accident. They lived in a million dollar home, just traded in their 2000 Audi for a 2009 Audi because they liked the safety features... I could tell this family was all about safety, and also not hurting for money. I am confident that had the seat been in an accident, they'd have thrown it away. I wouldn't have bought the seat if I hadn't gotten such a good vibe from the family, but it's definitely a judgement call. And I wouldn't buy a used carseat from a thrift store or a place where I couldn't meet the original owner.

By: Sheri

Sheri — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:00:25 +0000

Hi FrugalBabe! Happy New Year!

Britax carseats are a fave in our house — i’ve got 4 of my 5 kids riding in Britax. Great seats!

The risk with a used carseat is that if it has been in an accident, it may have sustained damage — damage that is invisible to the naked eye, but would make it usafe in another accident. A slight hairline crack in the plastic would be enough to render it unsafe (or even useless) in a car accident.

Here in Ohio, consigment stores (like Once Upon A Child) will not sell used carseats in their stores, because they know that there is no way to tell if it has been in an accident. They can’t take a chance on selling a seat with hideen damage.

Hopefully your seat has no accident-history and FrugalBaby will be nice and safe in it!

By: Kriswithmany

Kriswithmany — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:43:11 +0000

We’ve done both used and old cribs (but new mattresses). No old carseats, though. We did pass along the last carrier seat – no accidents and it still had a few years before the expiration date. I won’t buy a used carseat from someone I don’t know personally, though. It’s hard for me to trust, and I won’t risk my child’s life on it. I can tell if a crib is sturdy and safe. I don’t know what the carseat would do in an accident.

A note on carseats that have been in accidents: There can be hidden damage. So when you throw one away from that, make sure to destroy it, at least cutting all the straps. And insurance is supposed to pay for the replacement (but they will almost never ask about it!).

By: SonyaAnn

SonyaAnn — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 04:40:21 +0000

I would consider it a good choice. And a bargain is always something to be happy about. I hope that many bargains find you in the new year.

By: paidtwice

paidtwice — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:15:24 +0000

I haven’t bought a used car seat but I did sell the ones my kids outgrew at yard sales, so… I contributed!

My inlaws bought my son his infant seat as a gift, and we used that for my daughter too. My grandfather bought my son his Britax Wizard, which he is still in. My parents got my daughter her Britax Roundabout (which she is still in). So um… we haven’t paid for them. lol.

By: Gord

Gord — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:49:59 +0000

I guess the big clue in the original post is……..the affluent owners of the car seat didn’t throw it away; they took the time and effort to get the value out of the seat. That philosophy is why there is an Audi in the garage.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:56:13 +0000

For a lot of families, buying used or using second-hand is the only way that they can afford to get baby gear. It’s not longer a lifestyle choice, but rather a necessity.

When my mother had my younger brother, all of his gear was passed down from family friends. The carseat was my aunt, the cot was from the Salvation Army, clothes were hand-me-downs, toys were left over from when I was a child, etc. The only new things my parents bought were feeding bottles, steam cleaner, etc, for hygienic reasons.

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:07:44 +0000

Our son is about to graduate into a front facing seat, and I will be using the same strategy.

You found the perfect deal, little used and very reasonable.

I’ll give you $90 for it…..hahaha

By: Wilm

Wilm — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:44:31 +0000

Commonsense is often lacking these days!

We were given a secondhand cot from my brother and his wife. Used it for both of our children, then sold it and sent my brother the money.

We hired a baby capsule for our son, then purchased his next car seat new (but on special!).

Our daughter used a babycapsule that we were given from some friends. Then we purchased her next car seat from friends (our son was still using his). We onsold both of the children’s larger carseats online when they were done.

Cheers, Wilma