Used Child Safety Seat – A Wise Purchase?
Olivia on Feb 23 2009 at 9:37 am | Filed under: Babies - Toddler
You need to steer clear of used car seats if you cannot get an accurate history of the car seat’s use. You must know a car seat’s crash history to determine safety. Buy used car seats only from people you know well enough to trust their account of the car seat’s crash history.
Car crashes can cause hidden damage to car seats, and the car seat could fail in a second crash, putting your child at risk of injury. Check to be sure no alterations have been made to the used car seat.
Another thing to be aware of with a used car seat is making sure all the accessories are their. If there are some missing they might be integral to the overall safety of the seat. It can be difficult to know what is missing and if you do know to locate the proper parts.
With the advent of eBay and other auction sites, the buying and selling of used items is a very busy activity. But you should be even more caution buying a used car seat on eBay because you can not even look at it and you do not know the seller.
With car seats, safety is the big issue in fact the ONLY issue. Remember that this piece of equipment is not just a handy receptacle for transporting your precious bundle is the one thing that could save your baby’s life in an emergency.
I would suggest buying a new car seat to every parent. A very safe seat would be a Britax car seats. The safety of your child far outweighs the $20 you may save by getting a used car seat.
If a car seat has been through an auto accident, certain parts of it may be stressed from impacts, and may not be as strong as when it was first made. This could cause the seat to be weaker, and possibly fail as a safety device should you be in an accident with your child.
Unless you know the owner it is best to not purchase a used car seat. Why risk your child’s life? Oh, you might think it is a calculated risk; after all you will not get into an accident. That kind of thinking is where the problem begins. Be smart buy a new one!
