We have to buy a car seat for Olive, and new ones are so so expensive! We found a used one from our local parenting listserv, but just can't bring ourselves to buy it - even though it's almost 80% less than new!! Maybe if we knew the person selling it...
Although what kind of sick person would sell a used car seat that's been in an accident?
Would you buy a used car seat?
honeydew / 7589 posts
If I knew the person selling it and trusted them? Yes. From a stranger that could be selling a seat that had been in an accident? No, as much as it sucks, because that would be so much cheaper!
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
How old is the car seat? Even still...I probably wouldn't. I would be too scared. But you're right, what sick person WOULD sell a damaged car seat?
pomegranate / 3225 posts
I have one my neighbor gave me. I trust them that it was never in an accident.
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
@Rubies: The owner said she's only used it a couple times, because they don't drive.
That's true of us too - we have car seats, but only use them on the rare occasion when we rent a Zipcar.
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
@mrbee: Do they have the carseat manual? Did THEY buy it (I'm having panicked thoughts of them getting it second hand somewhere)...Buy a new one, buy a new one!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
I wouldn't. It's annoying-- especially in your situation where you drive so rarely, but it just wouldn't be worth the risk or the uncertainty to me.
However, I'll probably buy/get a hand me down infant carseat from a friend, but that's different.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
No way. It can be illegal if it has expired and/or been in an accident. There are too many things that can go wrong. The plastic can go bad, pieces can be missing, it could have been recalled.
I would only take one from someone I really, really trusted, and that it was quite new!
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
@Rubies: No worries, we wouldn't buy a used carseat unless we knew and trusted the owner! The topic just came up this morning over breakfast so I thought I'd start a thread to see what other people thought!
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
it would totally depend on if I knew the person. our infant seat was free secondhand from the family I nannied for, so I knew it had not been in an accident. however off craigslist..i'm not sure. I'm sure there are honest people out there, but a few bad apples ruin it for everyone!
honeydew / 7589 posts
This is the same reason why those car seat rentals scare me... how do we know what kind of abuse those have been through?!
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
We did, because we only planned to use it to bring her home from the hospital in a taxi and once to take her to the doctors. We probably won't ever use it again as we don't have a car here.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
If it were from a family member or friend then yes otherwise no.
kiwi / 575 posts
Incredibly unlikely unless, like @bao said, it was from a family member. Even then, though, it would have to be as-new. And even as I'm typing this I'm realising... no. It would have to be new.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Not unless I knew who had used it. We are borrowing one from a friend since it is a year old but her son only used it for 4 months till he was too long for it.
honeydew / 7909 posts
That's on my list as something I'd only buy new. It just wouldn't be worth it. But my bil & sil get hand me down car seats. cribs, and stuff that that and don't think twice about it. Same sil that doesn't know if her daycare provider is cpr certified. Eeek!
GOLD / pear / 1845 posts
If I knew the previous owner. Our bucket seat is used. The bigger carseats we buy new though, I mean you use it for 8-9 years!
persimmon / 1453 posts
Nope. We wanted to get something new and clean that would suit OUR cars, and we wanted the highest safety rating possible. We had several family and friends offer us their old infant car seats but we wouldn't take them.
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