Is it ok to sell car seats?

[Bren's Mom]

My DH's cousin is a Mass. State Trooper and a car seat tech, so I've already sent his wife a note asking what seat I should get next for the girls (leaning toward the Radian XTSL) DD4 is almost 5 years old, but only weighs 32 pounds, DD2 (almost 3) also weighs about 30-31 pounds, so they need to stay in car seats vs. boosters (40 pounds is the law in CT and most states I assume).

You're in Fairfield?! I grew up there! And I'm a CPST and I work in upper Fairfield County. If you need any assistance with your seats in the future feel free to PM me. Or if you want me to take either of those Roundabouts for training I'd LOVE that. I'd be happy to give you my tech ID # to verify and to come pick it up from you.

Are you planning to rear-face your kiddos to the Radian's 45lbs rear-facing limit? If you're not, I wouldn't get XTSLs. I wouldn't get a convertible seat at all, you're paying for features you'll never use unless you have another child. Instead, I'd get a combination forward-facing higher weight harnessed seat/booster. Like a Britax Frontier, Graco Nautilus, Evenflo Generations 65 or Evenflo Maestro. Those will be better values for you and allow you to keep your kiddos harnessed a good long time until they're ready to be safely in a booster.

 

[Swimalie]

We just got our son the Frontier and like it. He will be 5 in March and is 37 lbs but 45 inches tall. I recommend the Frontier as a good seat that will last a long time.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's amazing that people don't know they expire, especially if educated; isn't that information spelled out in the owner's manual, that, I assume, they've read so they know how to properly use the seat?


I have sold two seats. I took them to a nice consignment shop with very strict rules on how old the seat can be, how far from expiration, and it has to be pristine. I know that my seats were not in an accident, were not dropped...heck, the snugride came out of the car twice, once each for DH and I to decide that using it as a bucket was NOT healthy for our spines! And since DS grew out of it by height, and went into the Roundabout, before he was 4 months old, it had barely gotten any use.

So my excellent seats were sold, and someone got them! And I'm glad that someone out there got them.

However, I personally would not buy used carseats at all.

 

[micheleq]

You're in Fairfield?! I grew up there! And I'm a CPST and I work in upper Fairfield County. If you need any assistance with your seats in the future feel free to PM me. Or if you want me to take either of those Roundabouts for training I'd LOVE that. I'd be happy to give you my tech ID # to verify and to come pick it up from you.

Are you planning to rear-face your kiddos to the Radian's 45lbs rear-facing limit? If you're not, I wouldn't get XTSLs. I wouldn't get a convertible seat at all, you're paying for features you'll never use unless you have another child. Instead, I'd get a combination forward-facing higher weight harnessed seat/booster. Like a Britax Frontier, Graco Nautilus, Evenflo Generations 65 or Evenflo Maestro. Those will be better values for you and allow you to keep your kiddos harnessed a good long time until they're ready to be safely in a booster.

I also grew up in Fairfield! FHS Class of 1990 I'd love to bring you my car seats once I get the new ones. Fairfield recently stopped participating in Safe Kids, so my closest location is Westport (just checked online today).

I was looking at the Radians because they seem easy to install if we ever need to move them from one car to another (DH will be getting a car soon for work, right now he commutes via train and has a pick up truck), and DD4 is so skinny that I think I'll feel better with her in a seat that she can just stay in for the next few years. DD2 could easily move into the Marathon in our car, and I'd use the extra Radian for my mom's car when she has the kids. DD4 has a Britax Frontier in her car now (also passed on from my cousin). I'll look into the other seats you mentioned -- I've heard good reviews of the Graco Nautilus. I also liked the Radian because they are slim and have the super latch mechanism.

I didn't want to start a big debate with this thread, but I sincerely appreciate all the information. I agree that I don't want to donate or sell a car seat that is past it's time. I'll check the dates on the seats today/tomorrow and go from there.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

IMHO, I say go ahead.

While there are a lot of people here on the boards who are militant about car seats and expiration dates etc....the general public really isn't that educated. Most have no idea a car seat can expire. Someone will be thrilled to get an excellent car seat at a good price. I don't really see a problem with it.

In a perfect world all parents could afford to replace car seats every 5 years and have the best on the market for their children. But that just isn't reality so you will most likely be helping out a family who needs a carseat but doesn't know or can't afford to get a brand new one.

PS...my answer would obviously change if the car seat had been in an accident or if it was knowingly sold with problems.

What?? Even if a parent/care giver is unaware that a seat expires *they do* ~ typically 6 years from the date of manufacture, check the sticker** that doesn't mean one should sell a soon to expire seat, do you want to be the one who would be to blame if that child got hurt because the seat they're using is no good?!? The plastic shell degrades and the harness *can* be ripped from the seat back in a wreck, they're are other problems as well. Our Husky expires in June ~ it's in fine condition but it will no longer be used after it's 6th "birthday" Our Wizard is good till next Feb. ~ noone will use it after that.

I strongly suggest you visit www.car-seat.org ~ especially since you are a parent.


OP they might already be "expired" ~ you've had them for 5 years but what is their date of manufacture?

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

On the car seats I had, they had an "expiration" date on them under the cover. Have you looked at all the tags?

What exactly expires on car seats? The buckle? My seat belts are made to last for longer than 5 years, why aren't the ones on car seats? Or is it just possible obsolescence? I don't get it.

A little OT, but did y'all know that if you are in an accident of any kind with your car seats in the car, the insurance company will replace them? At least mine did when I was a in a fender bender with my family in the car. A guy hit me while I was at a stop light, and hit my driver's front quarter panel. No one was hurt at all. All I had to do was send in the receipt for new ones (which were a little more expensive because the original had gone up in price) and promise to destroy the old ones. I took the covers off, and wrote on them with a black marker, "This was in an accident, don't use!" and set it out on the curb for trash pickup. BTW, they were fine.

 

[soccerchick]

On the car seats I had, they had an "expiration" date on them under the cover. Have you looked at all the tags?

What exactly expires on car seats? The buckle? My seat belts are made to last for longer than 5 years, why aren't the ones on car seats? Or is it just possible obsolescence? I don't get it.

A little OT, but did y'all know that if you are in an accident of any kind with your car seats in the car, the insurance company will replace them? At least mine did when I was a in a fender bender with my family in the car. A guy hit me while I was at a stop light, and hit my driver's front quarter panel. No one was hurt at all. All I had to do was send in the receipt for new ones (which were a little more expensive because the original had gone up in price) and promise to destroy the old ones. I took the covers off, and wrote on them with a black marker, "This was in an accident, don't use!" and set it out on the curb for trash pickup. BTW, they were fine.

The plastic fails with age/exposure to heat and cold and daily stress/wear and tear. Buckles usually have metal components for the locking mechanism and do not expire.

 

[big_red_s]

Keep this in mind, if you sell a car seat which has "expired" and something happens - you are liable.

 

[Ava]

I take that 5 year car seat expiration with a grain of salt, especially since Britax and others started offering seats that were good for 8 years of use. I wouldn't sell it, just offer it to someone who may want an extra carseat in an extra car.

The only seat I know of that is good for 8 years of use is the Sunshine Kids Radian - they have aluminum frames, which lasts longer than plastic. If there are other seats by other brands out now that are good for 8 years, perhaps they also have an aluminum frame or are made with a new higher-quality plastic.

 

[zoemurr]

Roundabout covers on ebay.. about $15 each I think. Dismantled and crashed the rest of the seat before throwing it away.

And by the way.. I grew up in Westport.

 

[jagafen]

I do know that where I live, the police will remove them from the sale if they are noticed. But yes, if they are more than 5 years old or have been in any type of accident, you really shouldn't sell them.
I don't know that many charities will accept them anymore due to liability also.

I believe that Britax's don't expire until after 6 years

 

[summerrluvv]

You could trade them in at BRU and get a 25% off coupon.

 

[delmar411]

We just got our son the Frontier and like it. He will be 5 in March and is 37 lbs but 45 inches tall. I recommend the Frontier as a good seat that will last a long time.

These are what we got the boys as well from the BRU trade in sale. A little difficult to install if you haven't watched the videos but a piece of cake if you have.

 

[ibela]

The plastic fails with age/exposure to heat and cold and daily stress/wear and tear. Buckles usually have metal components for the locking mechanism and do not expire.

REALLY??? I never heard of the 5 yr rule until last week when dh asked at Babies R Us if there was a recommended time limit and they said 5 years. I assumed it was because more advanced technology came out. I can't imagine the plastic fails though..?

You could trade them in at BRU and get a 25% off coupon.

That's what we ended up doing, and what I wanted to post on this thread. We traded in our infant car seat and got 25% off the booster seat we needed to buy anyway.

 

[descovy]

I would sell them. Charities won't take used car seats no matter the age since they cannot guarantee they were not in an accident ever. However, there should be an expiration date on the side and I would look at that first and see when it expires since if I buy it at a yard sale I check it out. I will only take a used seat if I know the person who used it and KNOW that it was never in an accident.

Not to mention... if you think it is "junk" or maybe "unsafe" why would you give it to a charity? What can a charity do with your "junk"

Not just about this carseat, but it astounds me, the stuff people try to "donate"... broken toys, appliances that don't work, cracked, pee stained couches & mattresses, etc... Time and money that the charity should be spending on their "cause" is then wasted on sorting garbage hauling dumpsters of trash away on your behalf.

 

[Crystal824]

"While there are a lot of people here on the boards who are militant about car seats and expiration dates etc....the general public really isn't that educated. Most have no idea a car seat can expire."

The fact that the public is not educated does not make it ok! I wouldn't want to be responsible for somebody else's child's death just so I could make some extra cash because I could count on them not knowing better. I can't believe I just read that.

Seats expire because of weather conditions and the temperature in the car. If you search for a bit online, there are test videos of car seats that are expired. In one the straps pull right through the plastic in the accident and the child hits the seat in front of them!

I wouldn't sell them even with the date because chances are you are just helping somebody endanger their child.
Babies R Us has sales where you trade in an old item and get a coupon toward something else in the store. You could always trade in and buy a gift or let somebody you know with a baby take your old seats in.

Babies R Us is having one of these sales right now.