Buying used for children is ordinary and sensible. It just has a short checklist that is worth doing every time.
Ask for the model and the date
Model number and the date of manufacture, shown on camera — most items carry both on a label or moulded into the plastic.
With those two you can look up the recall history yourself, which is the one check nobody else can do for you.
Ask for every part, laid out
Straps, buckles, fixings, pins, rails, the base, the manual. Ask for them laid out and counted rather than described as complete. A missing safety part means the item should not be on sale at all, so this is not a haggling point — it is a stop.
For a car seat
- The expiry date on the seat, shown
- Whether it has ever been in a crash — a seat that has should not be reused
- Whether the seller knows its full history
If the seller cannot answer the second and third, you are buying on trust alone. That is your decision to make, and it should be made before you bid rather than after it arrives.
Then condition
Stains, tears, worn straps, cracked plastic, stiff mechanisms, wheels. Ask for the mechanism worked on camera for anything that folds.
What protection covers
A recalled item, a missing safety part not disclosed, an expired seat sold without its date, or damage not shown: all not as described, seven days from delivery. A recalled item should not be listed at all — report it.
Questions people ask
Is second-hand safe?
For most things, yes, with the checks above. The categories to be most careful with are the ones that have to protect in an accident.
What if there is no date stamp?
Then you cannot establish its age. Treat that as a reason to pay less or to pass.
Should I buy a car seat second-hand at all?
Many people do, and many people will not. The checks on this page are what make it a decision rather than a gamble.