Many second hand child restraints have been found to be dangerous. For some people however, a lack of funds can encourage them to buy second hand. The purchase and use of second hand restraints from those you do not know or trust is not recommended.

The sale and purchase of second hand child restraints is a common occurrence on online auction sites, classified advertisements in newspapers and garage sales.

It can be difficult to ascertain whether or not the seller of the restraint you are purchasing has been 100% honest about the restraints history, condition and how it has been cared for which is why you need to purchase wisely.

If you are considering purchasing a second hand child restraint, for whatever reason, please bear the following information in mind.

To learn further about what relevance these questions have, read the paragraphs next to their corresponding numbers below the check list.

Secondhand Car Seat Check List
1.	Do you know the brand, make, model number and date of manufacture for the restraint?	Yes	No
2.	Do you know the history of the seat?	Yes	No
3.	Is the seat within its "expiration" date?	Yes	No
4.	Is there any visible deterioration or damage to the seat?	Yes	No
5.	Does the seat include all the necessary items to install and use it correctly?	Yes	No
6.	Is the restraint missing any manufacturer provided features?	Yes	No
7.	Does the seat confirm to one of the accepted safety standards in New Zealand?	Yes	No
8.	Has the restraint been recalled for a safety defect? If so, has that defect been corrected?	Yes	No
9.	Is the restraint in working order?	Yes	No
10.	Has it been in any accidents?	Yes	No

1. Do you know the brand, make, model number and date of manufacture for the restraint?

It is important to know the brand, make, model number and date of manufacturer for several reasons:

• So you will know what manufacturer to contact if in need of repairs or replacement parts or advice on the use of their restraint.
• Will help you to ascertain whether or not your restraint has been recalled for a safety defect.
• Will help you to determine whether or not your restraint is "expired" and too old to use.

2. Do you know the history of the seat?

• Has the restraint been well cared for?
• Has it been washed and cleaned in accordance with the manufacturers  instructions?

Many manufacturers strictly forbid the restraint coming in to contact with polishes, oils, bleaches and other chemicals and prohibit the submersion of restraint harnesses in water and chemicals. It's important because bleach degrades fabrics and plastics, and if left on too long or in too strong a concentration will eventually eat a hole through it. As will peroxide (present in products such as Napisan In wash Booster and Oxyaction). These chemicals are corrosive. There is also the concern that bleach residue left on the cover can irritate a child's skin. Usually it's acceptable to use mild soaps if you're washing a cover (although it is important you read your user manual and/or contact your manufacturer to make sure that it is 'ok'). Some car seat covers may be machine washable and some may need to be hand washed, read your user manual or contact your manufacturer. You need to be careful in how you wash and care for the cover of your restraint as there is a flame retardant in it. Line drying is usually what's recommended, not putting it in the drier.

You will need to pay extra attention as to how you wash and care for the harnesses of your restraint. It is not recommended to wash the harness straps in the washing machine as this stretches the webbing of the harness, meaning it may not protect the child as it was intended to in an accident. 'Spot' cleaning with mild soaps is usually acceptable for harness straps, read your user manual or contact your manufacturer.

Is the cover of your restraint an after market one? This could be dangerous as after market or home-made covers have not been crash tested with your restraint and may not be permitted by the manufacturer. After market covers may change the path of the harness straps (and eject the child out of the seat in an accident or not protect them adequately) and again there is the issue of the flame retardant in covers which may not be present in a home made or after market cover. Different manufacturers have different advice on how the restraint must be cleaned and cared for so it is important that you get this information before purchasing your restraint.

3.  Is the seat within its "expiration" date?

It is important that you do not purchase a restraint outside of it's expiration date, to learn further on expiration dates please see Manufacture/Expiration.

4. Is there any visible deterioration or damage to the seat? 

Ask the seller if there are any:

• Signs of plastic strain such as white marks
• Cracks
  
• Bends
• Damage to the straps (i.e. fraying, mould, dirt)
• Severe fading (can be an indication that the seat may have possibly been left in direct sunlight for excessive amounts of time) This can cause the plastic shell to become brittle, and break easier.

All of the above can possibly compromise the safety of a restraint, and the child using it. If there is any of the above damage, do not buy the seat.

5. Does the seat include all the necessary items to install and use it correctly?

This includes the instruction manual, stickers on the restraint demonstrating things such as it's weight and possibly height restrictions and correct belt path. You must have the instruction manual for the restraint to ensure you are installing it correctly and for future reference on it's correct usage and care. Instruction manuals can sometimes be obtained from its manufacturer for a small or no charge.

6. Is the restraint missing any manufacturer provided features?

This includes instruction booklets (as discussed at #5), stickers and safety standards placed on the seat, locking clips, harness straps, stabilising bars, tether straps and covers. If the particular restraint you are purchasing would normally have these features, but the one you are looking at does not, then it would be advised not to purchase the seat as these items are considered vital to the correct installation and use of the restraint.

7. Does the seat confirm to one of the accepted safety standards in New Zealand?

The restraint you are purchasing should conform to one of the Standards outlined on the Safety Standards . Make sure that the restraint you are purchasing has been approved to one of these standards, if it has not, do not purchase it.

8. Has the restraint been recalled for a safety defect? If so, has that defect been corrected?

If the restraint has been recalled for a safety defect then it is very important that the defect be corrected. To find out whether or not your seat has at one time been recalled, contact the manufacturer with its make, model number and date of manufacture so you can determine whether or not it has a safety defect and if it has been corrected. A seat that has been recalled can potentially be dangerous and injure or kill an infant depending on the severity of the defect so it is important that you have this checked.

9.  Is the restraint in working order?

Apart from the noted points in #4, #5, #6 and #8, when the harness is fully buckled, does it lock securely and does it remain locked?

10. Has it been in any accidents?

It is not advised to use a restraint that has been in an accident as damage to the seat can occur that may not always be visible to the eye and that may hinder the safety of the child using it. If the restraint you wish to purchase has been in an accident, do not buy it.

More info:

One common myth circulating around the sale of second hand restraints is that some organisation or business i.e. Plunket or a WOF checking station has checked and re-certified the restraint, this is incorrect, you can not have restraints "re-certified" for use, nor can they be guaranteed as safe.

You might also notice sellers using Plunket as a selling point with comments such as:

The truth however is that Car Seat Rental Scheme Coordinators (Plunket) must not give an opinion on whether a restraint is in a satisfactory condition to sell as they have no authority to do this and the implications of doing so can be disastrous.

Car Seat Rental Scheme Coordinators can check restraints, but any check done is only ever visual (not a physical test) for things that can be seen by the naked eye. Visual checks of restraints can not tell the history of its use i.e. if it's been in a car crash or how it has been cared for and they can not tell how it will perform in a car crash and if it is guaranteed to be safe.

Something else you need to take in to consideration when purchasing a second-hand restraint, is if you are having your seat sent to you, you MUST make sure that it is sufficiently packaged. A rubbish bag is NOT considered sufficient packaging. If the seat is not handled with care (which they often are not) then the restraint can suffer damage such as hairline fractures that you will not be able to see, this is why it's advised that if you do decide to buy second-hand, to pick up in person.

Lastly, one of the most important things you need to consider when purchasing a second-hand restraint, do you trust the seller with the life and safety of your child?