In more ‘Third Party Sellers Are Ruining Online Shopping and Putting Our Safety at Risk’ news, your kid’s car seat could be a fake.
The federal government requires car seat manufacturers to prove their products can pass strict crash-test regulations. Once they’ve passed the tests, retailers like Target or Buy Buy Baby will decide which seats they want to sell to customers. This process was all very fine and well; if we bought a seat that was advertised as a name-brand, quality product, we felt pretty confident that we were getting the safety we were paying for.
That is, until online shopping exploded and third-party selling became both a big part of the business and also difficult to regulate. Now, seats sold on websites like Ebay, Amazon or Walmart.com could look similar to the specific seat you’re looking for—and wow, what a good deal!—but it could be a knockoff brand, sold by a third-party seller.
The Washington Post reports:
As these devices become increasingly available, mostly online, it’s a legitimate safety concern,” says Joseph Colella, director of child passenger safety for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. “Caregivers want to protect their kids and think they’re doing that by buying these products.” He notes that solving the problem, however, is complex. It has to involve the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates and monitors safety seat compliance, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is working to prevent imports from making their way into the country in the first place.
So how can you ensure your seat is the real deal? Our best advice is to:
Buy it in person
Online shopping is convenient and a great way to compare prices and find the best deals—especially with all the gear-purchasing that comes with having babies and little kids. Resist the urge in this case. Go to a physical brick-and-mortar store where items have been purchased directly from the manufacturer and boxes contain exactly what they say they contain.
Until the sites with third-party sellers can figure out how to prevent the sale of untested and unsafe products, this is your best bet.
If you must buy online
I know those online deals are tempting, or maybe your circumstances or location make it difficult to get to a physical store. If you’re buying online, the Post suggests you ask yourself these questions:
Does the manufacturer have a website you can find easily?
Is the car seat on the
American Academy of Pediatrics list
? It lists only seats that meet federal motor vehicle safety standards and are approved for use in the United States.
Does the deal seem too good to be true? If so, there’s a good chance you’re looking at a knockoff.
Is it being sold directly by a trusted retailer? Stores such as Target, Buy Buy Baby and Nordstrom sell only certified seats directly from the manufacturer. With other online sites, such as Amazon and Walmart, be absolutely sure the seller is not a third party and the seats are being sold directly by the manufacturer or the site itself.
If you want to check a seat you already own
If I’ve now got you worried that a seat you already own might be a knockoff, it’s time to check.
You can simply call the seat’s manufacturer—they will be able to walk you through how to verify whether the seat in your possession is one they made. But if it’s not a fake, the real brand name should be stamped somewhere on the seat, along with a model number, customer service number and manufacture date.
It also should have come with clear installation instructions and a registration card for you to send back to the manufacturer. (If you didn’t register the seat when you bought it, you can do that here—scroll to the bottom of the page for directions. Registering the seat will ensure you receive information about recalls or other safety notices.)
According to the Post, approved seats will also have this label: “The child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.”
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