Can I sell a used car seat in the UK?

Can I sell a used car seat?

Start with what the pages actually say, not with a rule this site has invented.

RoSPA’s second-hand goods page is written for buyers. It says never buy a child car seat second-hand unless you are assured of its history. It calls a seat a one-hit product. An accident, or a drop, can affect the internal structure when you cannot see the damage. It says a seat from a relative or friend, whose history you know and which has not been damaged, is different from a car boot sale. Its line is never to buy one if it has already been in an accident.

If you are the seller, do not invent a crash history, and do not describe a seat as accident-free unless you know that. This page is not a legal opinion on your particular sale. Read what you can’t sell for other categories that were checked.

RoSPA’s second-hand goods page says never buy a child car seat, helmet or other protective headgear second-hand unless you are assured of its history. It calls these one-hit products, which must not be used again if they have been involved in an incident. It says an accident, or simply dropping the item, can affect the internal structure even when you cannot see the damage, and that in most cases you cannot know whether a second-hand seat has been damaged. It says a seat from a relative or friend, whose full history you know and which has not been damaged, is different from a car boot sale. Its advice is never to buy one of these items if it has already been in an accident. Source

What does eBay say about used car seats?

eBay’s product safety policy says used car seats are not allowed. A new child car seat may be listed only by an eligible seller, and only if it meets UN Regulation No. 44 or UN Regulation No. 129 and the listing says so.

That is eBay’s rule. It is not, by itself, a statement that every private sale of a used seat in the UK is a criminal offence. Do not list a used seat on eBay and hope the category will sort it out.

The same policy says used bicycle helmets and used cots are not allowed. See eBay compared for fees and handover, which are a separate topic.

eBay’s product safety policy says recalled items, items prohibited by law, items that are a health or safety hazard, and products that do not comply with the laws it lists are not allowed. The laws it names include the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994. For baby and child products it says a new child car seat may be listed only by an eligible seller, and only if it meets UN Regulation No. 44 or UN Regulation No. 129 and the listing says so. It says used car seats are not allowed. It also says used bicycle helmets and used cots are not allowed. It tells sellers to check recalls and points them to the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Source

What does Depop say about car seats?

Depop’s kidswear help says some children’s items can’t be listed, and it names car seats in that group.

Depop’s prohibited-items list puts children’s and infants’ car seats, and car seat restraint straps, under the heading for restricted products for children and infants. That heading says restricted. It does not, on the line we are quoting, say banned. Quote the two pages separately. Do not upgrade “restricted” into a word the heading does not use.

This page does not state a Vinted, Gumtree or Facebook car-seat rule. Those catalogue and policy pages were not found naming car seats. Read Depop compared for fees, which are a different question.

Depop’s page “Listing kidswear and children’s items safely” says some children’s items can’t be listed. The children’s items it names as prohibited include car seats. Source

Depop’s prohibited-items list, under the heading for restricted products for children and infants, names children’s and infants’ car seats and car seat restraint straps. Source

What do SilentSale®’s Terms say?

SilentSale®’s Terms do not name car seats. The prohibited-items rules in those Terms still apply. They prohibit illegal, stolen, unlicensed, recalled, unsafe, or safety-noncompliant goods, and any item restricted by UK law, product-safety rules, or SilentSale® policy. They also require defects to be disclosed.

That is not a separate used-car-seat ban, and it is not permission to list one. Do not add a rule the Terms do not publish. SilentCover® is a discretionary protection service. It does not certify a seat. A visual check will not show the internal damage RoSPA describes. Read buying from a private seller, collection safety and marketplace scams.

Counterfeits are banned. Describe authenticity accurately and retain supporting evidence; SilentSale® does not authenticate items.

SilentSale® is a UK marketplace for private individuals aged 18+ buying and selling personal goods in GBP.

What if the seat came from a relative?

RoSPA draws that distinction for the buyer. A seat from a relative or friend, where you know the full history and it has not been damaged, is not the same as a seat from a car boot sale.

“My friend said it was fine” is not the same as knowing the history. If you are selling, write only the history you actually know. If you are buying, RoSPA’s advice is not to buy when that history is missing.