What should I check on a Facebook Marketplace child car seat before collection?

What do RoSPA, Which? and GOV.UK say about Marketplace seats?

This page is a collection-day list, not a general used-seat explainer. The official starting point is still the same: RoSPA's child car seats site says the best advice is do not buy a second-hand child seat, and if you must use one, only accept it from a family member or friend — "don't buy one from a second-hand shop, through the classified ads or online."

Which? (9 May 2024) names eBay or Facebook Marketplace as the example of a second-hand seat whose crash history you cannot check. An earlier Which? survey (24 July 2019) of 3,241 parents with a child under 12 found 9% had bought a second-hand seat, and listed local Facebook selling groups among the cheap channels people use.

GOV.UK (Office for Product Safety and Standards, published 3 June 2025) says: do not buy second-hand baby car seats, because structural integrity can be compromised by accidents and damage may not be visible.

MayTally does not issue a pass or fail on the doorstep. Official records describe an unknown history, not a cleared seat.

What photos should I demand before I travel to collect?

Ask for these before you set a time. A seller who will only meet on the porch, or who cannot photograph the label, has already answered the collection question.

Also ask, in writing: has this seat ever been in a car during a collision, including a parking bump? RoSPA treats child seats as "one hit" products. A vague "it's fine" in chat is not a history.

What do I do on collection day?

Bring the car the child will actually travel in, not a lift from a neighbour. RoSPA and Which? both say: try the seat in your car; if you cannot get it to fit securely, do not buy it. Which? also says try it in any other car you intend to use, including a grandparent's.

1. 1
   Refuse a porch-only handover If the listing says "leave on the porch", "no meet in the car", or cash-in-the-message-then-collect-from-the-step, that is not an inspection. You need daylight, the seat out of a bag, and time to fit it. Walk away rather than negotiate on the doorstep.
2. 2
   Match the labels to the chat photos Compare the E mark, brand and model with the pictures they sent. A different shell, a painted-over label, or a label that has been peeled is a stop. Do not decode the orange approval label here — you only need it present and readable so the model is identifiable.
3. 3
   Inspect what you can see RoSPA: examine it carefully for damage, and remember not all damage is visible. Look for cracks or stress marks in the plastic, frayed harness webbing, a buckle that will not click, crumbling foam under the cover, and missing inserts or lock-offs.
4. 4
   Fit it in your car before money changes hands Follow the instructions for that model: Isofix arms to a click (and green indicators if the seat has them), or the vehicle belt through the correct route, plus any support leg or top tether the booklet names. If the seat rocks, the belt will not lock, or an Isofix arm will not engage, leave it.
5. 5
   Pay only after the fit, or not at all Agree in the chat that payment is after you have fitted the seat. If they insist on payment first, you are buying unseen history plus a porch handover.

Why is a porch-only handover a problem?

Marketplace posts often say "porch pickup" because it is quick. RoSPA's list cannot be done through a letterbox: you need the instructions, a visual check, and a try-in-car. A seat left on a step also means you never meet the person who claims to know its history.

• You cannot try the Isofix or belt route. RoSPA: if you cannot get it to fit securely, do not buy it.
• You cannot compare the label to the listing. Grey-import or unlabelled seats will not match UK notices.
• You cannot ask follow-up questions in person about crashes, storage (loft, garage, damp shed) or missing parts.
• Cash-first porch deals remove your ability to walk away after a failed fit.

A fit that works in your car is still not a crash-history check. Official pages are clear that damage may not show. Collection day only answers: can I identify it, is anything obviously broken, and does this car accept this seat?

When should I walk away on the drive?

1. The seller will not let you fit the seat in your car.
2. They cannot say whether the seat has been in a collision, or the story changes.
3. The approval label is missing, covered or unreadable.
4. The original instructions are not there and they cannot show the official PDF for that exact model.
5. Parts are missing, the harness is frayed, or the plastic is cracked.
6. The seat does not sit securely on Isofix or on the belt path in your car.

In shortRoSPA's line is still: do not buy a second-hand child seat online. Which? names Facebook Marketplace as a channel with an unknown crash history. If you collect anyway, photograph the E mark first, bring the car, refuse a porch-only handover, and treat any gap in history, labels or fit as a reason to leave the seat behind.

What if I have already paid and driven away?

Private Marketplace sales rarely have a shop-style return. The practical steps are still the official ones: identify the model from the label, download the maker's instructions if you did not get a booklet, and search the model on the GOV.UK Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls list. No listing means no recall on file, not an all-clear on crash history.

If you decide not to use the seat, do not pass it back onto Marketplace as "checked". RoSPA's advice to the next parent is the same: do not buy one online.