What should I ask a Facebook Marketplace pram seller before I collect?

What should I type in the first Marketplace message?

Which? says it is best to inspect a second-hand pushchair before you hand over cash, and to ask for more photos if the listing is thin. Little Valet tells buyers to ask two questions before they travel: whether the home is smoke-free and pet-free, and whether the original accessories are still there. Copy the block below, then add the model name from the listing.

1. 1
   Ask for the identifiers Please send a clear photo of the model sticker or British Standards label, and any serial or batch mark on the chassis.
2. 2
   Ask for working-part photos Please photograph the harness buckle closed and open, the webbing at the shoulder and crotch, the fold lock, and the brake on.
3. 3
   Ask about the home and the paperwork Is this from a smoke-free home? Do you still have the instructions, or a link to the manufacturer PDF?
4. 4
   Ask what is missing Does the sale include the chassis, seat unit, rain cover, adapters and carrycot? Which of those are not included?

The Lullaby Trust also asks that second-hand items come from a smoke-free and pet-free home, and that you can get the product instructions — usually as a download from the maker.

Which photos should I ask the seller to send?

Listing shots hide the underside, the buckle teeth and the chassis joins. Which? says if the listing mentions scratches or wear, ask to see those marks before you decide they are acceptable.

What do NHS Norfolk and the Lullaby Trust ask you to check?

Just One Norfolk NHS, writing for families buying a second-hand pram, says: buy from a smoke-free home only; check that a well-fitting replacement mattress is still available; and do not buy if you can see damage. The Lullaby Trust’s second-hand checklist is: get the instructions, confirm the relevant British Standard, search product recalls, and check the item is in one piece with no broken or missing parts.

• Smoke-free home. Norfolk NHS and the Lullaby Trust both put this on the second-hand list.
• No visible damage. Norfolk NHS: do not buy if you can see damage; the Lullaby Trust: all in one piece.
• Instructions. Lullaby Trust and Which?: download the PDF from the manufacturer if the paper copy is gone.
• Recall search on a phone. The Lullaby Trust tells parents to take a phone and search product recalls, including via GOV.UK.

What do I do when I arrive to collect?

Which? prefers collection-only sales so you can inspect before you pay. Do the physical checks yourself — do not only watch the seller.

1. Photograph the model label and search it on the GOV.UK Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls list before money changes hands. See how to find the stamp.
2. Fold and unfold the pram several times, then test the brake on a slope.
3. Click the harness yourself and look along the webbing for fray — buckle and webbing check.
4. Tick chassis, seat, rain cover, adapters and carrycot against the PDF — missing-parts list.

A blank recall search means no recall on file. It is not a finding that the pram has been tested in front of you. Official records show a listed recall means follow the notice and do not take the pram home.

What if the seller cannot answer?

Marketplace sales between private sellers are not the same as buying from a shop. London Borough of Bromley (Trading Standards guidance, reviewed October 2025) says that with a private seller you are entitled to expect they own the item and that it is as described — not the same remedies as a trader sale. If they cannot show a label, cannot say whether the home is smoke-free, or will not let you fold the pram yourself, treat that as missing information, not a gap to ignore.

In shortSend the photo-and-smoke-free message first. At the door, take a phone for the GOV.UK list, fold the pram yourself and test the brake on a slope. Missing label, visible damage or a listed recall: leave. That is a record check, not a MayTally score.