Take-to-seller checklist

Cot

Take this list to a nearly-new sale, Marketplace collection or family hand-me-down. Official guidance is to check the standard mark, the condition, and that nothing has been altered. A ticked list is a prompt, not a certificate.

Look for BS EN 716 on a permanent label. That standard is about stop-falls and trapping, not about safer-sleep products you add later.

This viewing

Fill in what you know from the listing, then print or keep this page open on your phone.

SellerWhere listedMeeting placeDateAsking priceBrandModelStandard mark / approval no.

Before you leave the house

Must passI have searched official records on GOV.UK Product Recalls for this brand and modelSearch the OPSS list of product safety alerts, reports and recalls. A clear search is not a guarantee — spellings and model codes vary.
CheckI can get the original instructions (paper copy or a download from the maker)OPSS advises checking that instructions come with the product or are available online, especially for mechanical items.

Ask the seller

AskHas anyone cut, drilled, painted or “customised” the cot?

Hands-on at the meeting

Must passA permanent label shows BS EN 716 (or EN 716)
Must passIf it is a drop-side cot, the side locks solidly with two distinct actions and does not slump or detachOlder drop-side cots are a common problem at sales. If the side can drop unexpectedly or the plastic catches are brittle, walk away.
Must passNo decorative corner posts, knobs or cut-outs that clothing could catch on
Must passBars are evenly spaced with no missing, loose or splintered spindlesOn a current EN 716 cot the gap is set so a child’s head cannot pass through. If a drinks can slides between the bars, walk away.
CheckWith the mattress on the lowest setting, the side is deep enough that a toddler cannot climb out easily (about 500 mm is the usual trading-standards figure)
Must passThe mattress I will use leaves no more than a two-finger gap at the sidesTrading-standards advice: a larger gap can trap an infant. Take your tape measure if you already own the mattress.
CheckTransfers, paint and transfers are not peeling; no broken transfers a baby could mouth
Must passEvery bolt, bracket and teething rail is present; the frame does not rock or creak when I lean on it
Write downI have written down the brand, model and the standard mark as printed

Walk away if

No BS EN 716 (or EN 716) mark.
A drop-side that slumps, sticks or uses cracked plastic catches.
Protruding corner posts or loose bars.
The mattress leaves a gap wider than two fingers.
Official records on GOV.UK list a recall for this model.

This viewing

Before you leave the house

Ask the seller

Hands-on at the meeting

Walk away if

Notes at the meeting