Passed my carseat on to someone else....and

[cutekid]

I decided to freecycle my car seat. It was in very good condition and NEVER had been in accident. I posted that it had be picked up at the fire station when they were doing car seat installs.
I wanted to have it professionally installed, because that carseat was a PAIN to install rear facing for me and I could not trust that someone else would do it right.
The lady was sooo happy that I wanted it professionally installed. She said she had been installing her daughters infant carrier incorrectly the entire time.

I have turned yet another parent on to proper car use.

Denise

[ThreeBeans]

There is more than 'good condition' and 'never been in an accident'. Freecycle is generally a bad idea for carseats. What sort of seat was it? How old was it?

[muttix2]

I think the OP was giving away her own seat, not getting one on freecycle.

[ThreeBeans]

Originally Posted by muttix2

I think the OP was giving away her own seat, not getting one on freecycle.

I do understand this, but it's not something I like to see happening. For the most part, seats given away on freecycle are expired and should NOT be used again. People see them on there, think it's all right, and do the same. Freecycle is just not a good place for anyone to get a carseat, even if the giver means well.

[cutekid]

Please understand Threebeans that I my carseat was only three years old. It wasn't expired. That was one of the reason I took it to the fire station. The techs there will not install an expired car seat.

I do however understand why you would be concerned.

Denise

[ThreeBeans]

Glad to hear it

[midwestmeg]

Originally Posted by cutekid

Please understand Threebeans that I my carseat was only three years old. It wasn't expired. That was one of the reason I took it to the fire station. The techs there will not install an expired car seat.

I support what you did; I'm a huge 'recycler'...

[ThreeBeans]

Originally Posted by midwestmeg

I support what you did; I'm a huge 'recycler'...

Me too. Just not carseats via freecycle.

[thepeach80]

Originally Posted by ThreeBeans

Me too. Just not carseats via freecycle.

Why not? I'd rather someone else have my seat I know is fine than actually getting one of the crappy ones out there. I'm selling one craigslist now.

[KayleeZoo]

I can see both POV here. I've Freecycled a seat, and given away several to friends. Generally, encouraging people to seek free seats via FC or anywhere else is a bad idea- too many recalled, expired seats w/out owner's manuals available. BUT- like the family that I recently gave one of our spare seats- some people just cannot afford even $40 for a Scenera (which I cannot even recommend with good conscience anymore, after reading the Chicago Tribune article), and have to get a free seat or not use one at all. I'd rather know that a child who would be riding in someone else's expired/recalled OHS seat is now riding in one of our 5pt non-recalled or expired seats that has hopefully been correctly installed. I always encourage people to call Safe Kids NM and have a tech install their seat when I give one away. But I can't enforce that, any more than I can enforce it with parents who buy a seat from BRU.

[sunflowers]

Slightly off topic, but I packed the carseat I used for DS away many, many years ago. I was recently in our attic sorting through things to toss, give away, or use for dd and I am stumped about what to do with his old seat! It is fully 15 years old so it is clearly expired (even though I don't think they put expiration dates or date of manufacture on seats back then). I don't want to put in the trash for fear that someone will come by and pick it out for use.

What do I do with it?

[ThreeBeans]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

Why not? I'd rather someone else have my seat I know is fine than actually getting one of the crappy ones out there. I'm selling one craigslist now.

Because I know and you know that we would NEVER put a seat on freecycle that isn't safe, or freecycle it to a child for whom it isn't appropriate. But the average parent DOESN'T know that. It sets a bad precedent. They see *our* freecycle seats and say, "Hey, that's what I can do with my old, nastay seat that's been sitting in the garage for 10 years!" and the average parent ALSO probably doesn't understand that MOST freecycle seats are not safe.

[cutekid]

Originally Posted by KayleeZoo

I always encourage people to call Safe Kids NM and have a tech install their seat when I give one away. But I can't enforce that, any more than I can enforce it with parents who buy a seat from BRU.

When I posted on Freecycle I stated that it had to be picked up and installed at the fire station. I have also posted to other parents who are freecyling carseats about the firestation and this should be the norm. I wanted to make absolutely sure that it was installed professionally. I would have been worried sick if I just let anyone just have the seat.


This weekend, I was at the Really, Really, freemarket and someone dropped off two carseats. I immediately went over and checked them out and made sure they weren't expired. One of them was a century from 1984. I insisted that it be trashed, with the straps removed. The other one, was fairly new. I wasn't sure how to say that one had to be removed too. So I left it alone. I think I would have been a little more proactive.



Denise