When purchasing used baby products, check for recalls

A new baby brings lots of new expenses. If you’re on your second or third child, these expenses can seem overwhelming. That’s why many parents buy baby furniture and other supplies from second-hand stores, swap meets, garage sales and online auction sites. Many gratefully accept used items from friends and family members or use items that they purchased for their older children years ago.

While getting baby supplies in these ways can be cost-effective, it’s essential to make sure that the products that you’re buying, accepting as gifts or reusing haven’t been recalled. On average, two children’s products are recalled every week. That’s more than 100 each year. In fact, baby and toddler products are the most-frequently recalled items in the country. These include strollers, car seats, cribs, toys, clothing and other items used in the nursery.

Recalled items are removed from stores and can no longer be legally sold by retailers online. However, that doesn’t prevent them from showing up in secondary markets. Further, your family and friends may have no idea that the car seat they bought for their little one a decade ago has been recalled due to a safety hazard.

Fortunately, there are websites that you can go to in order to find out if an item has been recalled before you purchase or use it. These include a number of child safety websites such as Safekids.org. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also has a searchable website called Saferproducts.org where you can search for recalls on children’s products.

If you have purchased a product that has caused your child harm, it may be worthwhile to find out what your legal options are.

Source: Safe Kids California, “Recalls,” accessed Sep. 04, 2015