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ILLEGAL “killer car seats” are being sold on online marketplaces including eBay and Shein, according to a new investigation.
Consumer site Which? has claimed dozens of flimsy child’s car seats are being sold on several well-known online marketplaces.
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Parents are being warned to stay away from the dangerous car seats, which could pose a potentially lethal threat to children in a car crash.
The products were allegedly found for sale on eBay, Little Dreams, ManoMano, Shein and Wish.
EBay and Shein have said they both swiftly removed the items for sale from their websites.
Little Dreams, Wish and ManoMano did not respond to a request for comment.
Among the safety defects found were thin seat bases and not having one central point of release for the harness.
These are fundamental flaws as car seats must raise a child’s height to position the seat belt correctly across their lap, and multiple buckles on the harness can make it difficult to rescue a child if there’s a crash.
Some seats also didn’t have any side impact protection, which is needed to protect a child’s head from hitting the inside of the car.
That means if the car was struck from the side, the child wouldn’t be properly protected.
Which? also found some of the seats lacked the distinctive orange labels that indicate which safety regulation the seats comply with.
Child car seats must have an R44 or R129 regulation label to be sold legally in the UK.
Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards has previously dubbed these products “killer car seats”.
Disturbingly, when car seat manufacturer Britax used one to show the effect of a 30mph impact, the test dummy (used to represent a three-year-old child) was hurled through the windscreen as the seat straps came loose.
Which? said while eBay’s product listings describe them as car seats, the full descriptions warn against using them in cars.
One listing said: “Note: it is best not to use it on high-speed cars. We recommend that it be used in non-motorized products such as electric vehicles, two-wheelers, and electric vehicles.
“Because it is not a child safety seat that complies with traffic.”
The consumer champion has warned families struggling with the cost of living could be tempted by the products as they’re much cheaper than the average car seat.
It found the dangerous knock-offs were priced at between £12.50 to just under £40.
That’s far below the standard price of children’s car seats, which start from around £80.
Which? first reported flimsy fabric child’s car seats were being sold online in 2014 – more than 10 years ago.
They were taken down at the time, but similar products have now allegedly appeared.
Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said it was “appalling” that the “deadly” car seats had reappeared online.
“This is just one in a long list of dangerous products that Which? has identified and have been taken down only for them to later reappear for sale,” she said.
“Children’s lives will be at risk, with less affluent households most likely to be affected, until online marketplaces are forced to take responsibility for the listing of these cheap but deadly car seats.”
New product safety laws received Royal Assent this year, meaning they’re set to be passed into law.
But Which? has called for more regulations that will force online marketplaces to prevent the sale of unsafe products.
It also says it wants regulators such as the Office for Product Safety and Standards and Trading Standards to be given strong enforcement powers.
An eBay spokesperson said: “Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay.
“We work diligently to prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe items, and AI supported monitoring by in-house specialists, who work closely with regulators and Trading Standards.
“We swiftly removed these listings and notified buyers, and we continue to strengthen our preventative measures.”
A spokesperson for Shein said: “SHEIN takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to its customers.
“In this case, the product had been mislabelled by the third-party seller.
“Upon being notified, SHEIN immediately removed it from the site. SHEIN vendors are required to comply with SHEIN’s code of conduct and stringent safety standards and must also abide by the relevant laws and regulations of the markets where we operate.
“SHEIN has taken action against the seller of the product according to the penalties set out in our guidelines.”
Little Dreams did not provide a comment, but Which? said it understands that the company is committed to providing customers with high-quality, safe, and legally compliant products.
It said it would review the product in question, remove the listing from its website and conduct a thorough internal investigation.
How to check if your child’s car seat is safe
It’s vitally important to make sure you’re buying a safe car seat for your child.
You should check whether the seat has a label with either ECE R44-03, ECE R44-04 or ECE R129, as this shows it’s legal to be sold in the UK.
Make sure you’re buying from a trusted retailer that can provide advice and help to fit the car seat.
Never buy a car seat secondhand as it’s impossible to tell whether it’s been in any crashes just by looking at it.
There could be internal damage which could isn’t obvious from the outside and compromise the structural safety.
Car seats should come with instructions that are written in clear English.
Watch out for car seats that seem extremely cheap as it’s likely the price is too good to be true.
