thrift stores.

santasgirl

New member
:mad: i went just to look they had like 3 seats that were expired 2 that had to be like 10 years expired!so i told the lady vary nicely and she was like yea we try to ck with them all so i went so i am happy to take to get rid of them she went no its fine and walked away and to make matters worse she was the manager! so i was vary mad so mad i called the cops on them
i hope that thought her something
o to top it off aparently they have training in carseats!!!

people make me so mad!!!!
 
ADS

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
You called the cops? Under what grounds?

People shouldn't sell expired carseats. I agree. I don't think it's illegal.

I know this is a soapbox issue for me, but most people already don't take safety advocates very seriously. Doing things like getting mad and calling the police doesn't help the cause.
 

Wiggles

New member
It depends on the state, I believe. I seem to recall (and I could be wrong) that certain states have laws against selling expired or recalled baby gear. California springs to mind as a possible location.

Again, I could be wrong.
 

leighi123

Active member
I would be cutting up the straps when no one was looking....

Or buy them myself to throw out if I could afford it (I cant)


I tell the people at the thrift store here EVERY Time I go in. They always take them to the dumpster (I watch them do it), but the next time I go in, there is another 13yr old nasty carseat.

They KNOW old carseats arent safe, except the lady in charge of the kids dept. doesnt pay attention. So I have to keep reminding the people up front (they are all older women who volunteer from the church), they are nice about it, but its frustrating to have to tell them every. single. time.
 

santasgirl

New member
when i called i made sure to say its not a priotity call , the lady was outside the whole time
i need to find ou rules i cant pay for them all but i was scared i would get in troble for taking them. i dont know that the cops acualy came i just called them to notify that expired seats were sold.
 

Andie

New member
Lots of people don't know or understand why seats expire. Most people are pretty skeptical of someone they don't know giving them information out of the blue like that. If you want people to listen to you on why an expired seat is not safe, it might be helpful to bring something with you that talks about it from an official source.

Here is a handout on why used seats can be dangerous:
http://www.carseat.org/Resources/15_recycled_seats.pdf

I wouldn't try talking to that store again though. By getting angry & calling the cops, you lost any credibility you had with them.
 
Last edited:

sholoulou

New member
I would go the route of telling them if they sell a seat that has been recalled or expired then they can be held liable for any injury that could occur. It is their responsibility as a store owner to make sure what they are selling has not been recalled or expired. In Louisiana stores are no longer allowed to resell car seats... not even goodwill. People still sell them on craigslist but most just throw them away because no one will resell them :)
 

simplychels

New member
You called the cops? Under what grounds?

People shouldn't sell expired carseats. I agree. I don't think it's illegal.

I know this is a soapbox issue for me, but most people already don't take safety advocates very seriously. Doing things like getting mad and calling the police doesn't help the cause.
In some places selling an expired car seat is very illegal. It's illegal in Canada under the federal Hazardous Products Act and I could imagine some states in the US have a similar law.
 

Maedze

New member
Then you report them to the regulatory agency, you don't call the police force. It's like calling the FBI because your neighbor's child squirted your child with a super soaker. Inappropriate use of resources.
 

Mirandagrate

New member
Wow... there sure are a lot of mad people over someone trying to stop the selling of expired and unsafe seats... I say, way to go! We need more people advocating for good seats.. Maybe if more people were proactive it'd be less of a problem.
 

Qarin

New member
Wow... there sure are a lot of mad people over someone trying to stop the selling of expired and unsafe seats... I say, way to go! We need more people advocating for good seats.. Maybe if more people were proactive it'd be less of a problem.

The problem is that it just makes car safety advocates look like nutcases to the rest of the world, and that really, really diminishes the impact of our message.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yep, there are good and bad ways to do everything. A way that makes advocacy look bad, dangerous, illegal, bullheaded, or stupid can turn off parents who might otherwise be receptive.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Wow... there sure are a lot of mad people over someone trying to stop the selling of expired and unsafe seats... I say, way to go! We need more people advocating for good seats.. Maybe if more people were proactive it'd be less of a problem.

We do need EFFECTIVE advocacy.

Calling the police when a store employee doesn't listen to you (especially when you haven't presented credentials or facts) or stealing/vandalizing seats is pretty much the opposite of effective advocacy. It hurts more than it helps: that store employee is (justifiably) going to write off safety advocates as over-the-top screwballs.
 

simplychels

New member
Wowza! Just saying it IS technically ILLEGAL in some areas

eta: Sometimes when people see something illegal, the first resource that pops into their mind is the police. :shrug:
 

skitle1802

New member
California does have a law.
This is from CA vehicle code:

[27362. (a) A manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer shall not sell, offer for sale, or install in a motor vehicle, a child passenger restraint system that does not conform to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards on the date of manufacture. Responsibility for compliance with this section shall rest with the individual selling the system, offering the system for sale, or installing the system. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor

Child Passenger Restraint System: Prohibition Against Resale After Accident
27362.1. (a) No individual may sell or offer for sale a child passenger restraint system that was in use by a child during an accident involving a motor vehicle.
(b) A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100).

Added Sec. 2, Ch. 703, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003.]

I think you could argue that because they don't know the history of the seats, they could have been involved in accidents. Also the recall issue with older seats, you know they don't check for recalls, so you might be able to fudge that one.
 

Maedze

New member
Wow... there sure are a lot of mad people over someone trying to stop the selling of expired and unsafe seats... I say, way to go! We need more people advocating for good seats.. Maybe if more people were proactive it'd be less of a problem.

No. As someone who has a vested interest in expired seats NOT being sold in thrift shops, I can say that what the OP did was not advocacy, it was not proactive and it was NOTHING that should be applauded or encouraged.

The OP didn't accomplish anything positive. She discredited herself and pretty much guaranteed that if a certified, polite professional ever tried to address the idea, he or she will be dismissed out of hand.
 

Kayleen

New member
You guys jump pretty hard on someone trying to do the right thing. From what she described the only ones that might not take her seriously are the police themselves, not the store manager. She could have just walked out and ignored the whole thing.

If they knew the seats are expired and sold them anyway, they are liable if something happens to the child in the seat. I understand they wouldn't give her the seats as they don't know what she will do with them (ie. possibly use them) but they "know" and still ignore the issue.

So if she should call some other agency instead of the police, lets get the names/numbers on here then instead of bashing her saying she is ruining the child safety coalition's efforts to prevent the sale of expired children's products. We all want the information out there, but bashing someone for trying to do the right thing is ridiculous.
 

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