Need help writing an e-mail to the consingment sale folks....

You guys are more diplomatic than I am.

I can't find the old post but I there is local consignment sale that participated in last spring and last fall, I sold stuff and worked at the sale because workers get first dibs. In the spring there were a few older car seats but, nothing expired, and since it was my first time at the sale I didn't say anything.

The fall was a different story. There were tons of old seats, one being a 15 year old infant seat. The sale is run but a husband and wife team and I told the husband the 15 year old seat wasn't safe. He said he used to go through and check for recalls and not sell anything over 5 years but he stopped doing it because car seats no longer expire. I of course told him that seats do expire. He said he is "trained for car seats for his job" and that they no longer expire.

The second time I went in the 15 year old was still there, I was LIVED.

The third time I was there I printed off a few sites online that said that car seats do in fact expire.

In the middle of all this I had contacted the local safe kids coordinator who did tell me he would reimburse me $100 if I bought expired seats. He also went in to talk to them but when he talked to the husband the husband told him that he was the computer guy and he didn't know anything about stuff sold at the sale (which is a total lie).

I also thought about contacting the media about it but I was nervous because all my stuff was at the sale. I didn't want my stuff to "go missing" I had about $300 worth of stuff in the sale.

The fourth time I went in I thought I had won because the expired seats were gone but then a friend overheard the wife tell someone that car seats no longer expire. :dizzy:

The last time I went in, I admit I went a little over the top. I printed off e-mails I had gotten from folks on the cps list serve saying car seats expire and printed off contact info for every instructor in the state of MO and told them to feel free to e-mail them and find out if car seats expire still.

So I would really like to participate in the sale again but I am not going to do it if they are going to continue to sell expired seats and tell people that they no longer expire. My plan is to sell stuff but not work the sale, it was just too stressful last time.

So I need to e-mail them. I don't want to be snarky, don't want to put them on the defensive, and don't want to threaten them.
So here is my e-mail so far.

Dear _______,

I hope you aren't getting too stressed with all the lead testing stuff, crazy!

I was curious what your guidelines for car seats are going to be this year. I took the class to be certified again and as a certified car seat technician I do not feel that I can particiapte in the sale there are going to be expired car seats and if people are going to be told that car seats don't expire.

Thanks!

I would ask that they check the seats for recalls, expiration, and that they have their parts (or at least have the instruction manual and no obviously missing parts, such as chest clips). Also print up guidelines about checking over a used carseat (ask if it's been in an accident, make sure it has all its parts, etc) and ask that a sheet with those guidelines be with every carseat, if they are going to sell them. That way buyers would have those guidelines, at least.

That might be pushing it. Maybe I should start with them not selling expired ones and work from there.

What do others think?

I did give them all those guidelines last fall, but they might have just thrown them away.

Subbing to this thread because I also have a huge consignment sale coming up (2x/year in our local area) and used carseats are definitely sold there. The folks that check in the clothes and other kid items don't have anything on paper to go by as far as the carseats and the "training" of the checkers is haphazard at best. I'd love to have some documentation that I can have photocopied and give to the organizers to have at every station (maybe laminated!) so that the checkers have documented facts to go by when seeing if they will accept a seat to sell at the sale.

how is this. Too much?

Dear _______,

I hope you aren't getting too stressed with all the lead testing stuff, crazy!

I was curious what your guidelines for car seats are going to be this year. I took the class to be certified again and as a certified car seat technician I do not feel that I can participate in the sale there are going to be expired car seats and if people are going to be told that car seats don't expire.

Seats really should be checked for recalls, expiration, made sure they have all their parts, and instructions. You could also have the people selling them sign something saying it hasn't been in an accident but of course they could just lie.

I would also really like to have an extra tag on each seat saying how long it has before it expires. At the last sale I saw a women pay $40 for a seat that was good for less than a year.

It would be safer to not sell used seats but if you are going to sell them anyway I would be more than happy to look them over so it wouldn't be any extra work on your part.

Thanks!

emandbri said:

You could also have the people selling them sign something saying it hasn't been in an accident but of course they could just lie.

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I'd cut the part about lying because it could be misinterpreted as "just tell them to lie when the fill it out".

I think it's wise to not put them on the defensive. Perhaps the first email could just plain be asking what the policy on CRs will be this year. Then go from there.

Just wanted to say though, keep up the efforts--the big consignment sale here used to do CRs but stopped last year, which is so awesome. So it can be done, don't give up!

I'm also subbing because I'll be participating in a sale soon and will be volunteering as a checker when the items come in. I think a good time to educate the people that run consignment sales is well in advance with some useful information, then maybe provide then the same information again when they start setting up for the sale and at that point, possibly somehow politely let them know you'll be watching them. Since you are involved in the sale, is there someone else that you could get to do the "watching"? Maybe you could mention that the SafeKids coordinatior you mention would be stopping by "to ensure the sale is in compliance with the law" or some such thing, but make sure this person has agreed to do this.

I wouldn't mention the lead law stuff, that is an unrelated issue. I'd stick to the issue at hand and try to state as clearly and consisely what you want them to do.

Can you maybe approach someone other than the man? It sounds like he's a know-it-all who may respond as well as someone else?

At the sale my friend owns they have a carseat waiver that the consignor must fill out, it's pretty in depth, although there is nothing to prevent the seller from lying on the questions like 'has it ever been in an accident'... The sale keeps a copy of the waiver after it is sold and the buyer also fills out a form too. Just like at Target I try and cruise the carseats during the sale and offer help to confused buyers!

The sale does not accept seats over 5 years and for the last two years I sort of kept a close eye on all seats before the sale opened (I help out my friend and work a lot for her) and have pulled many seats that were approaching the expiration date or were noticeably damaged. Although I'm not a fan of buying a used seat there is a market for them. SO funny (and sad) when I see someone buying an older seat that is almost the same price new. Last year a friend of mine was bringing in her stuff for drop off and she had a like new MA (she is anal like me about seats and I know her well) and she had priced it at 30.00, she had too many seats and wanted to allow someone else to buy a great seat at a great price, as I get first dibs at the presale I got a deal, and bought only because I knew the previous owner of the seat. Yeah!

I just got an e-mail about the sale and it is moved up this year. Drop off is the weekend I'll be at my brother's wedding. UGGGGG

I could still sell stuff but I would not be able to be there at the drop off to check out the seats as they are being dropped off.

I could do it Monday before the worker and consignor sale.

The e-mail also said "please e-mail me to make sure you get this so I can save postage and not send out a postcard.

She is going to be flooded with e-mails, mine about the car seats could get lost.

I'm thinking just keeping it simple again and going with the first e-mail I posted.

I sent the e-mail. Instead of doing dishes, laundry, reading to the kids, working out, etc I have been sitting here checking my e-mail for a reply.

You could look up JBF (just between friends) consignment sales and find the info on selling used carseats. At our JBF sale (I work as a contractor for our local JBF), we sell used carseats (I know, I know...), but the seller MUST read and sign a statement and checklist about the seat. You can find that info on the JBF websites. It's the same type of info we remind people about here when it comes to used seats--the only difference (and not good part!) is that the buyers don't know the sellers (so people could lie about the seat being in an accident). The seats must be less than 5 yrs old, not recalled, have all parts and instructions, and seller has to sign that it was not in a wreck.

Maybe you could print and copy that info for them and say that here is an example of what other sales do and thought they'd be interested...and then point out their liability. You know the new safety stuff for children's products--it does apply to second hand items and recalled items.

henrietta

henrietta said:

You could look up JBF (just between friends) consignment sales and find the info on selling used carseats. At our JBF sale (I work as a contractor for our local JBF), we sell used carseats (I know, I know...), but the seller MUST read and sign a statement and checklist about the seat.

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That is a good idea, if she gets back to me I'll do that.

I'm still waiting to hear from them.

I had a lot of friends on my side during the last sale, should I see if they would also e-mail them and express their concern? Would she know I asked them to do it?

I could ask the instructor here or the safe kids director to write them an e-mail as well saying "I've had parents write to me concerned about the expired seats at your sale" something like that.

Would that be overkill?

It has now been 2 days and no response.

Okay, she finally got back to me and said they aren't going to take anything older than 5 years.

I know I could try to get them to do more like check for recalls, instructions, etc but I'm going to leave it at this for now. Despite the seats being old I never did see any seats that were missing parts, I don't think they would take a seat if it was.

I also told her that I will not be able to work this time because of my brother's wedding so my interaction with them will be limited which will be good.