Guidelines for buying a used car seat or eBay car seat.  Keep your precious cargo safe.

1. Most car seats expire 6 years after their date of manufacture.  Britax seats last a bit longer.  Always ask the seller the date of manufacture and DO NOT buy or use an expired seat!  The plastic shell can weaken over time and your child will not be protected in an accident.

2. 5-Point-Harness car seats are best for children of ALL AGES.  Use a 5 point harness as long as possible to protect your child.  Most seats harness to 40 lbs, but many Britax and Apex seats harness longer.  Ask the seller how long you can keep your child harnessed.  Car seats with overhead shields (the bar that comes down over your child's lap) are not advisable, especially for small or rear facing children as the bar can come into contact with the child's head and cause injury in an accident.

3. Rear facing is best for all children!  A child can be kept rear facing as long as the height and weight limits of their seat allows - some Britax seats even allow rear facing to 3 years or older!  Do not be concerned about your child's legs, they can be crossed and the child can sit quite comfortably.  The advantages of extended rear-facing are huge.  NO CHILD should be forward facing before 1 year and 22 lbs.  If your child wants to see you, try a mirror that attatches to the back of the seat!

4. Backless booster seats are not advisable for most children.  A high-back booster provides more support for the child's head and neck in a collision.  These are usually not much more expensive than a backless booster.  The point of a booster seat is to improve the fit of an adult belt on a child who is too large for a harness and too small for an adult seat.  If your child cannot sit in an adult seat with the lap belt over their upper thighs and the shoulder belt between the base of the neck and the edge of the shoulder, she needs a belt-positioning booster seat.  If they are used at all, backless booster seats should ONLY be used in cars with high seat backs or head rests, and in children who for some reason cannot use a high back booster.

5. Never use a car seat that you do not know the history of.  The straps and plastic shell of a car seat that has been in an accident have been weakened so that they may not protect your child in a second accident.  If you decide to purchase a seat on eBay, get the seller's assurance that it has never been in an accident.

6. Do not purchase a seat without the instruction booklet.  These assist in proper use and installation and provide important information such as contact to the company, model numbers, and manufacture dates. 

7. This might seem obvious, but make sure that the seat you are buying is a CAR SEAT.  Some sellers may be unaware which seats are approved for motor vehicle use.

8. Accessories that did not come with the car seat are usually not safe to use.  Nothing should come between the straps of the car seat and your child, or between your child's body and the cover of the seat.  Toys or trays should not be attatched to the car seat when the car is in motion.  Car seat covers that go OVER the car seat rather than inside it are best for keeping your baby warm. 

Above all, DO NOT BE AFRAID to ask the seller questions, this is your child's safety that is in your hands.  Do your research, make the right purchase for yourself and your child.