Experts warn of unsafe fake child car seats on the Internet

THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Jillian Davis was delighted to receive a car seat as a gift during her pregnancy that a family member had purchased online from a major retailer.

But after her daughter was born in late June, a child seat technician at her hospital in Salt Lake City told her that the seat was an unsafe counterfeit.

“It's completely shocking because this is my fourth child and I've never heard of this being a problem,” Davis said in a hospital news release. “It's scary to think that I could have been driving around with my child in a dangerous car seat.”

Online retailers are selling counterfeit child car seats that are likely to fail in an accident, child health experts warn.

These seats are tempting because they cost much less than those of major brands and are sold through third-party sellers on major national retail websites, experts say.

“It's hard to tell that a car seat is fake from a small picture online. Many parents think they've found a great deal at a major retailer,” says Michelle Jamison, director of the Community Health Program at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

“By the time they realize there's a problem and try to return it, the site they got it from has already been taken offline,” Jamison added in a hospital press release.

Intermountain Children's offers car seat checks to help parents properly install and use the seats.

During these checks, experts noticed more and more counterfeit seats, as well as those that did not meet U.S. safety standards, Jamison said.

The fake seats look real and can cost hundreds of dollars, but many are missing important components that could protect children in an accident, Jamison said.

To avoid getting a fake car seat, you should buy it directly from the website of a reputable manufacturer or buy it in person in a store. All of these models are genuine and meet safety standards.

“Parents may think that buying in-store is more expensive, but what they really get is the peace of mind that their child's car seat is safe,” Jamison said. “While some models are expensive, there are cheaper ones that are still crash-tested and safe.”

Parents can also look for several features in car seats that show they meet strict federal safety standards, experts say.

All car seats should have a manufacturer's label that includes the car seat name, date of manufacture, brand, model number and expiration date.

This information is needed to register a car seat so the manufacturer can notify parents of any recalls. Counterfeit seats do not have this number.

US safety standards also require warning labels on seats in English and Spanish. These labels can be found on the back of the car seat and in the area where the baby's head rests.

Counterfeit seats often lack these labels or have them written in a different language, experts said. Labels on counterfeit seats also occasionally contain grammatical or spelling errors.

A missing chest strap is an immediate sign that a car seat is unsafe, experts added. These straps are required in the U.S., but not in every country, which is why counterfeit seats usually don't have them.

“If you discover you have a counterfeit car seat, stop using it and contact the retailer to inform them that they sold a counterfeit car seat,” Jamison said. “If you used a credit card or purchased the seat from a major retailer, you may be able to get the cost of the seat back.”

More information

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more information on car seats.

SOURCE: Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital, press release, August 27, 2024