In an ideal world, everybody would be able to easily afford the very basic necessities to keep their kids safe – especially car seats. Maybe as more and more people realise how hugely important car seats are, the demand will increase. Increase demand, and car seats will become more affordable. With only 15% of SA kids strapped into seats safely, the demand is low, which means the costs of the best of the best are high.
If you can’t afford one of the high-end seats, you CAN still afford a new car seat, and there are “more affordable” well-known safe brands out there, save up the R1000 to get a new seat. New is better, simply because you know exactly where it has been and what it has been through.
We do live in a country where SO many people can’t afford to buy new. Even if you can afford one brand new seat for your first kid, the second kid might be a bit of a stretch, the third crazy, the fourth…
I have 4 kids! Thank heavens the older two are 12 and 14, so they can safely use safety belts – JUST. But I still have to pay school fees, feed 4 kids (including a teenage boy!), so I really REALLY understand that buying a R5,000 car seat is an impossibility for some people.
BUT having a car seat for your kid isn’t negotiable. You do what you need to, if you can’t buy brand new, there are plenty of people who are trying to sell the seat their little one has just outgrown so you can buy them the next one they need on .
There is a strong chance the person selling their seat on Gumtree is trying to get a little bit of cash together to buy the next size seat for their child. People aren’t but there are a few things you do need to be aware of before you buy a second hand seat.
Ask the current owner of the seat the following questions, you will be able to gauge if they are being honest or not.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHICH QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN BUYING A USED CAR SEAT
Click here to find out more about this article’s author, Laura
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You have the power to save a little life. One share, seen by one person, who straps in one child, saves a life. #CarseatFullstop
