Shoppers may be willing to look for counterfeits when purchasing designer handbags at prices that seem a little too good to be true or when ordering from sketchy online pharmaciesbut when choosing a car seat?
A Denver technician who ensures car seats are installed safely said he has seen an increase in the number of seats that don’t meet U.S. safety standards. Some would adhere to other countries’ rules, while others would likely offer little or no protection in the event of a crash.
In almost all cases, parents bought the seats online at deep discounts, often from major retailers that allow third parties to sell on their sites, said Fernando San Miguel, a certified child passenger safety technician at Saint Joseph Hospital.
“It’s sad because people think they’re getting a lot, but in reality they’re not,” he said in a news release. “Whoever makes these fake car seats is putting children and babies at risk.”
The best way to avoid buying a counterfeit car seat is to buy it in person or directly online from the manufacturer, according to Colorado State Trooper Tim Sutherland. People who have already purchased a chair and are concerned can come by CarseatsColorado.com to find a technician who can verify that it meets safety standards, he said.
Some warning signs that a car seat may be counterfeit:
- The manufacturer’s label is missing or does not contain all the information: Every car seat sold in the United States must have a label with the seat name, brand, date of manufacture, model number and expiration date. Parents can use that information to register the seat so they can receive notifications about safety recalls.
- Warning labels missing or in wrong language: US regulations require warning labels on the back of the seat and where the baby’s head will be. The warnings must be in English and Spanish. Manufacturers could print the warnings in other languages if they wanted, but for the US market they generally don’t.
- Labels are ungrammatical: If the labels or instructions on the chair suggest that the person who wrote them was not comfortable with English, the chair was probably not intended for export to the United States.
- The chest clip is missing: Not all countries require a clip that holds the straps in the center of the baby’s chest.
- The straps seem thin: the straps should be double stitched and have the same weight as a seat belt.
If you determine you purchased a fake car seat, contact the retailer who sold it, San Miguel said. You may be able to get a refund, and the retailer needs to know this so they can ban the seller, he said.
Parents can also report fake seats via StopFakes.gov or the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
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