Beware of counterfeit car seat sales, Tooele Co. officials say
TOOELE, Utah (ABC4) — The Tooele County Health Department is warning parents about the surge of possible counterfeit car seats being sold through online retailers.
Officials are trying to warn parents about the dangers of third-party vendors online, saying cheap car seat deals are likely putting kids’ lives at stake.
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Tooele County Health Department Health Promotion Coordinator Jamie Anderson said online retailers are making it easy to purchase car seats from virtually anywhere.
“Really, anyone can sell through those,” Anderson said.
Health departments are reportedly seeing an increase in unsafe car seats found in cars.
“People are selling counterfeit car seats that have not been approved. They haven’t been safely tested. They’re not federally approved. They’re not safe for our children,” Anderson said.
She warned that if you are seeing a deal on car seats that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Additionally, according to Anderson, counterfeit car seats are not made with the right materials. They are made with cheaper plastic that is not safe in the event of a car crash.
“They’re just going to break really easily,” Anderson said. “They’re not the type of plastic that’s safe for car seats.”
Tooele County Health Department Health Educator Brent Peterson said car seats should always come with a registration card so that if any recalls are issued, the manufacturer can be contacted. Peterson said that each car seat should have big stickers in English or Spanish.
“So, if you’re seeing it in a different language or if you’re seeing a lot of spelling errors, it could be a sign that’s a counterfeit car seat,” Peterson said.
Additionally, Peterson said car seats should have the manufacturing date and the expiration date. Car seats generally expire after six to eight years, when the plastic starts to get more brittle.
According to the health department, purchasing a car seat in-store or directly from the manufacturer’s website is safest.
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