Experts warn 'killer' child car seats still sold online a decade after exposure

Experts and police have warned that dangerously inadequate child car seats first exposed more than a decade ago are still being sold on major online marketplaces, posing a risk of serious injury or death to young passengers.

Consumer group Which? said it had found more than a dozen lightweight fabric seats and harness systems described as car seats on sites including eBay, Little Dreams, ManoMano, Shein and Wish. The products, some priced as low as £12.50, lack required regulatory markings and have "fundamental flaws" that would offer little or no protection in a crash, Which? said.

Safety tests cited by manufacturers and trading standards organisations show how dangerous such products can be. Britax conducted a 30 mph impact test on a flimsy harness-style seat and reported that a three-year-old dummy was hurled through the windscreen after the harness straps came loose. After earlier interventions, trading standards bodies described some of the devices as "killer" products.

Which? said the defective features commonly observed include a thin seat base that fails to raise a child to the correct height for the vehicle lap belt, multiple buckle points that can delay or prevent rapid release in an emergency, and an absence of side impact protection that leaves a child's head exposed to hard interior surfaces.

The consumer group also noted the absence of distinctive orange labels showing compliance with ECE R44 or R129 safety regulations, which are required for child seats sold legally in the United Kingdom. In some listings, Which? said, product descriptions warned against using the item in cars even as the marketing text suggested they were suitable as car seats.

Police officers who conduct child car seat checks have encountered similar devices fitted in vehicles. PC Rachael Wonfor of Warwickshire Police, a recently accredited child car seat check officer, said she discovered a harness-style system being used in place of a certified child seat at a community checking event in Rugby. She said the parent believed the product was legal because it was available to buy online. "Ultimately, these harnesses were not only illegal but would offer a child no protection in the event of a crash," she said, adding that she was able to advise the parent and ensure the children were fitted into appropriate seats.

Which? said that, following its notification, eBay, Shein and Little Dreams removed the problematic listings. Wish.com and ManoMano did not respond to requests for comment. The group called for stronger duties on online marketplaces to prevent the listing and sale of unsafe products.

Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said the reappearance of these products showed the limits of current enforcement: "This is just one in a long list of dangerous products that Which? has identified and have been taken down only for them to later reappear for sale. Children's lives will be at risk, with less affluent households most likely to be affected, until online marketplaces are forced to take responsibility for the listing of these cheap but deadly car seats."

Lawmakers have moved to tighten product safety rules. Which? welcomed the Product Regulation and Metrology Act as a step forward but urged secondary regulations that would create clear legal responsibilities for online marketplaces and impose tougher enforcement on those that fail to meet safety standards.

Safety organisations and manufacturers recommend that parents buying a car seat check for an ECE R44-03, ECE R44-04 or ECE R129 label to confirm compliance with European safety regulations, purchase seats from reputable retailers that can provide fitting advice, and avoid second-hand seats because prior crash damage may be invisible but compromise structural safety. They also advise caution if a new car seat appears unusually cheap.

Which? and police urged parents to seek professional fitting checks where available and to report suspicious listings to trading standards or the marketplace. The consumer group said it would continue monitoring online marketplaces and call for sustained enforcement to prevent the resale of known unsafe child restraints.

Manufacturers and regulators have said safe child restraint use is critical to reducing child injury and fatality rates in road crashes, and they continue to emphasise properly certified and correctly fitted seats as essential to protecting young passengers.