Spring cleaning is underway and many people are holding garage sales, there are some items not recommended for purchase second hand, including car seats. Katrina Altenhofen, State Program Director for the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program, tells KCII News that child safety seats and many child products shouldn’t be purchased second hand without a complete knowledge of the history of the item.

She adds, the seller of the product could be liable for problems that happen, and this is why many national resale shops no longer sell child safety seats.

Altenhofen recommends buyers ask owners before purchasing if a car seat was in use in a car accident, if the seat has all of its working parts, are there any recalls on it, and did they fill out the warranty tag for it. A car seat used in a car accident should not be used again.

Altenhofen does add a hand-me-down safety seat from a family member is generally safe because the history of the seat is known.

For help finding the right car seat click here.