Car seat supplier Recaro has responded to the news that dangerous child car seats have been found for sale on Amazon, where they are listed for as little as £3.99.
The story was uncovered by BBC Panorama as part of a wider-ranging programme and was first published on the BBC news website yesterday, before being picked up by other consumer media channels.
Amazon has said it ‘regrets’ that the unsafe child car seats were found for sale on its UK store and has now removed them, saying: “Safety is extremely important to us and we regret that these products were available from third-party sellers using our stores.”
“After a thorough investigation, we identified the issue and are removing these products, and we’re also contacting each customer who purchased one of these products to explain the situation and issue a refund. We will continue to leverage and improve our tools and technology to ensure only safe and compliant car seats are available worldwide.”
A similar situation occured back in 2013, when a Trading Standards investigation into suspicious car safety seats confirmed that one would tear apart if involved in a 30mph (48km/h) crash.
At present, Amazon and other online marketplaces are exempt from liability if they are unaware of illegal content being sold on their platform.
“A child’s safety should always be paramount when buying any car seat, but with so many options available on the market – often at a low cost – parents can sometimes be misled into purchasing goods that are not fit for purpose,” said a RECARO spokesperson from Artsana UK.
“When choosing a car seat, parents should always look to buy from a reputable manufacturer that can demonstrate its products meet the legal requirements – most manufacturers that have met the legal testing requirements will clearly show this on its packaging and/or website,” she added.
“Before making any purchase, parents should ensure that a car seat is EU approved, which means it meets basic requirements and is approved by the European Union, and if it is an i-Size car seat should meet R 129. It is also recommended, where possible, to visit a local retailer to view the product in person to guarantee the quality of the car seat before making any purchases online.”
Panorama’s Amazon: What They Know About Us aired on BBC One at 8:30pm on Monday 17 February 2020 and is now available to watch on iPlayer.
