How to reduce scam and safety risks when buying second-hand baby gear locally

To reduce scam and safety risks when buying second-hand baby gear locally, do three things in order. Watch for payment red flags before you commit, check the product against the safety checks Product Safety Australia lists for that type of gear, and inspect the item in person before any money changes hands. If any of the three fails, walk away.

Baby gear is different from most second-hand goods because a fault can hurt a child. Cots, prams and car seats each have a mandatory standard in Australia, and some products have been recalled. A listing can look fine and still fail those checks, so the checks matter as much as the price.

Payment red flags

Scamwatch, the National Anti-Scam Centre’s reporting service, lists warning signs for buyers and sellers. Combined with Gettit’s own guidance, these are the ones that matter most for a local purchase.

Scamwatch’s advice for expensive items is not to pay before inspecting the product in person, and to keep communications within the platform. It also says that many payments are now made instantly and it is unlikely you will get your money back. See Scamwatch’s buying and selling scams page for the full list.

Gettit’s own guidance is the same: never pay by bank transfer or PayID before you have seen the item, and treat any request to pay outside the platform for a shipped order as a reason to report the account. Pressure to act quickly, such as another buyer supposedly waiting, is not a red flag on its own, but it is a good reason to slow down and run the checks below.

Safety checks before you buy

Product Safety Australia, part of the ACCC, tells second-hand buyers to consider whether the seller has given any warnings or information about limits on use, defects or damage; whether the product may have been damaged by previous owners; whether it has been recalled or banned or is non-compliant with mandatory standards; and the age of the product and how long similar products normally last.

For second-hand cots, prams and car seats, the ACCC’s product guides give a similar short list. Make sure the product:

• has not been recalled
• meets the current mandatory standard
• comes with the instructions for safe assembly and use
• has all of its parts in good working order

Ask the seller for the brand, the model and clear photos of the labels and the instructions before you travel. The regulator also suggests asking the seller whether they have inspected or tested the product, and checking the listing photographs carefully. Its own worked example describes a buyer who did not look at every image and missed visible damage (see the ACCC’s second-hand buying guide).

Cots, prams and car seats

Cots

The household cots guide says there are two mandatory standards for household cots. Things it tells buyers to look for include statements on the recommended mattress size and thickness, sides of a certain height to prevent falls, no gaps that might trap a child’s head, neck or limbs, no footholds that might let a child climb out, and a sturdy, stable build. It also says to use only the mattress specifically designed for the cot, as labelled.

Prams and strollers

The prams and strollers guide says to buy and use only a pram or stroller that complies with the mandatory standard. It lists effective brakes with at least one red parking brake, a tether wrist strap on the handle, locking components that work properly, a 3 or 5-point harness, and a safety warning statement that is easy to read and clearly displayed. Test the brakes, fold the frame and click the harness at the handover.

Car seats

Car seats need the most care. The car seats guide says all car seats sold in Australia must meet the child restraints mandatory standard. For a second-hand or borrowed car seat it lists these checks: not recalled, meets the current mandatory standards, right for your child’s size and age and your car, comes with the instructions, in good condition with no cracks, broken buckles or frayed straps, all parts working and the buckle clicking in securely, not involved in a car accident, and not over 10 years old.

The same guide says to get a car seat fitted by an authorised installation service, or to follow the assembly instructions and your car manual if you fit it yourself. Road rules for child restraints vary by state and territory, so confirm the rules where you live.

Check the recalls database

Product Safety Australia runs a searchable consumer product recalls database. Search it for the brand and model before you meet the seller, not after. A recalled product may still be listed by someone who does not know about the recall, so an honest seller is not a safety check on its own. Gettit’s community guidelines do not allow members to list recalled or unsafe goods, but Gettit does not inspect items, so the check stays with the buyer. Every listing has a report button.

Meeting safely

• Meet in a public, well-lit place such as a cafe, a shopping centre or a police station car park.
• Bring someone with you if you can, and tell a friend where you are going and when.
• Inspect the item before you pay, and pay in a way you are comfortable with.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, walk away.

Gettit only shows other members a blurred area, never an exact address, and you choose where to meet. The FAQ on meeting safely has the full list.

Free local pickup or Secured Pickup

Be exact about what each option does and does not give you.

Free local pickup

You meet the seller, inspect the item and pay each other directly. There are no Gettit fees. It is a private transaction between the two of you, at your own risk, and it is not covered by Gettit Protection. Read why local sales are not protected before you choose it for anything expensive.

Secured Pickup

Some sellers offer Secured Pickup, a paid option you can use instead. You pay through Gettit when you buy, including a buyer protection fee of 3.5% of the item price, and the payment is held. You meet the seller and inspect the item. If you are happy, you give the seller the 6-digit code from your app, they enter it, and the payment is released to them. Only give the code once you have the item and are happy with it. See how Secured Pickup works.

What that does and does not mean: the payment is held until you release it, so you are not handing a stranger money before you have seen the item. It is not Gettit Protection. The guarantee for items that do not arrive or are materially not as described covers shipped orders only, not Secured Pickup. And Gettit does not inspect items, so the safety checks above stay with you either way.

When the item is posted

Some baby gear can be posted. On a shipped order, the buyer pays the item price, postage and a buyer protection fee of 7.5% of the item price plus $1.50. The payment is held and released to the seller after delivery, once the buyer confirms or the 48-hour confirmation window after Australia Post’s delivered scan ends without an issue being raised. If the item does not arrive or is materially not as described, Gettit Protection covers the buyer up to the amount paid. Change of mind is not covered. The same safety checks apply when the parcel arrives, and the confirmation window is the time to make them.

What the law does and does not cover

Product Safety Australia states that most consumer guarantees do not apply to private sales between two people where the seller is not a business, including sales made through online marketplaces. The only guarantees that apply are title to the product, undisturbed possession, and no hidden debts or charges. The guarantee that a product will be of acceptable quality does not generally apply to a private seller. Gettit is a venue, not the seller, and does not own, store, inspect or authenticate the items listed. For the seller’s side, read how to sell baby clothes online, and for clothing and bundles see buying second-hand baby clothes and bundles. Current listings are in prams and car seats and nursery and furniture.

Gettit facts

Sources

1. Product Safety Australia (ACCC), Buy safe second-hand products online, on consumer guarantees in private sales, reading condition terms and what to check before buying. productsafety.gov.au
2. Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre), Buying and selling scams, on warning signs, overpayment and payment methods. scamwatch.gov.au
3. Product Safety Australia (ACCC), Car seats guide, on the mandatory standard and buying a second-hand car seat. productsafety.gov.au
4. Product Safety Australia (ACCC), Prams and strollers guide, on the mandatory standard and buying a second-hand pram or stroller. productsafety.gov.au
5. Product Safety Australia (ACCC), Household cots guide, on the mandatory standards and buying a second-hand cot. productsafety.gov.au
6. Product Safety Australia (ACCC), Search consumer product recalls. productsafety.gov.au