In this CBS The Doctors appearance, Tot Squad Founder & CEO Jen Saxton talks how to spot a fake car seat. Watch and learn here.
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Is your child's car seat or booster seat a knockoff and is it possibly endangering their life?
The Doctors welcome child safety technician Jennifer Beall Saxton to share tips on how you can spot a knockoff child seat and potentially avoid a dangerous situation. She explains knockoffs can be found on major online retailers, like Amazon, due to third-party vendors. She also says to never buy a car seat from an ad you see on social media, as it could be coming from an overseas company that does not follow American regulations.
What to look for in a knockoff: She says to watch for the use of cheap materials or the use of plastic in areas that should be reinforced with steel. Also, she says if instructions or details for the seat are in another language and a brand name is not shown on the product, that this a red flag. If buying online, she suggests reading reviews and says if a product will take weeks to arrive this may be a red flag the product is coming from a possibly fake retailer.
Signs of a genuine product: A tag that says it cannot be removed except by the consumer, should be on the product. Jennifer also notes she has never seen a fake car seat in a store, and only online. She feels going to a brick and mortar store is best when buying a car seat.