If in doubt, go without – a guide to buying the best products at car boot sales

Winter is finally over (allegedly) and even the sun is threatening to make an appearance. This must mean only one thing – car boot sale season is about to start!

So get an early night, set your alarm clock and enjoy the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ (RoSPA) guide to making safe purchases of second-hand goods.

Do you know how to spot the safest items?

Many people pick up household tools and equipment cheaply at car boot sales, from hammers and drills through to ladders and lawnmowers. Whilst there are some real bargains to be had, the important thing to remember is that a private sale may mean less protection in terms of the safety of products.

Tools and other equipment are typically sold either when they cease to work or have been replaced. As there is often no way of trying out electrical equipment at a car boot sale, you should be wary that electrical appliances may not work at all, or are unsafe.

Things to look out for are frayed cords, missing plugs and noticeable damage to the product. In every case, if in doubt go without.

Non-electrical goods can also be dangerous, as consistent use over the years can make them weakened and no longer safe. Step ladders are a good example and in every case it is a good idea to see if the instructions for use and warnings are available for the product from the seller. They probably won’t be, but these days you can always whip out your smartphone and see if they are downloadable from the internet.

You may be reading this and thinking “why would you need warnings for a step ladder?” but weight ratings are very important and exceeding safe weights on ladders and step ladders leads to hundreds of accidents each year.

Of course, it is not just tools that can be picked up cheaply, other household products such as irons, hair straighteners and kettles can all be bought for next to nothing.  Again, look for evidence of frayed cords, make sure the plugs are attached and as far as possible look for signs of visible damage.

Remember, whilst you may be buying the product for 30 per cent of its retail price you will be entitled to a 0 per cent refund if it is faulty and you have purchased it from a private individual.

Always check for a CE mark on second-hand toys

We at RoSPA know that any savings you do make will be instantly swallowed up by your children that you take with you to the sale – from hot dogs to bouncy castles to ice creams they will no doubt have the most fun while you are there!

They will also no doubt return home with carrier bags full of cheap toys, which they have masterfully persuaded you that they need.

When buying second-hand toys always look out for the CE mark and don’t buy any toy that hasn’t got this.

Check out the structural integrity of the toy. Some are broken inside but many are okay because the child has simply grown out of them and the parent wants more space.

Remember to wash cuddly toys in hot water before letting your children play with them though as this should kill the inevitable germs that build up on them.

RoSPA’s product safety adviser, Phil Le Shirley.

Finally, new parents often rely on car boot sales to kit out their nurseries, and why not? Babies grow out of cots, clothes and toys very quickly and there are bargains to be had. Just be aware that child car seats are one of the few products (alongside protective helmets) that RoSPA advises against buying second-hand, whether from a car boot sale, charity shop or internet auction site, because it is usually impossible to tell if it has been in a crash  - and if it has it should never be used again. 

I hope that this helps to inform your choices at car boot sales and there is more detailed information at RoSPA’s guide to buying second-hand goods.

They are brilliant fun with loads of bargains to be had. Please enjoy them, stay safe, and I will see you there!

Phil Le Shirley, RoSPA product safety adviser

Reduce, reuse and recycle – at no cost to safety

Everyone’s favourite (or not so favourite) pastime at the moment is finding ways to save money. From growing your own veg, to “making do and mending”, all things are considered in the drive to economise.

However, there are hidden perils in the current desire to save money: when buying second-hand goods, do you really know what you’re getting?

The recession, coupled with the rise of internet shopping, has presented new challenges to young consumers. The most obvious effect among young people is a growing dependence on second-hand goods. Pawn shops, charity shops, car boot sales and second hand retailers on and offline have thrived in the last few years as consumers (especially the young) choose to buy from them.

Often young people see buying and selling second-hand goods as contributing to a good cause, or a form of recycling, helping to save the planet as well as their pocket. They are right, of course, and people should be encouraged to do so. However, our concern is that many second-hand goods are unsafe and there is no statutory “testing” that needs to be done before they can be sold.

Electrical appliances

These are amongst the most popular products for young consumers to buy and sell, especially online via sites like eBay or Gumtree.

Second-hand electrical equipment must be as safe as that purchased new from shops. Examples of appliances to which the regulations apply include hair dryers and straighteners, computers and computer game consoles and televisions as well as white goods.

The biggest problem with electrical goods is “wear and tear”. By the time that they are sold second-hand these once-safe products are unsafe and the law does not expressly require an electrician to test the goods before they are re-sold (although this is best practice). And don’t forget that the instructions may be missing – and this is where the important safety information resides. Try checking the manufacturer’s website for information if you do purchase something without the packaging.

Domestic upholstered furniture

Students and young people setting up their first independent home need to be aware that some second-hand furniture can be a fire risk.

Second-hand upholstered furniture must comply with certain flammability requirements, and the only exception is for furniture made before 1950. All furniture meeting the requirements must be labelled, when new, with a permanent fire label – checks should be made for the labels, which are usually under the main cushion or on the base of the furniture.

The problem with upholstered furniture is that many people cut out these permanent labels when they buy the furniture new because they think they spoil the look of the item. When the furniture is then resold second-hand there is no way of telling whether the unlabelled product is safe or not – again, the manufacturer’s website should be able to help.

Toys

Young parents are under particular pressure economically and may well buy toys and other goods for their children second hand. The rule here is that toys should be as safe second hand as they are new. In general: they must not be flammable and should have no loose physical or mechanical parts, e.g. loose eyes or buttons, sharp edges or finger-trapping hazards. In addition they must contain no toxic substances or paint, be hygienic, and be marked with any appropriate instructions and warnings for use.

Counterfeit goods

A separate, but equally concerning area is counterfeit goods which are sold as brand new. Products posing particular risks to young people include counterfeit electrical chargers, toys and cosmetics, often found on markets and at car boot sales. Many have been found to be dangerously unsafe when tested.

Of course, for young people with less money in their pocket products that have fallen off the back of a lorry can present a much more appealing alternative to second hand goods – they are cheap, but look exactly like the real thing.

In the health arena counterfeit cigarettes and alcohol pose a serious problem for young people because they often contain dangerous levels of harmful chemicals. Young people often think that these are non-duty paid items (smuggled!) and welcome the opportunity to buy them (especially as the prices can be as low as half the price of the genuine products).

The economic downturn and shift in focus away from product safety enforcement affects us all. It affects the young especially though, as they are more naïve about the risks posed by unsafe goods and when starting out in life there is often a compromise to be made between cost and quality. It is through these compromises that young people may be putting themselves at risk. Since data collection in this area has not been funded since 2002 it is very hard to quantify the true extent of this risk.

People are not going to stop buying and selling second-hand goods, and nor should they. But buyers and sellers both have a responsibility to ensure that their goods are safe and fit for purpose.

Saving money is all well and good; but an accident or serious injury will cost far more than is saved – in money and in pain.

Jenny McWhirter and Phil LeShirley, RoSPA

They are thought to bring good luck and prosperity, but are causing nothing but nuisance to Coastguards and farmers.

Sky Lanterns, also known as Chinese Lanterns, are thought to bring good luck and prosperity to those releasing them, but concerns have been raised by the maritime authorities of lanterns that have been released near the coast and drifting out to sea, being mistaken for distress flares.

Last year a sighting of a suspected distress flare was investigated between Bexhill and Pevensey, on investigation it was recognised as a Chinese Lantern. All sightings of red flares which are sent up by boats in distress are investigated by local coastguard volunteers. False alarms are a waste of valuable resources which could also put others in danger, for these reasons coastguards ask that anyone releasing lanterns near to the coast alert them beforehand so to avoid any confusion if possible.

With economic cuts everywhere public services such as the coastguard cannot afford to waste resources pursuing false call outs. RoSPA urges everyone using these items to consider their responsibilities in these respects – a quick phone call to the coastguard to advise them you’re going to release Chinese Lanterns could save a lot of time and money.

As lanterns are a relatively recent phenomenon in the UK there is limited evidence of incidents that may have been caused by them. However, they are fast becoming a popular addition to weddings and parties, and in the middle of wedding season and with Bonfire Night fast approaching the number of incidents is likely to increase.

Research has found that high quality lanterns when used according to instructions were generally safe in relation to fire safety, but, there are many poor quality lanterns, which lack sufficient safety and operating instructions. A recent survey carried out by BIS (Department for Business, Innovation and skills) and trading standards services throughout the UK, found incidents where property (e.g. fences, garden furniture, roofs, hedges) had been either damaged or destroyed, or the lanterns had caused death or injury to livestock.

Non-biodegradable lanterns often include metal parts which upon descent are discarded into the surrounding countryside. If not noticed by farmers, those parts of the lantern may end up in livestock silage or feed which, when ingested, can cause considerable and sometimes fatal harm to livestock. There have been reports of incidents involving several cows and at least one horse.

At present the department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) do not feel that a ban is necessary but hope that retailers and importers in the UK will take the lead and demand that the lanterns they purchase from manufacturers are 100% biodegradable (no metal wires), that they come with a high quality fuel source; and they have comprehensive operating and safety instructions.

These products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which is enforced by Trading Standards Services across the UK. For more information about these products, the regulations or safe bonfire night procedures go to www.bis.gov.uk or www.rospa.com.

Phil LeShirley

RoSPA’s product safety adviser