All items · Baby & children
Car seats and booster seats
Also covers: child car seat, booster cushion, infant carrier, isofix
Why shops refuse it
There's no way to prove a used seat hasn't been in a crash or expired, so reselling one could put a child at risk.
What to do instead
Some councils and retailers recycle them — remove the cover and cut the straps first so the seat can't be reused.
Charity by charity
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Can't accept
Acorns Children's Hospice
Their wording
“Children's car seats or booster seats, cot mattresses and cot bumpers”
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Can't accept
Barnardo's
Their wording
“Car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
British Red Cross
Second-hand seats often lack complete fitting instructions.
Their wording
“Children's car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Cancer Research UK
Their wording
“Car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Cornwall Hospice Care
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
DEBRA
Their wording
“Car seats & booster seats”
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Can't accept
Dogs Trust
Their wording
“children's car seats, prams, highchairs and cots”
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Can't accept
Dorothy House
Their wording
“Baby carries, car seats , buggies and prams”
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Can't accept
Emmaus
Their wording
“Safety equipment i.e. car seats, bike helmets”
-
Can't accept
FARA Charity Shops
Not allowed to sell for safety reasons.
Their wording
“We are not allowed to sell some items such as car seats for safety reasons.”
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Can't accept
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
Their wording
“Children's items (car seats, pushchairs/prams, cots, mattresses, high chairs)”
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Can't accept
LOROS Hospice
Their wording
“Car seats for children”
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Can't accept
Marie Curie
Their wording
“Children's car seats.”
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Can't accept
Octavia Foundation
Their wording
“Children's car seats”
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Can't accept
Phyllis Tuckwell
broad category rule
No baby-related equipment accepted
Their wording
“Highchairs, pushchairs or baby-related equipment”
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Can't accept
Princess Alice Hospice
Also covers children's bike seats
Their wording
“Children's car and bike seats”
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Can't accept
Salvation Army (SATCoL)
Includes detachable car seats.
Their wording
“Car seats (including detachable car seats)”
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Can't accept
Shaw Trust
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
St Christopher's Hospice
Baby car seats
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Can't accept
St Giles Hospice
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
St Peter's Hospice
Their wording
“Children's car seats”
-
Can't accept
St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Sue Ryder
Also covers seat belts and child seats for bicycles.
Their wording
“car seats, booster seats and seat belts”
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Can't accept
The Children's Trust
Their wording
“Children's car seats.”
- Can't accept Trinity Hospice (Blackpool)
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Can't accept
Wales Air Ambulance
Includes booster seats and child seats for cycles
Their wording
“Car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Willen Hospice
Listed under unaccepted safety equipment
Their wording
“Safety Equipment eg helmets, car seat”
-
Check first
British Heart Foundation
Baby/nursery equipment can only be accepted at a selected number of stores due to required safety checks; contact Customer Service Centre (0300 330 3322).
Their wording
“Due to the safety checks required for the resale of baby and nursery equipment, we can only accept these in a selected number of stores”
-
Check first
Overgate Hospice
Not accepted unless brand new and in original packaging.
Their wording
“Car seats and Isofixes (unless brand new in packaging)”
-
Check first
Samaritans
Unless new or sealed.
Their wording
“car seats, booster seats”
Not mentioned in 14 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Not mentioned Age UK
- Not mentioned Claire House Children's Hospice
- Not mentioned Crisis
- Not mentioned Keech Hospice Care
- Not mentioned Oxfam
- Not mentioned PDSA
- Not mentioned Save the Children
- Not mentioned Scope
- Not mentioned Sense Scotland
- Not mentioned Shelter
- Not mentioned St Barnabas Hospice (Lincolnshire)
- Not mentioned Traid
- Not mentioned Woodgreen Pets Charity
- Not mentioned YMCA (England & Wales)