NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For a lot of people, safety is a big concern especially when it comes to riding in a car or even on a bike.
You expect that when you buy a bike helmet and you crash your bike, that helmet will protect you. Or your child car seat will protect them in a crash.
You think these items have been tested and shown to be safe before they're sold, right? But it turns out, that’s not always the case. In fact, some of these items being sold on major websites do not meet basic safety standards.
Our child car seats protect our most precious cargo. While scrolling on websites with third-party sellers, like Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, Walmart or eBay, you might think you found a deal, but it might be a dud.
“If you end up with a knockoff car seat, you don’t have the guarantee that it was tested to meet the minimum safety standards," said Consumer Reports' Emily Thomas. "If you can’t find the mandatory safety language, model numbers, date of manufacture, or manufacturer contact info, that’s a red flag."
For car seats, there are a few telltale signs.
"Some of the copycats have narrow straps like those on a stroller or a high chair. Knockoffs may lack a chest clip.”
Before you click buy, make sure the seller is the manufacturer or a major retailer.
You can also buy it in person at to ensure you’re getting the real McCoy.
Bike helmets are another thing you should not buy from third-party sellers.
“Consumer Reports’ product safety experts recently bought 21 helmets from third-party sellers on Amazon, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Shein, Temu, and Walmart," said Kevin Loria. "Eight of the helmets lacked the required sticker or label declaring compliance with CPSC standards, meaning they didn’t meet
the legal requirements for bike helmets sold in the U.S.”
Consumer Reports policy experts say this is unacceptable.
When contacted about these noncompliant helmets, Shein, Temu, and Walmart took down the listings.
The listing for the helmet Consumer Reports bought from eBay was already down, and the company removed a listing for an identical helmet from a different seller.
While Consumer Reports did not find a noncompliant helmet on Amazon in the investigation, a bike helmet sold on Amazon was recalled soon after the study for not meeting CPSC standards.
Meta, the owner of Facebook Marketplace, didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
If you discover you’ve bought a counterfeit, return it immediately and report it to the online retailer. That alert could help stop the sale of more fakes and keep others from unknowingly buying unsafe products.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
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