[Ritaroo]

Wasn't quite sure where to post this. I am having my first baby in August and have been looking around for prams, cots etc. Do you think it would be safe to buy some of these products on eBay. Not really keen on the second hand ones but from a quick look, a lot of the things look a bit cheaper on eBay. I was just wondering if anyone had some sellers on ebay they would recommend or is it better to but things from a baby shop where you can have a look at it in person?

[Rainbow Brite]

Personally I would never buy anything in eBay that my child would be sleeping in/on. Eg cot mattress, bassinets etc. I would also never buy a car seat or capsule on eBay or secondhand.

I would buy a pram, clothes, high chair etc.

[Ritaroo]

Oh yes, I wouldn't be buying it second hand. I was more thinking about those megastores that sell brand new items. Thanks for your suggestions.

[Goggie]

Ditto for the mattress and cot as per PP. Ewwww

But I've bought a pram (new) and baby monitor (new), a swing and bouncer (second hand). The swing was the best money I spent and it was a third of retail price.

[sarkazm76]

Be carfeul with certain products - Baby Jogger for example... if you don't make sure it's a legit distributor you will have NO warranty! Likewise if you buy from overseas and ship here your warranty will be for the country of purchase, not here. Unofrtunately they rip us off this way as it's cheaper to buy one BJ stroller from the US and ship it here then it is to walk into a store down the road that sells probably 100 a year!!!
End rant.
Also try Gum Tree if you are looking for 2nd hand - I actually find it much easier to use/ better than Ebay these days.

[ednaboo]

There are fakes that come up on ebay. So in the case of expensive new items I would prefer to buy in a store. Fake ergo carriers for example frequently appear on ebay.

[mombasa]

I've only bought linen from eBay for my kids as the one I wanted had been discontinued and a lady had them available in her online store. We found that stores were willing to offer a discount if you bought the lot from them, we got all our furniture and pram from David Jones and they gave us a package discount and threw in a free Boori mattress and Living Textiles sheet set with blankets etc.

This was in 2006 though.

[Mo2k]

I would buy a pram second hand definitely. I say this as although in reality I have never done it as yet, I have sold a couple and they were in fantastic condition. (Bit of a pram junkie). There was not so much as a scratch on them and if parked next to a brand new one you wouldn't have known the difference.

[neddyteddy]

I was also told not to buy on eBay... I am about to list my daughters cot and change table which are in perfect condition. She was not a chucker and did not chew the cot... it is in seriously good condition. Just look carefully and buy yourself a new mattress

[GoodGollyMolly]

Nothing wrong with secondhand stuff! (fair enough if you want a new mattress I did get a new one of those).

Otherwise everything else I got was secondhand off eBay or gumtree.

I got secondhand stuff as much for environmental reasons as cost.
I even got my baby capsule off gumtree which I know is a big EB no-no.