Would you buy a used stroller from craigs list?

amother

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 1:50 pm

Hi im a new mother to be and I really would love to buy the higher end strollers...I noticed ppl. selling bugaboos on craigs list for lke 1/2 the price? is it risky?

Lady Godiva

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 1:55 pm

I wouldn't. I would rather buy a new stroller that I could afford.
If you do, make sure that the insided is washable so you can wash it well before using it for your baby.

chaylizi

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:02 pm

you definitely need to think about it. the bugaboo (for instance) is $900. Even if you found it for $500, wouldn't you be annoyed if something went wrong after it was final? At least on ebay there is seller accountability. You can easily look for a seller who accepts returns. I have one stroller off CL- a Graco Snugrider carseat frame that I got for $30 (instead of $60). Thats as risky as I get. I like selling on CL better, but I prefer shopping on ebay if I'm buying used.

Tech_mom

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:05 pm

I much prefer CL over ebay.
I went over and opened and closed the stroller, pushed it around, inspected the wheels, the harness and the general condition before I forked over the $$
The amount you would pay in shipping for an unknown entity on ebay is just too much a negative.

chaylizi

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:09 pm

Tech_mom wrote:

Paying $30 to ship a stroller for $50 (that's what you paid for your peg, right?) is ridiculous. Often a seller will offer free shipping. There are quite a number of them out there. You didn't buy a $500 stroller on CL though, so for you it was worth it. For more expensive strollers I maintain that ebay & paypal protect buyers in a way that is much safer for your investment.

Raisin

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:10 pm

chaylizi wrote:

if you bought a bugaboo and there was a problem later why can't you go back to bugaboo and get them to fix it? and you can inspect it before buying it as well.

chaylizi

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:14 pm

If you didn't buy it from an authorized dealer, I can't imagine why they would. Some items you can transfer a warranty, but most stroller companies don't like it because people buy used instead of buying from them. So they make you pay for their lack of sales by not servicing it. I am a member of a whole bunch of stroller boards & this is what I heard. Also, I sell a lot of strollers & I know the people I sell to would need a store receipt & original registration for help.

DovDov

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:30 pm

If you're buying your first stroller, I strongly recommend buying a used cheap stroller from Craigslist. There's no safety issue (assuming you wash the fabric), unlike with a car seat. I would never dream of spending $500, forget about $900, on a stroller, but if I was going to even think about doing that, I'd want to have a cheap stroller first to figure out what I cared about in a stroller. Is the handle too high/too low? Do you need something that collapses more easily? That is lighter to carry when collapsed? That bounces up and down steps well? Do you find it hard to access the basket in your cheapo stroller? Just because a stroller is expesnive doesn't mean it will be what you need, and until you've used a stroller for a while you might not know yourself what you need. Or you could find that your $25 Graco from CL works great and then wouldn't you feel good having saved the money on the expensive one?

I agree, if you're getting into $500 territory, I'd be more concerned about buying used from someone with no accountability.

DovDov

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:35 pm

Pickle Lady

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:49 pm

I have bought used stollers from craiglist and I had no problem with it. It was a great buy. It was a barely used double maclaren. I got it for $130.

I also bought 2 used strollers from 2 different imamothers and I have been very happy with the stollers.

I think its a great idea to buy a used stoller. But it depends on how used. I bought mostly stollers that were still basically new or barely used. Actually one stroller was used for a year but it was much much cheaper than buying it new. Come to think of it now, ALL of my stollers were bought used.

chaylizi

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 2:54 pm

amother wrote:

this is the op. chaylizi were are u located? do you have special deals? can u recommend a very good stroller brand for a first time clueless mom?

If you want to buy a Perego Switch 09 or a Mountain Buggy Urban with a bassinet 06, pm me. OP, you don't have to listen to me. I seem to be the minority opinion here. Lots of people say to go for it. As for brands- what do you like? You want an AT stroller? A bugaboo wannabe? LMK, I'll work up a list. As for where I am, suffice it to say that there are no expensive strollers on CL in my city. Mostly Evenflo/Graco/Cosco/Kolcraft.

shopaholic

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 3:07 pm

My friend bought a Bugaboo 4 years ago for $400 on CL. Came with a bassinet, diaper bag & all accessories. I myself bought a jogger from CL but it was an additional stroller. I had a Maclaren type & snap n go already. I don't know if I would buy my baby's 1st stroller there. As an additional one, maybe.

amother

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 3:40 pm

estibesty wrote:

if you see s/t nice and affordable then WHY NOT?

I agree with chaylizi. She didn't say don't buy a used stroller. She said there is no accountability for sellers on craigslist. Yes, you can look at it. But you've never tried on a pair of shoes at the store & hated them when you get home? You don't spend hours trying out the stroller in the seller's house. It is entirely possible that something could be wrong with it & you don't even notice. That's WHY NOT.

malkie

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 5:33 pm

My friend bought a Bugaboo on CL for $500 and is very happy with it. If you are in NYC it is easy to find Bugaboos in fabulous condition from sellers in Park Slope or Manhattan.

SaraTFL

Tue, Feb 02 2010, 8:14 pm

I don't know if I'd want my first stroller to be used. But aside from that I'm a big CraigsList fan and have gotten great deals!
Can't help you make your decision- but just make sure you're actually getting a DEAL! These days there are lots of brand new high end strollers that could be gotten at really good deals. (Last year's / Discontinued Model/ Coupon Code/Promos) I know people who have gotten used bugaboos and they paid between $325 - $450.