Mailing a US car seat to the UK

My husband and I travel to the US to visit family a lot, and will continue to once our baby is born. We know we will need to use a car seat from the US when we are visiting so we were planning on purchasing a seat when we go to the US in a couple weeks, and then just bringing it with us to the airport to take to and from when we go back with our baby. I know we cannot use the seat here, but do you think customs would block us from mailing it to ourselves since it wouldn't be EU approved, even though we wouldn't be using it here?

I thought about writing on the customs form "for use when traveling to USA" but I'm not sure if it will be a problem. I didn't think it would be but my husband seems to think it might be an issue?

I really don't think there would be a problem with you mailing yourself a car seat.

Are you mailing it or taking it on the airplane as free cargo?  I believe that most airlines let you take them free of charge. Double check that with your airline since their rules change all the time. If you take it back and forth on the plane with you, there shouldn't be a customs charge.

I also believe that most airlines will accept a car seat as free cargo, but my honest thought would be that posting it to yourself would cost a similar amount to buying an inexpensive car seat.

I keep a car seat at my parents house, and they bring it when they pick us up at the airport. I am not quite understanding why you would need to have it in the UK. I'm confused!!

I didn't get it either, but I was thinking perhaps they don't have someone picking them up/dropping them off in the US, so they need it for a rental car?

If you take it on the airplane it goes under with the rest of the stuff if you don't have your child in it, right? Or can they accept it still in the box as free cargo? I don't want it getting bashed around outside of the box, so I would post it still in it's box as DH gets a 75% discount when shipping fedex. We're going to get one that is approved to use on the aircraft when we travel. We'll be having a third seat for the baby.

We need to bring it to and from, because my family lives all over the states. We don't just travel to one city all the time. We go to St. Louis, Oklahoma, Indiana, and North Carolina. It's just easier to bring it, and use it on the airplane, than to buy a seat for each place we go.

If you're not using the carseat on the plane, then you'd check it either at the gate or when you check your normal luggage.  I'm not sure if they'd accept it in a box as a free item, but I'm guessing they would.

If your husband gets that kind of discount, then it might be worth it to ship. I really don't think you'll have a problem shipping an American carseat to the UK.

Thanks Geeta. That's what I wanted to know. I really didn't THINK it would be an issue...but my husbands a worry wart which gets my hormonal self worked up!

I guess all that can happen is they say "no"..in which case we just have to figure something else out. Not as big of an issue it seemed like this morning after a nap!

if you are using fedex, they will try to slap customs charges on you in the UK.  especially something new and in a box. 
another option is to buy one of those car seat bags ( $15, and you will use it later) that protects the seat in the luggage hold.  you'd take it out of the box and put it in there.
also, airlines might not automatically let you use the free car seat rule if you don't have the baby yet.  i have been questionned with a 5 yr old and booster seat recently so it seems they are paying attention.

sounds like the question's been answered, but I thought I'd just get on to say that I've flown with my daughter's car seats several times, and never had any problems at all--if there were a problem, they could also replace it for you.  When they take it, it's checked in separately from the luggage.  It is kept in a separate area in the hold and is usually in a separate area when you land.  You have to drop it at a different section of the airport or you leave it at the hangar.

Personally, I'd be more worried about it being shipped.  It will get banged up all over during shipping and will be thrown around even more on their own flights without some knowing that it was someone's baby equipment and needed special care.  It could easily get tied up in customs or be lost, and you wouldn't receive it in time for your journey and end up having to pack another one--unlike if you leave it right at the plane itself.  I guess I don't really get the decision, because it will be banged up at shipping centres around various countries, in shipping trucks, and on their own airplanes.  I think you'll get less banging around with one flight and no other travel to shipping offices (plus it's free).  But, if you want to do it that way, I can't see any reason you couldn't ship it.  They wouldn't look at that, but be prepared to prove that it is yours and previously owned, because they will likely charge you customs and VAT as others have described.

The reason I am choosing to ship it, still in it's box is because it has it's protective styrofoam packing it is placed in so if the box gets banged about, it is less likely to be damaged.

My husband was a baggage handler before he became a pilot, and after hearing the stories he has said of how he's seen them thrown around I just personally don't want to deal with the risk of it getting damaged(not the material,the seat itself) and it not being as safe. We'll be using the seat with the baby on the airplane, not checking it as it is airline approved for use in flight. I'll take the extra hassle and customs fee. We'll be shipping it at the start of July, and won't be going to the US until January or february, so hopefully any hold ups should be cleared by then. It may seem a bit involved for others, but it's just what we feel most comfortable with.

If not we will just have someone buy it for us before we come with baby and have them put it in, and then we will bring it to and from with us from that point on. I just would prefer not to have anyone else have to do anything for us.

Anyway back to the original point, thanks for answering my question about if it should be a problem to ship it!

Have you thought about renting the seat when you get there? I know in Phoenix there are a couple of baby equipment rentals. I would have thought there'd be some where you're going.

Yeah, we were looking into that originally! But my sister is a CPST and flipped out on us for even considering using seats we "dont know the history of"..:/ I'm sure they are perfectly fine and have to be checked over, but this way is just going to be easier for us unfortunately. I'll be tired enough, I don't want to listen to my family moan about our choice. So I'm taking the slightly more awkward route to avoid the drama!