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Long-distance coach travel with a young child is a cheaper alternative to rail or air for many UK families, but National Express applies a narrower pushchair policy than most train operators or short-haul airlines. Understanding the weight limit and the folding requirement before booking avoids arriving at the coach station with equipment that cannot travel.

The core rule: folding, and under 20kg

National Express’s Conditions of Carriage set out the requirement precisely: "Folding wheelchairs, dismantled mobility scooters and folding pushchairs/buggies will be carried free of charge in the hold where these comply with Condition 7.2 or, in the case of buggies/pushchairs, they do not exceed 20kg in weight." This means a folding pushchair under 20kg travels free, but it travels in the coach’s luggage hold, not in the cabin with the passenger, unlike the gate-checking arrangement common on short-haul flights.

Non-folding pushchairs are not carried at all

National Express’s conditions go further than simply preferring a folding pushchair: they list "non-folding pushchairs/prams" among the items the operator states it is "not obliged to carry." This is a stricter position than National Rail’s approach, where a non-folding pushchair may still travel but is discouraged, and stricter than most airlines’ approach to larger pushchairs, which are typically still accepted but directed to a different check-in process. On a National Express coach, a pushchair that genuinely cannot fold should not be assumed to travel at all.

Why the hold, not the cabin

Coach cabins have limited aisle and luggage space compared with trains, and National Express’s hold-only policy for pushchairs reflects that a folded pushchair, even a compact one, takes up space that the coach’s onboard layout is not designed to accommodate alongside standard cabin luggage. This also means a pushchair cannot be accessed mid-journey the way it might be on a train, so parents travelling with an infant should plan for how the child will be carried or seated for the duration of the journey without the pushchair being available until arrival.

How this compares with other mobility aids on the same coach

The same clause of National Express’s conditions groups pushchairs alongside folding wheelchairs and dismantled mobility scooters, all travelling free in the hold subject to size or weight limits. This reflects a general principle in the conditions: mobility and childcare equipment is accommodated, but only in a form that fits the coach’s hold space and does not compromise the loading and unloading process at each stop along a route, since many National Express services make several stops rather than running non-stop between two cities.

Checking weight before you travel

Because the 20kg limit applies specifically to the pushchair itself, a parent travelling with a heavier all-terrain or double pushchair should weigh it in advance rather than estimating, since exceeding the limit means the item may not be accepted at the coach station regardless of how much other luggage allowance remains unused. Lightweight, compact-fold pushchairs designed for travel are considerably less likely to run into this limit than larger three-wheeler or travel-system frames.

Booking assistance in advance

Because National Express services often call at several stops along a route, and because a pushchair travels in the hold rather than with the passenger, families travelling with young children may find it useful to contact National Express or check the accessibility information for a specific service before booking, particularly for longer journeys with a connection. This is separate from the pushchair weight and folding rule itself, but it affects how smoothly a journey involving a pushchair, a young child and possibly other luggage is likely to go in practice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep the pushchair with me at my seat? No; National Express’s conditions place folding pushchairs under 20kg in the hold, not the cabin, so it will not be accessible during the journey.

What happens if my pushchair is over 20kg? The Conditions of Carriage do not describe a paid option for an overweight pushchair in the way some airlines offer excess baggage fees; a pushchair over the stated weight falls outside the free allowance described.

Are car seats covered by the same rule? The 20kg figure in National Express’s conditions is specific to buggies and pushchairs; a car seat is a separate item and should be checked against the same conditions document before travelling.

The bottom line

National Express carries a folding pushchair under 20kg free of charge, but only in the coach’s hold, and its own conditions state that non-folding pushchairs are not something the operator is obliged to carry at all. Checking a pushchair’s fold mechanism and weight against these two limits before booking is the way to avoid being turned away at the coach station.

Sources

• National Express, "Conditions of Carriage"

A second-hand pram from a nearly-new sale, a local Facebook group or a car boot sale can be excellent value, but the legal protection that comes with it depends entirely on who is selling it, not on the condition of the pram itself. Understanding the difference between a private sale and a trade sale before handing over money is the main way to know what recourse actually exists if something turns out to be wrong.

What the law requires when a business sells to you

When a pram is sold by a business, whether a shop, a registered online trader or a second-hand baby equipment specialist, the sale is covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Citizens Advice summarises the standard clearly: goods bought from a trader must be of "satisfactory quality," must be "fit for purpose," and must match the seller’s description. This applies whether the item is new or second-hand, and Citizens Advice is explicit that "it doesn’t matter if you bought the item new or secondhand – you’ll still have rights." If a pram is broken, unusable, or is not what was advertised, the buyer has grounds to ask the trader for a remedy.

What changes when the seller is a private individual

A private sale, such as one arranged through a local selling group or a face-to-face transaction with someone clearing out their own pram, is not covered by the Consumer Rights Act’s trader obligations in the same way. The main legal protection that remains is that the goods must match how they were described by the seller: if a private seller says a pram’s brakes work and they do not, that is a misrepresentation the buyer can pursue. But beyond an accurate description, the buyer has substantially weaker protection, and the old principle of caveat emptor — buyer beware — applies far more heavily to a private sale than to a shop purchase.

What "satisfactory quality" does and does not cover, even from a trader

Even where the Consumer Rights Act applies, Citizens Advice notes that protection has limits: it does not cover damage caused by "wear and tear, an accident or misuse," and it does not apply if the buyer "knew about the fault before you bought the item." A second-hand pram sold by a trader with a disclosed, visible fault, at a price that reflects it, is different in law from one sold as being in good condition that turns out to have a hidden problem such as a cracked frame or a harness that does not lock.

Checking the pram itself before you rely on either route

Whichever type of seller is involved, Trading Standards guidance recommends checking specific safety points on any second-hand pram before buying: sharp edges or points on the frame, whether the safety harness is a secure five-point harness with straps that are not frayed, whether the parking brake engages properly in both directions, and the pram’s general stability in all directions. These checks matter more, not less, in a private sale, since the buyer cannot fall back on the trader protections described above if a problem only becomes apparent after money has changed hands.

What to do if something goes wrong

For a trader sale, Citizens Advice’s guidance points toward asking the seller directly for a refund or replacement in the first instance, with Trading Standards or a Section 75 card claim (for purchases over £100 on a credit card) available if the trader will not cooperate. For a private sale, the realistic options are narrower: raising the issue directly with the seller on the basis of misrepresentation, or, for a higher-value item, considering the small claims process, though the burden of proving what was actually said or advertised sits with the buyer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a seller counts as a "trader"? A trader is generally someone selling as a business, including a registered online seller operating regularly rather than clearing out personal items; a one-off sale by an individual is normally treated as private.

Does paying by card give me extra protection either way? Card protections such as Section 75 or chargeback relate to how you paid, not who you bought from, so they can still apply to some private sales made by card or linked payment service, subject to the payment provider’s own rules.

Should I still buy second-hand prams privately? Many parents do so safely, but knowing that the legal safety net is thinner than with a shop purchase makes a careful in-person inspection before paying considerably more important.

The bottom line

A second-hand pram bought from a trader carries Consumer Rights Act protection on quality, fitness for purpose and description; one bought privately is protected mainly by the requirement that it matches how it was described. Checking the pram’s frame, harness, brakes and stability yourself before paying is the one safeguard that applies regardless of who is selling it.

Sources

• Citizens Advice, "Return faulty goods"
• Pembrokeshire County Council Trading Standards, "New and second-hand prams and pushchairs"

Travelling by train with a pushchair across Great Britain’s rail network is governed by a single rulebook that applies to every train operating company: the National Rail Conditions of Travel. Unlike buses or trams, where each operator sets its own scooter and buggy policy, the core rule for pushchairs on National Rail services is set once, nationally, and individual operators add their own practical advice on top of it.

The core rule: pushchairs must be capable of folding

Clause 23.4 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel, in its 2024 edition, lists "Pushchairs/Carrycots" alongside wheelchairs and powered wheelchairs, and sets out the condition for pushchairs plainly: "Must be capable of folding." This is a lower bar than the fixed dimension limits used for mobility scooters, which the same clause caps at 70cm in width and 120cm in length, but it is still a firm requirement rather than a suggestion — a pushchair that cannot fold at all does not meet the published condition for carriage.

Where a folded pushchair should be stored

Individual train operators translate this national rule into practical guidance for their own services. East Midlands Railway asks passengers to fold pushchairs and prams and store them safely in the luggage compartments on board, and recommends bringing a pushchair that is easy to fold and doing so before boarding. LNER’s guidance is similar: pushchairs, prams and buggies are welcome as long as they are "folded at all times" and stored the same way as any other item of luggage, whether that is a luggage rack, a dedicated luggage area, or the gap between seats where the pushchair does not block an aisle or doorway.

Wheelchair spaces take priority

Where a train has a designated wheelchair space, National Rail operators are consistent that this space belongs to wheelchair users first. A folded pushchair may sometimes be stored in an unused wheelchair space if no wheelchair user needs it for that journey, but the National Rail Conditions of Travel are clear that wheelchair users have priority by law, and a pushchair user occupying that space must move to free it up if a wheelchair user boards and needs it.

Why some operators word this slightly differently

Because each operator publishes its own passenger-facing guidance on top of the shared National Rail Conditions of Travel, the exact wording varies: Southeastern tells passengers that prams and buggies "must be capable of folding" and points them to the national conditions for further detail, while Northern’s guidance frames the same requirement as an ask — "if you can, please fold them down before boarding" — rather than a strict condition. In practice, all operators are working from the same clause 23.4 requirement, so a pushchair that genuinely cannot fold should not be relied upon for unassisted National Rail travel, regardless of which operator’s website is consulted.

What is not covered by this rule

Clause 23.4’s folding requirement applies specifically to pushchairs and carrycots. Mobility scooters and e-scooters sit under separate clauses of the same conditions, with mobility scooters permitted only at the discretion of individual train companies, and e-scooters treated as a distinct, more restricted category. A parent travelling with both a pushchair and, for example, an older relative’s mobility scooter should check both parts of the conditions separately, since they are not governed by the same rule.

Why the rule is set nationally rather than by each operator

Unlike buses and trams, which are typically run by a single local authority-backed or private operator with its own conditions of carriage, National Rail services in Great Britain are delivered by multiple train operating companies running on a shared national network. Setting the core pushchair rule once, in the National Rail Conditions of Travel, avoids a situation where a family’s pushchair is accepted on the outbound leg of a journey by one operator and rejected on a connecting service run by a different one. Individual operators are still free to add clearer, friendlier wording for their own passengers, which is why East Midlands Railway, LNER, Northern and Southeastern each phrase the same underlying rule slightly differently on their own websites.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to fold the pushchair before I board, or can I do it on the platform? Individual operators’ guidance, such as East Midlands Railway’s, recommends folding before boarding to avoid delaying other passengers, though the national condition itself focuses on the pushchair being capable of folding rather than specifying the exact moment.

Can I keep my baby in the pushchair while it is folded? The guidance from operators such as LNER treats a folded pushchair as luggage, which implies the child should be out of the pushchair while it is folded and stored.

What if the train has nowhere obvious to store a folded pushchair? National Rail’s conditions list luggage racks, luggage areas and the gaps between seats as acceptable locations, provided aisles and doorways are not blocked.

The bottom line

Across Great Britain’s rail network, the National Rail Conditions of Travel set one consistent rule for pushchairs: they must be capable of folding, and individual operators add their own advice on exactly where to store them once folded. Wheelchair users retain priority over any shared space, so a pushchair user should always be ready to move if that space is needed.

Sources

• National Rail, "National Rail Conditions of Travel" (2 April 2024 edition), Clause 23.4

Flying with a young child almost always means flying with a pushchair, and the good news is that UK short-haul airlines generally treat it as an essential item rather than ordinary luggage. The detail that trips parents up is not whether a pushchair is allowed, but how gate-checking actually works, and what happens to the pushchair between the departure gate and the arrival hall.

What "gate-checking" actually means

Gate-checking allows a pushchair to be used right up until boarding, rather than being checked in at the airport check-in desk hours before the flight. easyJet’s own help page confirms that for every infant or child, the airline will "carry two additional items for your child in the hold for free," and lists a travel cot, pushchair, car seat, collapsible or non-collapsible pram, booster seat and baby back carrier as eligible items. In practice, this means a parent can use the pushchair throughout the airport and hand it over at the aircraft steps or the door, where it is tagged and placed in the hold rather than the cabin.

What easyJet and Ryanair each allow

easyJet’s policy treats the pushchair as outside the normal baggage allowance entirely, at no extra cost, for infants and children travelling on the booking. Ryanair takes a different approach for the child themselves: its help centre states that infants aged up to 7 days cannot be accepted for travel at all, and that infants from 8 days to 23 months inclusive must travel on an accompanying adult’s lap, with a separate baby bag allowance of up to 5kg (45 x 35 x 20cm) permitted in addition to the standard allowance. Ryanair’s guidance also confirms that baby-changing facilities are provided on board, located at the rear of the aircraft.

Where the free allowance stops

The free allowance generally applies to one pushchair per child travelling on the booking, and airlines distinguish between a genuinely collapsible pushchair and other larger baby equipment. A double or non-folding pushchair may still be accepted, but airlines increasingly direct these to be checked in at the bag-drop desk rather than gate-checked, since a large, non-collapsible frame is harder to stow quickly in the hold during a short turnaround. Checking the specific policy for a booked airline before departure avoids a surprise at the gate.

What happens to the pushchair on arrival

A gate-checked pushchair is typically returned at the aircraft door on arrival, rather than on the main baggage carousel, which is why many parents choose gate-checking over ordinary hold check-in even when both are free: it avoids a wait at baggage reclaim with a young child who has just come off a flight. This detail is not always obvious from an airline’s website and is worth confirming with cabin crew before landing if it has not been stated at boarding.

Protecting the pushchair in the hold

Because a gate-checked pushchair travels loose in the hold rather than in a protective case, some damage risk exists, particularly to wheels, brakes or folding mechanisms. Airlines’ baggage policies for damaged items generally apply to gate-checked pushchairs in the same way they apply to any other hold item, so keeping a note of the pushchair’s condition before travel and reporting any damage immediately on arrival, in line with the airline’s standard complaints process, is the usual route for a claim.

What to check before you fly, regardless of airline

Beyond the free allowance itself, it is worth checking three things specific to the booked airline before travelling: whether the fare includes hold luggage automatically or whether the pushchair uses the only free hold allowance on the booking, whether a compact-fold pushchair might qualify to travel in the cabin as hand luggage under a higher fare tier, and whether the destination airport returns gate-checked items at the aircraft door or routes them to the main baggage carousel. None of these details are always obvious from a fare summary at the point of booking, and confirming them in advance avoids working it out for the first time at the departure gate with a tired toddler in tow.

Frequently asked questions

Is a car seat treated the same way as a pushchair? Under easyJet’s policy, a car seat is listed alongside a pushchair as one of the free items carried for a child, subject to the same per-child allowance.

What is the minimum age to fly on easyJet? easyJet’s own age categories define an infant as 14 days to 2 years old, noting that "babies under 14 days old are unable to travel."

What is the minimum age to fly on Ryanair? Ryanair’s help centre states infants aged up to 7 days cannot be accepted for travel on any Ryanair flight.

The bottom line

Gate-checking makes flying with a young child considerably easier, letting a pushchair be used throughout the airport before being carried free in the hold. The details that matter are the per-child allowance, whether a specific pushchair counts as genuinely collapsible, and the airline’s own age rules for infants, all of which are worth checking against the specific carrier before booking.

Sources

• easyJet, "Flying with children and infants"
• Ryanair Help Centre, "What are the rules for travelling with infants (0-2)?"

Shoppers who check other baby products, such as some toys or electrical items, for a CE or UKCA safety mark sometimes go looking for the same thing on a pram or pushchair. It is not there, and it is not supposed to be. Prams and pushchairs sit under a different legal framework in the UK, called the General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR), and that framework has recently started to diverge between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Why prams do not carry CE or UKCA marks

Guidance for importers, published by Suffolk County Council’s Trading Standards service, is explicit on this point: "Prams and pushchairs being imported into GB must NOT be marked with either the CE or the UKCA mark as there [is] no UK regulations under which these marks can be applied." CE and UKCA marks are used for product categories where a manufacturer self-certifies against specific harmonised standards under UK or EU product law; wheeled child conveyances are not one of those categories, so applying either mark to a pram would actually be incorrect, not simply optional.

What applies instead: GPSR and BS EN 1888

As an importer or retailer, the legal duty is to ensure the products supplied are safe, under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 in Great Britain. The Trading Standards guidance describes this as a duty on the "Producer" to ensure prams and pushchairs have been assessed against the relevant British Standard, with supporting technical documentation such as risk assessments and test reports available on request. The current relevant standards in Great Britain are BS EN 1888-1:2018+A1:2022 for pushchairs and prams, BS EN 1888-2:2018+A1:2022 for pushchairs carrying children from 15kg up to 22kg, and BS EN 1888-3:2024 for pushchairs intended for leisure sport activities such as running or off-road use.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland now follow different rules

Until December 2024, Great Britain and Northern Ireland both worked from the same General Product Safety Regulations 2005. That changed on 13 December 2024, when the regulations in Northern Ireland were superseded by the EU’s Regulation on general product safety 2023/988, while Great Britain continued under the 2005 regulations. This means a pram sold in Northern Ireland is now assessed against a different, more recently updated EU framework than an equivalent product sold in England, Scotland or Wales, even though both are part of the UK.

What the labelling on a pram should actually show

Rather than a CE or UKCA mark, a compliant pram or pushchair should carry a label identifying the manufacturer or importer, a model identifier, and the number and year of the relevant British Standard, such as "BS EN 1888-1:2018+A1:2022." Certain warnings are also mandatory depending on the product’s design, including "Never leave the child unattended" and, for pram bodies with an internal length over 800mm, "Use a harness as soon as your child can sit unaided." These labels are the practical evidence a shopper can check for, in place of a mark that legally should not appear at all.

What this means when buying online or from abroad

A pram advertised as "CE certified" or carrying a CE logo should raise a question rather than reassure a UK buyer, since the guidance is clear that this mark should not be applied to prams imported into Great Britain. The presence of the correct British Standard reference and the required warning labels is a more reliable indicator that a seller has gone through a genuine compliance process, rather than simply copying marking conventions used for other, unrelated product categories.

Why this distinction matters more than it sounds

A CE or UKCA logo is a familiar sight on electronics, toys and many other household goods, so its absence on a pram can look like an oversight rather than a deliberate legal position. Retailers who add a CE mark to a pram listing, whether through carelessness or an attempt to look more reassuring, are technically misdescribing the product’s compliance status, since the guidance is unambiguous that no UK regulation permits it. A shopper who spots this on a listing has grounds to ask the seller directly which safety standard the product has actually been tested against.

Frequently asked questions

Does this mean UK prams are less regulated than EU prams? No; the standard applied (BS EN 1888) is closely related to the EU’s own child conveyance standard, but the legal marking regime is separate, which is why no CE or UKCA mark appears.

Do second-hand prams need to meet the same standard? Local authority Trading Standards guidance treats the underlying safety standard as applying to both new and used prams sold by a trader, though a private seller’s obligations are narrower.

Where can I check the current standard number? The exact BS EN 1888 part and revision year is shown on the pram’s own compliance label; checking this against current guidance is more reliable than relying on marketing claims.

The bottom line

A pram or pushchair sold lawfully in the UK should not carry a CE or UKCA mark, because no UK regulation permits either mark to be applied to this product category. What it should carry is a label referencing the correct BS EN 1888 standard and the required safety warnings, assessed under the General Product Safety Regulations — which, since December 2024, differ between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Sources

• Suffolk County Council Trading Standards, "Guidance for Importing Prams and Pushchairs"
• GOV.UK, "General product safety regulations 2005: Northern Ireland"
• Pembrokeshire County Council Trading Standards, "New and second-hand prams and pushchairs"

A pushchair that folds unexpectedly, a brake that does not hold or a harness buckle that fails is a safety problem as well as a faulty product. Checking for a recall is one step, but a pram that is not the subject of any recall notice can still be unsafe, and reporting it is a separate step. This guide sets out what the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) says about reporting unsafe consumer products, and where to go in each UK nation. It is general information, not legal advice. Our guide to checking whether a pram or pushchair has been recalled covers the recall side.

Who is responsible for product safety

GOV.UK’s OPSS guidance says unsafe products are sometimes found in the UK even though businesses are legally responsible for all products they make, import, distribute or sell in the UK. The guidance, published on 29 July 2024, tells consumers who think a product is unsafe and could harm people to report their concerns (OPSS, “Consumer products: reporting product safety issues”).

Where to report, by nation

The OPSS names a different route depending on where the reporter lives:

• England and Wales: contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
• Scotland: contact the Advice Direct Scotland consumer helpline.
• Northern Ireland: contact the local district council.

The OPSS says a complaint may be referred to the relevant local Trading Standards Service or, in Northern Ireland, to the Environmental Health Service, and that the information helps decide whether action is needed. GOV.UK’s consumer rights page gives the helpline details by nation, including Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 for England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 for Northern Ireland, with their opening hours (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”). These numbers and hours are as published there and can change.

Why a single report matters

The OPSS explains that consumer reporting can help take unsafe products off the shelves. It says reports are used by local trading standards and the OPSS to:

• identify unsafe products across the whole supply chain, including manufacturers;
• support product safety investigations where needed;
• aid educational campaigns that raise consumer awareness; and
• form part of the wider evidence used to support regulatory or legislative change.

It adds that trading standards use the Product Safety Database to formally notify the OPSS of unsafe and non-compliant products, and that local trading standards can escalate matters to the OPSS under its Incident Management Plan. A report on one pushchair model can therefore contribute to action affecting every buyer of that model.

Reporting is separate from getting a remedy

The OPSS says that where a product has a safety issue, the owner may be entitled to a refund, a replacement or a repair. That is a consumer-rights question, and our guide to faulty pushchair rights sets out the time limits and the order in which the remedies work. It is sensible to raise the remedy with the seller at the same time as making the report, and to keep the two separate in writing.

If an unsafe product causes damage or injury

The OPSS says that if an unsafe product causes injury to you or your family, or damage to your property, you may be able to claim compensation depending on the circumstances, and directs people to the consumer helplines above. Citizens Advice’s guidance for England, which covers damage to property, says photographs and a note of dates and times are good evidence, and that a claim is usually made first to the seller and, if the buyer did not purchase the item, to the manufacturer. It says a claim for injury is a personal injury claim (Citizens Advice, “Claim compensation if an item or product causes damage”). That page states that it applies to England, and advice for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is linked from it.

Practical steps before reporting

• Note the make, model and any batch or serial number, and keep proof of purchase.
• Take dated photographs of the problem, keeping the original product and packaging where possible.
• Check the OPSS list of Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls to see whether the model is already covered (OPSS, “Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls”).
• Use the route for the nation where you live, and give the retailer and manufacturer details in the report.
• Check the labels and standards on the product using our guide to reading a pram’s labels.

Questions readers often ask

Is reporting the same as a recall?

No. Recalls are notices about specific products that the OPSS lists. A report is information from a consumer that trading standards and the OPSS can use to decide whether action is needed.

Does a second-hand pushchair count?

The OPSS’s guidance on second-hand goods says that used products sold commercially must be safe and advises checking whether a product is subject to a recall. If a used item causes a safety concern, the same reporting routes apply (OPSS, “Consumer products: buying second-hand goods”).

The bottom line

An unsafe pram or pushchair should be reported through the route the OPSS lists for the reporter’s nation: Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland, or the local district council in Northern Ireland. Reports feed trading standards and OPSS investigations, and they sit alongside, not instead of, a request to the seller for a refund, repair or replacement and a check for any recall notice.

Sources

• OPSS, “Consumer products: reporting product safety issues”
• GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”
• Citizens Advice, “Claim compensation if an item or product causes damage”
• OPSS, “Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls”
• OPSS, “Consumer products: buying second-hand goods”

A pram order can grow at the last step: an extended warranty ticked by default, a protection plan, a card fee, or a helpline that costs more to call than a normal number. UK regulations restrict each of these. This guide sets out what the legislation says. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, as amended, are shown on legislation.gov.uk as extending across the UK. It is general information, not legal advice, and the regulations list some excluded contracts, so a particular purchase may be treated differently.

Extras need express consent

Regulation 40 of the 2013 Regulations covers additional payments. It says that under a contract between a trader and a consumer, no payment is payable in addition to the remuneration agreed for the trader’s main obligation unless, before the consumer became bound by the contract, the trader obtained the consumer’s express consent. It adds that there is no express consent where consent is inferred from the consumer not changing a default option, and gives a pre-ticked box on a website as its example. Where a trader receives an additional payment that is not payable under this rule, the contract is treated as providing for the trader to reimburse it (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 40).

In a pram checkout, the extras that typically raise this question are a warranty, a protection plan, priority delivery or an accessory bundle. A box for one of these that is already ticked when the page loads is the kind of default option the regulation describes. The choice to add such an extra should be an active step by the shopper. Our guide to pushchair guarantees and extended warranties explains what these products add to legal rights, and the total-price rules in our guide to advertised pram prices cover charges that are unavoidable.

Card and payment fees

The 2012 Regulations deal with fees for paying by particular methods. Regulation 6A, inserted with effect from 13 January 2018, says a payee must not charge a payer any fee for payment by a card-based payment instrument, as defined in the interchange fee regulation the section refers to, that is not a commercial card. It applies the same ban to certain other payment instruments and services described in the provision, and provides that a payee receiving payment by a payment instrument must not charge a fee that exceeds the costs the payee bears for using that instrument (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, regulation 6A).

Regulation 4 sets a cost-based limit for other means of payment: a trader must not charge consumers, in respect of the use of a given means of payment, fees that exceed the cost borne by the trader for the use of that means (regulation 4). For a shopper, the effect is that a “card handling” fee on an ordinary consumer debit or credit card payment is what regulation 6A prohibits, and a fee for a different payment method may not exceed the trader’s cost of that method. Regulation 5 lists excluded contracts, so the rules do not extend to every kind of contract. Our guide to paying for a pram by card covers the separate protections that come with card payments.

Calling the seller

Regulation 41 covers helplines. Where a trader operates a telephone line for consumers to contact it about contracts entered into with it, a consumer contacting the trader must not be bound to pay more than the basic rate. If a consumer is bound to pay more, the contract is treated as providing for the trader to pay the consumer the difference between the charge paid and the basic rate (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 41). The rule applies to a line used to contact the trader about a contract already made, which includes calls about a delayed pram, a faulty wheel or a return.

A checkout checklist

• Look for pre-ticked boxes and untick anything not wanted before paying.
• Check the final total against the price advertised, including any payment method fee.
• Note the seller’s customer service number and how it is charged before an order goes wrong.
• If an unwanted extra was charged, ask the seller in writing to refund it, citing regulation 40 of the 2013 Regulations.
• For help with a dispute, GOV.UK lists Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”).

Questions readers often ask

Can a retailer add insurance to the basket for me?

Regulation 40 says an additional payment needs the consumer’s express consent before the contract is made, and consent inferred from an untouched default option does not count.

Is a delivery charge an additional payment?

Unavoidable charges are dealt with under the total-price rules covered in our advertised pram prices guide, rather than as optional extras.

The bottom line

Three UK rules protect a pram buyer at checkout. An extra charge needs express consent, and a pre-ticked box does not provide it (regulation 40 of the 2013 Regulations). Fees for paying by ordinary consumer cards are prohibited, and other payment fees are capped at the trader’s cost (the 2012 Regulations). A helpline for existing contracts must not cost more than the basic rate (regulation 41). A shopper who spots an unwanted extra can ask for a refund and seek help from the consumer advice service for their nation.

Sources

• legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 40
• legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 41
• legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, regulation 6A
• legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, regulation 4
• GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”

“Ends in 02:14:09”, “Only 2 left” and “12 people are viewing this” are common on baby-gear sites, especially around sales events. A shopper deciding on a pram often has a genuine deadline, such as a due date, which makes pressure messages more effective. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on the law that governs them, in force across the UK since 6 April 2025. This guide summarises what that guidance says. It is general information, not legal advice, and it describes how the CMA reads the law rather than deciding whether any particular website has broken it.

The law and where the guidance sits

The CMA’s “Unfair commercial practices” guidance (CMA207), dated 18 November 2025, explains the unfair trading provisions in Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. They replace the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and apply to commercial practices that take place from 6 April 2025. The CMA says traders can generally expect the same or similar requirements as before, and that the guidance is not a substitute for the law itself (CMA, “Unfair commercial practices: CMA207”, chapter 1). The guidance covers practices that are banned outright, and others that are unlawful when they are misleading or aggressive and are likely to change a shopper’s decision.

False limited-time offers and countdown clocks

Banned practice 7 in the guidance is falsely stating that a product will only be available for a limited time, or on particular terms for a limited time, in order to prompt an immediate decision and deprive consumers of enough time to make an informed choice. One of the CMA’s examples is a countdown clock that runs out while the offer carries on and the clock restarts. It adds that if a statement that an offer will end is true, and is not otherwise misleading, for example because a substantially similar offer appears within a short period, it is unlikely to be a problem (CMA207, chapter 3, banned practice 7).

For a pram listing, the practical question is whether “ends tonight” is true. A price that returns to the same promotional level the next morning fits the pattern the CMA describes.

Bait advertising

Two banned practices concern advertised prices that are not real:

• Banned practice 5 is inviting purchases at a specified price when the trader has reasonable grounds to believe it will not be able to supply the products, or equivalent ones, at that price in reasonable quantities for a reasonable period, and does not disclose this. The CMA’s example is a firm advertising “wireless headphones for £9” nationally after planning to make only 10 available. What is reasonable depends on the nature of the product, the extent of the advertising and the price.
• Banned practice 6 is inviting purchases at a specified price and then refusing to show the item, refusing to take orders or deliver within a reasonable time, or demonstrating a defective sample, with the intention of promoting a different product.

Both are in the guidance’s list of banned practices, which the CMA says are unfair in all circumstances, with no need to consider their likely effect on shoppers.

Stock and demand messages

Messages that are literally true can still mislead. The CMA’s example of “overall deceptive presentation” includes a pop-up saying “Be quick! We’ve sold 10 in the last 5 mins”, where the statement is accurate but stock levels are high and there is no need to hurry. Its other example is a “substantial discount” advert with the limitations, such as very few items, a very short period and only one shop, put in a footnote in very small print. The test is whether the average consumer would take a different decision if they had noticed the information (CMA207, chapter 5).

What can happen to traders

The guidance states that breaches of the banned practices can attract civil action by enforcement authorities, with compliance directions and monetary penalties of up to the higher of £300,000 or 10% of worldwide turnover. Most banned practices are also criminal offences. On conviction, the penalties include a fine in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and, on indictment, imprisonment of up to two years. Prosecutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are generally by the CMA, Trading Standards or Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, and in Scotland by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (CMA207, chapter 3 and chapter 10).

Sensible habits for shoppers

• Note the price and any timer, and check the listing again after the deadline, saving screenshots of both.
• Read footnotes and stock terms. Our guide to advertised pram prices covers what the total price must include.
• Treat reviews with the same care; see what UK law says about fake reviews.
• To raise a concern, GOV.UK lists Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”).

Questions readers often ask

Is every “only 3 left” message a breach?

No. The guidance treats a true statement about stock as unlikely to be a problem. The concern is a statement that is false or misleading in the way it is presented.

Does the guidance apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The guidance sets out penalties and prosecuting bodies for Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales.

The bottom line

Under the CMA’s guidance on the 2024 Act, a countdown that resets, a price the trader cannot supply in reasonable quantities, or a stock message that is true but misleading in context can all count as unfair practices. The first two are among the banned practices the CMA says are unfair in all circumstances. For a shopper buying a pram, the useful habit is to check whether a deadline is real before treating it as a reason to hurry.

Sources

• CMA, “Unfair commercial practices: CMA207” (18 November 2025)
• GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”

A pram listed on an overseas website can look cheaper than the UK price, but the price shown is not always what arrives at the door. Goods sent from abroad go through customs, and tax and duty can be added. This guide sets out what GOV.UK says about VAT and Customs Duty on goods sent from outside the UK, and what the UK Trade Tariff lists for baby carriages. The rules differ between Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland, so each is described separately. It is general information, not tax advice.

Who is responsible for taking goods through customs

GOV.UK says anything posted or couriered from another country goes through customs to check it is not banned or restricted and that the right tax and duty are paid. The parcel or courier company, such as Royal Mail or Parcelforce, is responsible for taking goods through UK customs, and it tells the recipient if VAT or duty is due. Goods may be seized if the rules are not followed, and the sender must declare goods correctly (GOV.UK, “Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad”).

VAT: Great Britain

For goods sent from outside the UK to Great Britain, GOV.UK says VAT is charged on all goods except gifts worth £39 or less. VAT is charged at the rate that applies to the goods. How it is collected depends on the value:

• Goods worth £135 or less in total: if the buyer bought the goods and they are not excise goods, the seller will have included VAT in the total price paid.
• Goods worth more than £135: the buyer must pay VAT to the delivery company, either before the goods are delivered or when collecting them.

If VAT is paid to the delivery company, it is charged on the total package value, which includes the goods, postage, packaging and insurance, and any duty owed (GOV.UK, “Tax and duty”). Our guide to VAT on travel systems explains the rates that apply to car seats and pushchairs.

Customs Duty: Great Britain

GOV.UK says Customs Duty is charged on goods sent from outside the UK to Great Britain if they are excise goods or worth more than £135. Non-excise goods worth £135 or less attract no duty. For goods above £135, the rate depends on the type of goods and where they came from, and GOV.UK directs buyers to the Trade Tariff service. Duty is calculated on the price paid plus postage, packaging and insurance. The delivery company will send a bill saying which fees are due, and it will normally hold a parcel for about three weeks before returning it to the sender if the bill is unpaid.

Northern Ireland

For Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says VAT applies to goods sent from outside the UK and the EU. Customs Duty applies to goods that are excise goods, worth more than £135, or considered at risk of entering the EU, and the courier company will say if goods are considered at risk. For goods not at risk of entering the EU, non-excise goods worth £135 or less attract no duty, and above £135 the UK rate of duty applies. Buyers in Northern Ireland whose goods are at risk of entering the EU should follow the separate rules GOV.UK sets out for that situation.

What the Trade Tariff lists for prams

The UK Trade Tariff classifies “Baby carriages and parts thereof” under heading 8715. For commodity code 8715 00 10 00, “Baby carriages”, the tariff lists a third country duty of 2.00% and VAT of 20.00%. It also lists 0.00% preferential duty for goods from a long list of countries and trading areas, including the European Union, which depends on the goods qualifying under the relevant trade arrangement (UK Trade Tariff, commodity 8715 00 10 00, “Baby carriages”). The tariff showed these rates on 21 September 2026 and they can change, so a buyer should check the current tariff and confirm the right commodity code for the specific product with the seller or the delivery company.

As an illustration only, a pram costing £300, with £30 for postage and packaging, ordered into Great Britain from a country without a preferential rate would total £330 for duty purposes. Duty at 2% would be £6.60. VAT at 20% on £336.60 would be £67.32, giving £73.92 in extra charges on top of the £330. This is a worked example of the GOV.UK method, not a quote.

Practical points before ordering

• Check whether the seller shows prices with UK VAT included, as GOV.UK says sellers will have done for goods worth £135 or less.
• Ask what the total delivered cost will be if the order is above £135.
• Check the seller’s return arrangements before ordering. Our guides to the 14-day cancellation right and faulty pushchairs describe the UK rights that apply when a trader supplies a pushchair.
• GOV.UK says a refund of VAT or Customs Duty can be requested if goods are returned or the buyer thinks too much was charged, using form BOR 286 for Royal Mail or Parcelforce deliveries and form C285 for other couriers.

Questions readers often ask

Is the £135 figure a limit on what can be bought?

No. It is the value at which the way VAT is collected changes, and the point above which Customs Duty can apply.

Who sends the bill for tax and duty?

According to GOV.UK, the parcel or courier company, such as Royal Mail or Parcelforce, which will say exactly which fees are due.

The bottom line

For a pram ordered from outside the UK, VAT and duty can add to the price. In Great Britain, goods worth £135 or less should have VAT included by the seller and attract no duty, while goods above £135 attract VAT paid to the delivery company plus duty at the tariff rate, which the UK Trade Tariff lists as 2% for baby carriages unless a preference applies. Northern Ireland follows similar thresholds with extra rules for goods at risk of entering the EU. A total delivered price should be confirmed before ordering.

Sources

• GOV.UK, “Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad”
• GOV.UK, “Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad: Tax and duty”
• UK Trade Tariff, commodity 8715 00 10 00, “Baby carriages”

A travel system’s price tag looks like one number, but for VAT purposes it can be several. HMRC’s guidance treats the car seat and the pushchair differently, which is why a bundle can contain parts charged at different rates. This guide explains what HMRC’s VAT Notice 701/23 says about children’s car seats and travel systems. VAT is a UK-wide tax, so the position described applies across the UK. It is general information rather than tax advice, and it describes the rules as HMRC’s notice states them, on a page last updated on 4 November 2022.

The three headline rates

GOV.UK lists three main VAT rates for goods and services: a standard rate of 20% for most goods and services, a reduced rate of 5% for some, with children’s car seats given as an example, and a zero rate, with most children’s clothes given as an example (GOV.UK, “VAT rates”). HMRC’s notice, covered next, deals with prams and pushchairs directly.

What HMRC counts as a reduced-rate car seat

HMRC’s notice, titled “Protective equipment”, says children’s car seats and travel systems are reduced-rated at 5% VAT. Under section 5.1 the reduced rate applies to safety seats (seats designed for an infant or small child in a road vehicle, secured to the vehicle by a seat belt or anchorage points), booster seats, booster cushions and car seat bases, and it applies to both ISOFIX and non-ISOFIX bases. Under section 5.2 it also applies to protective travel systems such as “lie-flat” car seat products that let a baby lie flat in a car and are secured with a three-point safety harness, and which can also be used with compatible pushchairs to form a pram system (HMRC, “Protective equipment (VAT Notice 701/23)”, section 5).

How a travel system is split

Section 5.3 of the notice sets out how VAT applies to travel systems, depending on what is supplied together:

• A pram or pushchair plus a safety seat that can be fitted together and each used independently: the safety seat is reduced-rated and the pram or pushchair element is standard-rated.
• A safety seat plus a bare wheeled framework: where the supply consists of just those two, the whole supply is reduced-rated.
• Safety seat, wheeled framework and pushchair or pram seat, all three together: the pram seat is standard-rated and the other two elements are reduced-rated.
• Pram seat plus wheeled framework only: the whole supply is standard-rated.
• Items supplied separately: the safety seat is reduced-rated, while the wheeled framework and the pram seat are standard-rated.

The notice explains that the framework is only of use when one of the other two elements is attached, and that any combination of the three may be supplied together. It does not say how a seller should divide a single bundle price between elements, so the split shown on an invoice is a matter for the retailer.

What this means for a budget

The rate difference is large. As an illustration only, VAT on £200 of goods before tax comes to £10 at 5% and £40 at 20%. A car seat sold separately therefore carries much less VAT than the same value of pushchair. That does not mean a bundle is cheaper or dearer than buying the parts separately, because retailers set their own prices and the notice governs only the VAT treatment. A useful check is whether the advertised price is the full price payable, which our guide to advertised pram prices and the total price explains. It is also worth knowing that a “car seat” in a pram listing may be a lie-flat carrycot with restraint straps, which the notice treats as a reduced-rate product.

For the practical side of matching seats and frames, see our guides to travel system adapters and to budget and premium travel systems.

Questions readers often ask

Is a pushchair ever charged at 5%?

Under section 5.3 of the notice, the pram or pushchair element is standard-rated at 20%. A framework supplied only with a safety seat is treated together with it at 5%, but a framework supplied with only a pram seat is standard-rated.

Does the reduced rate cover a car seat bought on its own?

Yes. In section 5.3 of the notice, when supplied separately the safety seat is reduced-rated, while the wheeled framework and the pram seat are standard-rated.

What is the standard rate?

GOV.UK gives the standard rate as 20% and says it rose to 20% on 4 January 2011, from 17.5%.

The bottom line

HMRC’s VAT Notice 701/23 puts children’s car seats, booster seats, car seat bases and lie-flat carrycots with restraint straps at 5% VAT, while the pram or pushchair element of a travel system is standard-rated at 20%. In a bundle, the mix of rates depends on which of the three elements are included: safety seat, wheeled framework and pram seat. The notice covers VAT treatment only, so it says nothing about whether one price is better value than another.

Sources

• HMRC, “Protective equipment (VAT Notice 701/23)”
• GOV.UK, “VAT rates”