Poll

Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?

eewww....no way!  You never know where it's been.
9 (36%)
No, it's used so you don't really know what shape the motor's in so you might be wasting your money.
6 (24%)
Yes, but I'd throw out all the "accessories" and buy new ones, and only have the used motor.
5 (20%)
Yes, as long as it was "gently used" and I could sterilize everything really well.
5 (20%)

Total Members Voted: 24

Voting closed: December 26, 2005, 17:04:04 pm

Author Topic: Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?  (Read 2717 times)

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mommytsa

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« on: December 24, 2005, 17:04:04 pm »
I need a new breastpump, and I really want a Pump in Style Advanced, but I just can't afford the $300 for a new one.  I was thinking about buying a used one from ebay with my Christmas money ($100 or so).  So, if it were the only way to get the pump you really wanted, would you buy a used one?

Offline deb

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2005, 17:30:38 pm »
I put no because if you're going to sink the money into a decent breast pump you don't want something that may already have been through 3 kids (or more!).

That said, the Pump In Style I have was given to me by a friend after her first was weaned and it saved my sanity - I jsut sterilized the heck out of everything and used it because I DID know where it had been and trusted her, and I passed it on to another friend (who's lent it back to me for now but will be getting it back in another month when she has HER next baby! LOL).

You can have my Avent Isis for free if you want! :) (It's been sterilized already but I'd do it again for anyone who wants it! )

annamum

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2005, 22:13:39 pm »
I voted the first option. On my  manual Medela Harmony pump it is written that: "This is a single user product. Use by more than one person may present a health risk and voids product warranty. Breastpumps are personal care items. For hygienic reasons they cannot be returned once opened".

So, well, my pump is a manual one and I know that hospitals lend electric ones and it somehow complies with sanitary and hygienic rules but personally I wouldn't. But I am a clean freak and don't buy anything second hand. I just can't use an item not knowing who has been sleeping on it, or eating from it or doing whatever else with it. I always imagine the worst scenarios.

Offline Deb_in_oz

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2005, 22:30:26 pm »
i would and am hoping that others would as i am about to list my pump in australia  :lol: - i seriously used it 3 times and gave up and did it "by hand" which was actually faster for me - so i hope that ebayers would trust me and my 100% rating that it is seriously gently used and that sterilizing it would be fine.  i think if you get someone with a high rating they shoudl be honest with you and tell you if it has been gently used vs. 3 kids or daily use. sometimes people buy 1 type and they don't llike it and just go out and buy another KWIM so you could get a real bargain.
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Offline Chantel03

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2005, 22:57:32 pm »
I put no, cus well you just dont know what kind of shape it could be in.  What about renting one from your hospital?  That's what I did.  I would call around there are a few places that will rent or maybe buy a used one from a used store so you can see if it works or not.
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Offline Jennifer2e

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #5 on: December 25, 2005, 02:24:21 am »
I bought my PIS Advanced off e-bay and it works great.  So yes I would :lol:
Jennifer

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Offline GraceKellysmom

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2005, 03:37:59 am »
You can buy the tubing and shields new, which I would highly recommend with any used pump. As with anything on eBay, you are taking a risk with the motor being more used than you've been told. I would NEVER use shields/tubing/bottles from someone I don't know. MHO There are too many dishonest people in this world, unfortunately, and I've been burned on eBay too many times! It's not just your health but the health of your precious children at stake.

I don't know your situation, but I loved my ISIS for once a day pumping. It was pretty easy to wash up.

Sometimes you can find decent sales on new electric pumps too. My old local breastfeeding store had one week of 20% off everything in the store. That is how I bought my Medela.
Stacy, Mama to
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Offline Ricardo's Mommy

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2005, 17:20:06 pm »
I sold my $300 Medela pump for $75.00 on e-bay last year.

I used it all of three months, off and on while working for 6 weeks and in preparation of working 6 weeks. It was in immaculate condition. All the "personal" items can and probably were bought new.

It would have been a shame for someone not to reap the benefit of this pump and cost....so I am glad they bought it.
Michele
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mommytsa

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2005, 05:35:13 am »
I am so torn on this still.  Really the yuck factor doesn't bother me as I already have the shields/tubing, etc from when I rented the hospital pump (and if anything was going to gross me out, the hospital pump would have been it, but I didn't mind that).  Then I bought an Evenflo pump for $50 because it was so much cheaper.  It's worked ok, but I work full-time and am intending to breastfeed indefinitely, so I really need a good quality, double electric pump.  The motor in the one I have is now making some pretty awful noises, so I need to replace it, and the sooner the better.  I could rent a hosptial one, but that's $37.50 a month for who knows how long (6 months or so???--that's $225!!!!), and frankly, I hate spending that much money on it and then not having anything to show for it when I eventually have baby #2 sometime in the future. 

So given that money is a huge factor for me right now, here are my options as I see them:

1.  Buy a used PIS from ebay, and hope that it really was only used a few times (Dh really does not like this option, simply because you never know how honest people really are).
2.  Buy a new (not so nice) $50 Evenflo one to use for now and hope that when we eventually have baby #2, I can buy a better pump then (HAH-as if you have more money when you have more kids!)
3.  Pray that the one I have now lasts until we get our income tax refund, then buy a new PIS if we can afford it, but be screwed if it dies before then (very likely) or if our return isn't enough (also likely).

ugh!!!  I am so frustrated/upset by having to make this decision.  It just makes me wonder when babies generally start dropping down to just morning/night nursings.  How long am I going to be stuck strapped into a pump I'm not really happy with? 

I have to go now, I'm giving myself a headache!  Sorry for ranting on so long, and on Christmas, no less.   :?

Offline damara

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2005, 11:27:26 am »
I have brought a couple breastpumps from ebay and personally have no problem with it. I sterilised them all before use and they all worked fine. I brought an electric one and a couple of manual ones. Given that they were all in excellent condition, I can't justify purchasing brand new ones at more than triple the cost for what I picked them up for. However, it is a personal decision and some people are fine with it and others not. If it doesn't worry you, then I don't see why you wouldn't want to save the money and put it towards something else.

Offline Luisasmum

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #10 on: December 26, 2005, 12:18:01 pm »
I said no because of the usage factor. If you do find one you are pretty sure is hardly used, definitely change the accessories that come into contact with the milk.

Also worth a shot is ringing a few pharmacies or hospitals to see how much they hire them for. I have no idea what they charge for hire but you might be pleasantly surprised!
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Offline jbepko

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2005, 19:05:21 pm »
Maybe trying to find a vendor with a new "older"style Pump In Style Original. I have my original at home and my advanced new PIS at work. Although the newer is nicer iwth "letdown" feature....the original works just as well. You may get a nice price discount but still have a new pump. If you are going to be pumping a lot...its nice to have that warranty and you won't get that on e-bay.
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Offline Jaime

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2005, 20:15:21 pm »
I wouldn't do it.  not only would i worry about how often the motor was really used, i'd worry about the health of the person who was using it.  like annamum said, there is a warning on the pumps that states it's a single user product.  every once in a while, the tubes that shouldn't come into contact with milk do, and if the mommy has some kind of disease, that's in there now too. 

the only reason i MIGHT consider it is if i knew the person who was using it first, like deb did with her friend.  but i would still buy all new accessories to use with the motor.
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Offline Shdef

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2005, 12:28:42 pm »
I thought I never would. When I was pregnant, the neighbour gave me her new one and I just found that so weird... We were all laughing about it. Haha. Then I went to hospital and gave birth... Ma wee manny had to stay for two weeks in intesive care because he was badly jaundiced and had an infection. So I was allowed to stay too. During the day I came to breastfeed (you were only allowed every four hours, if the baby was hungry inbetween they would just use dummies). At night the nurses would feed expressed milk.

The pump was called "symphony" and two women could sit on it expressing. It would make a funny sucking noise and we patted and burped the machine after we were done cause we missed our babies and some humour helped us over it. Anyways... since symphony came into my life I lost heaps and loads of dignity and I really wouldn't mind a used pump anymore.

I used my neighbours one but it was rubbish... :)

Offline alison reed

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2005, 14:02:42 pm »
I have noticed that their are alot of breast pumps on ebay but I would most definately not but a used pump of ebay. When I had my son one of my friend gave me her pump and I used it for 2 months until I could afford to but myself a new which I never did as with him my supply was not that big as he was on a 3 hourly feed because he had a low birth weight so he had to be on set feeding times because of this. But with my daughter I bought my self a pump and then 2 months later had to but another one because the first one was a boots home-brand and was not that good so with the second one I went for an experncive but brilliant quality one which was Advent and that pump is still in good condition now but I will possible bin it and if I have another baby I buy a new one even though I know that I am the only person who has used that pump.
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Offline Stacie:Emma&Josh Mom

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2005, 20:23:32 pm »
I would be more worried about the health of the person you're buying from because you cannot completely sterilize a "commercial" grade pump.  "Hospital" grade pumps can be fully sterilized, including replacing motors and such, which commercial grades cannot. 

I also looked on Ebay and saw some new ones for still cheap dollar.  Can you find one of those???

mommytsa

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2005, 21:23:23 pm »
ET by Gracekellysmom - something funny going on with the system and it has deleted your message and put my response - so sorry!!

Offline julieb

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #17 on: December 29, 2005, 05:28:33 am »
I totally would.  I borrowed my friend's pump in style that's 8 years old and has been loaned to several other mommies.  I just bought my own horns and bottles (is that what they're called?).  None of the other parts even touch your EBM.  Just buy from a reputable seller.
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mommytsa

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #18 on: December 29, 2005, 22:38:29 pm »
Stacy, that's odd.  I'll try it again.

I have put in a few bids on the new pumps on ebay, but keep getting out-bid.  Oh well.

For now, I think I'm just going to hope that the one I have lasts until I can afford to get a new one.

Thanks for all the input ladies.

Offline Shdef

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« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2005, 08:59:36 am »
Du yous not get them on prescription from the gyn? Our chemists supply the electrical ones for a loan of 5€/3£/8$ a month. Is that only in Germany?

annamum

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Would you buy a used breastpump from ebay?
« Reply #20 on: December 30, 2005, 17:19:31 pm »
Quote from: Scott's_Maw
Is that only in Germany?

I would say so :cry:.