What is the law about selling used mattresses? According to the Federal Trade Commission, federal law requires that any mattress containing used stuffing must bear a tag or label stating this information. If labeling and processing requirements are met, used mattresses can be resold. However, not all states require labels, and the state requirements for used mattresses tend to vary. How do you locate the serial number on a Lane product? How long is a Simmons Beautyrest warranty? Is it illegal to sell a used mattress? Some states allow recovered old mattresses to be sold when they have new ticking or fabric and after they have been sanitized or disinfected. In other states, only the springs can be reused. When purchasing a mattress, ensure that there is a viewable tag or label, and read the content information prior to purchase. The FTC further advises that most new mattresses include a white tag to indicate it is made of new materials. Used mattresses may contain a red or yellow tag warning consumers that the mattress contains used materials.
The department that regulates mattress labeling varies from state to state, but consumers can check bedding labeling laws in a particular state by contacting its departments of health, consumer affairs, agriculture or licensing. The FTC suggests that if a mattress does not have a tag that includes information about its contents, a consumer should contact another retailer. Learn more about Is This Illegal? Is it legal to have a pet giraffe in the United States? The law on keeping exotic animals as pets varies from each state in the United States. Some states require a license on all exotic pets, some states requir... What are some laws about downloading copyrighted movies for free? It is against the law to download copyrighted for movies for free unless the viewer or the file provider has received authorization from the copyright hold... Is it illegal to buy amoxicillin without a prescription? Federal law prohibits the purchase of amoxicillin without a prescription, according to The New York Times.
The practice can lead to potentially dangerous s... Is phone tapping legal? As of 2015, law enforcement agents can legally tap phone conversations if they have an order from a judge, says FindLaw. Judges order wiretaps when they ha... Is human euthanasia legal? What types of mattresses does Kingsdown make? What are some legal ways to annoy your neighbors? Is it legal for authorities to tap cell phones? What is the law of acceleration? Is it against the law or company regulations to bring your children to work? Sign up or log in to customize your list. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top I'm possibly selling a used mattress (plead the 5th) and to my surprise was told that it's illegal! I've never heard this before. It seems that many others are asking this question and have heard it too: Snopes discussion forum post Another Wiki answers question specifically about Pennsylvania
None but the Pennsylvania question seems to have a definitive answer. Is it illegal to sell a [for simplicity's sake, non-stained, not-known-to-be-infested, etc.] used mattress? Feel free to differentiate between person-to-person sales vs. via a business if the requirements differ. If, as one of the Wiki answers posts states, this might be state dependent, a summary of which states (or countries) allow/disallow this would be neat to have. For starters, like almost every question that begins "is it illegal", the real answers are always: It depends on where you live, so Ask an actual lawyer. Having said that, it is not illegal to sell a used mattress in any United States jurisdiction that I know of. However, most states have restrictions on what you can and can't do when selling used mattresses, primarily involving fraud or health concerns. For people who sell bedding as a business, the rules are rather strict, frequently requiring licensing from the Health Department, among other things.
Many states (20 as of 2/10/2013) are part of a national cooperative, the International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials, that attempts to synchronize bedding laws. You can read all the various requirements that member states adhere to on their site. For a consumer selling bedding to another consumer, you avoid many of the regulations. What's left typically boils down to two things: In some states, it may be a legal requirement that the bed include a label stating that it includes second-hand materials. Often this requirement only applies to retail or wholesale sellers, as in California's Business and Professional Codes, Section 19123, but other states, e.g. Wisconsin Statues, Section 100.2095 or Florida Statues, Title XXXIII, Chapter 501, Section 145, the law can be read as applying this requirement to all sales. If you haven't already ripped it off, your mattress probably has a label that says exactly the opposite, so you will need to be careful and See #2 Above.
You may need to have the mattress officially sanitized. For example, in Delaware, Title 16, Chap. 21, § 2105. Selling or leasing used mattresses; sterilization and disinfection, says: (2) Any secondhand mattress, pillow, bolster, featherbed or comfortable, unless since last used it has been thoroughly sterilized and disinfected by a reasonable process approved by the Department of Health and Social Services. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google Sign up using Email and Password Post as a guest By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged united-states law environmental-health or ask your own question.The requested URL /showthread.php?t=45067 was not found on this server. Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.MILWAUKEE -- When it's time to get a "new" mattress, do you really know how old a "new" one is?
FOX6's Contact 6 went undercover to slice open a "bed of lies." Jennifer Rivera and Jackie Williams have questions about who else has been sleeping in their beds. Williams bought her bed from Best Quality Furniture near 12th and Vliet. Rivera got her bed from Shahd Linens on 16th and Lincoln Avenue. Two different stores, but these viewers got in touch with Contact 6 with the same story. "He said it was new. He said everything in the store was new. Never mentioned refurbished, used, nothing," Rivera said. "Told me they were new -- supposed to be brand new mattresses, and they weren't," Williams said. With a hidden camera, Contact 6's producer went into Shahd Linens, where the owner was up front and said the mattresses are "refurbished." The owner says he's never gotten any complaints, but then brings up Contact 6 and Rivera's complaint. Contact 6 sent another representative back to Shahd Linens with a hidden camera, and got a different story. The salesperson said nothing was "used."
When Contact 6 brought the mattress back to FOX6, it was pretty easy for bedding expert Tom Cass to tell it was used. The tag stated "second-hand, used." "You can tell by the oxidation and the color on the foam that this is an aged foam, somewhat dry and cracked. There is very little doubt in my mind that this bed has been used for a significant period of time. It's probably 10 to 12 years old," Cass said. "The average human expels about a pint of fluid an evening when they're laying in the bed, so over a period of 10 years, all of that moisture is going to be absorbed into that mattress," Cass said. It might be gross, but it's not illegal. The Department of Consumer Protection says selling refurbished beds is legal, but it's a violation to sell them as new -- like the Shahd Linen salesperson did in Contact 6's hidden camera investigation. At Best Quality Furniture, a salesperson told a Contact 6 representative the beds are refurbished. "The insides are used, but they have been disinfected and everything.