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I hate waste and find myself wondering where all those barely used comfort swap mattresses go as I know that its supposedly no longer legal to sell them once they've been used. I got kind of a vague answer when I asked the guy at US Mattress if they went to charity but it seemed more like he was not at liberty to say. Anyone know?
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Refurbished mattresses are being sold, and are supposed to be stripped to the springs and recovered. However due to unethical practices of some retailers of refurb. (such as merely putting a new cover on a filthy old mattress or just spraying it) more regulations are being enforced. I would never consider buying a used or refurbuished mattress, but many people do take advantage of the rock bottom prices and get nasty surprises.
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As far as comfort exchange mattresses I can pretty much guarantee that all of them are re-sold. Unless maybe sold in a state where comfort exchanges are illegal...I thought I heard something to that effect for New Jersey.... Comfort exchanges would be very expensive if the mattresses were disposed of. Unless perhaps the retailer had some kind of insurance in place to cover them on replacement mattresses...but I doubt many of them do. We certainly don't as we do not get many comfort exchanges. The retailer should be telling the customer if they are getting a discount because the bed is slightly used, but we know this doesn't happen all the time. One of the biggest retailers in Canada called The Brick has clearance centres where they basically just sell damaged products, factory seconds and I believe comfort exchanged mattresses usually go there as well. |
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I've shopped at the Brick, but only for minor items as most of the furniture they sell is ......well, not to my liking. I don't know about used mattresses. Apparently there are many places selling used, contaminated and bedbug infested mattresses as new. Since the consequences of doing this seem to be little more than a slight tap on the wrist, there is no motivation to discontinue the practice. Out and out lying/fraud is involved. |
| I live in PA. Every store has told me it is illegal to sell used & they are destroyed. Once I do buy a new mattress, I think I will not let them take my current 6 year old Sealy Posturpedic mattress. I will either sell it on Craigslist or find a charitable organization to come pick it up. |
| Thanks, DoreenA and Budgy. What an eye opener! I can see now a new benefit in buying component mattresses with a zippered cover, as opposed to sewed shut. |
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weewillywinky wrote: Thanks, DoreenA and Budgy. What an eye opener! I can see now a new benefit in buying component mattresses with a zippered cover, as opposed to sewed shut. |
| Wow - eye opener indeed. Seems like the notion that they might go to charity is just wishful thinking on my part. Thanks for all the info and links! |
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I first became aware of this practice while watching a court show recently where the plaintiff complained about a mattress she bought containing bedbugs. She cut open the bottom and found a VERY used (and dirty and stained) frame and upholstery with bedbug eggs clinging. The only indication the mattress was used was that the salesman scrawled a very small "ref" on her bill and it had no large yellow tag as required by law. Apparently breaking that law results in tiny fines of something like $50. weewillywinky, do you mean components like slabs of foam? At least with those you can more or less see what you're getting, unlike with traditional spring mattresses where a new cover can hide a horror scene. It's really despicable. When I got my new mattress, I had the guys take away an old set (I kept the one I was using) that was being used as an animal bed. Dogs used it, ate messy bones on it and drooled on it, cats used and puked on it. Now I'm frightened it got recovered and sold. For anyone with a sick sense of humour, you might get a chuckle (or shed a few tears) over this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvF3F9olA5Y
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| I have read on line that there are places you can buy returned matresses at much reduced prices. It may depend on the laws of each state but if my IComfort matress has a stain, etc. they will not take it back within the 120 days. If they disposed of them--why would they care? |
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numbernine wrote: Wow - eye opener indeed. Seems like the notion that they might go to charity is just wishful thinking on my part. Thanks for all the info and links! |