# Is this a new scam? (Mattress for sale) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092 "2006-10-19T14:39:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/1 "2006-10-19T14:39:04Z")
All around Metro Detroit, I see these orange lawn signs posted near freeway exit ramps, etc proclaiming “New Queen pillow top mattress in plastic! $200” There are also ones for King mattresses for $300. The handwriting seems to be the same on all of them, and I can’t beleive that it’s just some schmo with a new mattress he bought but cannot afford. Are we the only area that has this going on? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/2 "2006-10-19T14:44:07Z")
I used to know a dude who rebuilt matresses. He took old, high quality mattresses, fixed a few springs if nessesary, then recovered it. He sold them for about what you are talking about. He remade a super-high quality mattress for me, was the best I ever slept on, and when I moved, my friends begged it off me. So, my WAG is either good quality remade mattresses, or shit-quality new ones with phoney labels. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/3 "2006-10-19T14:54:31Z")
Buyer beware. Some internals are from disgusting re-used mattresses, but with a nice new covering. The problem is that some are decent mattresses, slightly used and refurbished. Some are new, left over stock that had cosmetic issues and were recovered. It would be hard to give a definite answer, so look up the biz via the Better Business Bureau of consumer affairs office (or similair division). ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/4 "2006-10-19T15:14:20Z")
I’ve seen these for a couple of years in my part of the Detroit burbs. I’ve always been curious, too. As Philster says, be careful. I remember a 20/20 or 60 Minutes or some other expose years ago where there was really, truly, awfully disgusting stuff inside some of these remanufactured mattresses. ::shudder:: ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/5 "2006-10-19T15:24:48Z")
[QUOTE=crazyjoe] All around Metro Detroit, I see these orange lawn signs posted near freeway exit ramps, etc proclaiming “New Queen pillow top mattress in plastic! $200” There are also ones for King mattresses for $300. The handwriting seems to be the same on all of them, and I can’t beleive that it’s just some schmo with a new mattress he bought but cannot afford. Are we the only area that has this going on? [/QUOTE] Sound too good to be true? Probably is! **Caveat Emmptor** ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/6 "2006-10-19T15:26:36Z")
If it’s a scam and you fall for it, too bad. You made your bed. You lie in it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/7 "2006-10-19T16:50:51Z")
Just want to be clear that I have no intention of buying a mattress this way. I got ripped off by a matress salesman at a store, just like normal people do 😃 Just wondered what the deal is with this, if it was like those dudes who sold “speakers” out of the back of their trucks or something. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/8 "2006-10-19T17:08:38Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] I’ve seen these for a couple of years in my part of the Detroit burbs. I’ve always been curious, too. As Philster says, be careful. I remember a 20/20 or 60 Minutes or some other expose years ago where there was really, truly, awfully disgusting stuff inside some of these remanufactured mattresses. ::shudder:: [/QUOTE] Like what, specifically? We bought one of these cheapo mattresses years ago, to put on a guestroom bed. We figured it was just a cheaply made mattress that wouldn’t hold up, but since it was for a guest bed that wouldn’t get much use it would do well enough. We kept it for 5 or 6 years, then replaced it when we replaced all the other mattresses in the house a couple of years ago. Now I’m curious – exactly what kind of yucky stuff did I have my guests sleeping on? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/9 "2006-10-19T21:15:59Z")
[QUOTE=Jess] …Now I’m curious – exactly what kind of yucky stuff did I have my guests sleeping on? [/QUOTE] The possibilities are endless: blood, urine, feces and other bodily fluids; dog and cat dander; bedbugs and other insects; and of the course the ubiquitous [dust mite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dust_mite). None of these are visible if somebody just recovers an old mattress without sanitizing it first. Neither Goodwill nor the Salvation Army will accept used mattresses. Guess why not? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/10 "2006-10-19T23:40:50Z")
We also have those here in NC. I have seen similar phony-handwritten signs for computers as well. Yeah, it’s disgusting and all, but probably not much more disgusting than what you sleep on at a hotel, which could easily be the source of a lot of used mattresses. Blehhhck! ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/11 "2006-10-20T00:54:59Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] So, my WAG is either good quality remade mattresses, or shit-quality new ones with phoney labels. [/QUOTE] My WAG is shit-quality used mattresses that they pulled out of a dumpster and wiped down with a rag. The reason they are in plastic is so that you can’t smell them or inspect them too closely. ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/12 "2006-10-20T02:15:50Z")
My grandmother is very wealthy. About five years ago I found out that she had bought the mattress for my room at her house from the Holiday Inn. I’ll never forgive her. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-new-scam-mattress-for-sale/377092/13 "2006-10-20T03:21:58Z")
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry] We also have those here in NC. I have seen similar phony-handwritten signs for computers as well. Yeah, it’s disgusting and all, but probably not much more disgusting than what you sleep on at a hotel, which could easily be the source of a lot of used mattresses. Blehhhck! [/QUOTE] In NYC especially, you need to be sure these days that you’re getting an _unused_ mattress; the bedbug thing is getting out of control and is expected to get worse. I don’t know if it’s as gloomy as the NY Times is saying (there was an article this weekend saying that it will be our next great infestation), but I’d rather not have to deal with paying for a thorough extermination costing thousands (with uncertain results).