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Why is it illegal to cut the tag off of mattresses?

You know the little plastic tags on the corner of mattresses, the contents of which I've never bothered to read, well, why is it against the law to cut those off? I mean, isn't it private property? And why do they care anyway?

Public Comments

1. Actually that warning applies to the retailer, not the customer. So I have been told, anyway.
2. I believe it is against the law for anyone besides the owner to cut it off. I believe it is so you know the flameablilty of it.
3. Lord re-read the tag. It cannot be cut off by anyone OTHER than the consumer, which is you the purchaser.
4. Ever since flammability regulations for matresses were beefed up some 35 years ago, it lets the fire marshall know it is a "legal" matress.
5. It's not illegal. If you read the tag, it says "not to be removed except by purchaser" or something along those lines. Once you've paid for it, it's yours - rip that baby off, lol.
6. it's not when they're private property. You can do whatever you want after you purchase them. Manufacturers and retailers are forbidden for cutting them off, some people have allergies to some of the materials inside of the mattresses
7. This applies to the distributor and/or the manufacturer, not to the consumer.
8. It's only illegal to do it if you do not own the mattress.
9. Actually, it's NOT illegal to cut the tags off of mattresses after you've bought them!
10. ummmm ya i dont think it really is cuz i do all the time. and my aunt n uncle own a furniture store and they said it wasnt so ya.
11. if you read the tag more carefully, it says that it cannot be removed by anyone other than the consumer, which would be you, the owner of the matress/pillow/cushion.
12. heres an answer from yahoo too... Dear Yahoo!: Why can't you take the tag off your mattress? Britany Millington, Tennessee Dear Britany: Cut off your mattress tag already! Don't worry, you won't get locked up. As a consumer, it's perfectly legal to remove the tag from your own mattress. So why is it there? Well, the answer is somewhat involved. Back in the 1900s, mattresses often contained a host of vermin and disease-carrying materials. To protect consumers, the government required dealers to post tags on their mattresses listing the contents. Later, the Feds added a warning to the content tag with the ominous message, "Do not remove under penalty of law," in big, black letters. The move may have deterred duplicitous mattress dealers, but it only served to confuse consumers who didn't know that the threat wasn't meant for them. Confronted by fear of prosecution, consumers left the tags on their mattresses. Recently, the Feds addressed the misunderstanding by changing the label to: "This tag may not be removed except by the consumer." Since then, the Feds have long abandoned the pursuit of tag-tearing merchants, though states like Texas still inspect mattresses for tags in stores. They're probably making sure their laws aren't full of fluff.
13. To keep the mattress police employed! LOL :)
14. I don't know if this is true or not. Back in the 1900s, mattresses often contained a host of vermin and disease-carrying materials. To protect consumers, the government required dealers to post tags on their mattresses listing the contents. Later, the Feds added a warning to the content tag with the ominous message, "Do not remove under penalty of law," in big, black letters. The move may have deterred duplicitous mattress dealers, but it only served to confuse consumers who didn't know that the threat wasn't meant for them. Confronted by fear of prosecution, consumers left the tags on their mattresses. Recently, the Feds addressed the misunderstanding by changing the label to: "This tag may not be removed except by the consumer." Since then, the Feds have long abandoned the pursuit of tag- tearing merchants, though states like Texas still inspect mattresses for tags in stores. They're probably making sure their laws aren't full of fluff.
15. I snitched my parents off for doing that in hopes of collecting some type of secret witness reward, but I can tell you it doesn't go anywhere. The police won't come.
16. Because once upon a time all sorts of horrible stuff was used as mattress stuffing. The government enacted a law to ensure only "new white material" (basically virgin cloth that hadn't ever been used for anything else beforehand) could be used to to stuff mattresses and the tag is an indication that the mattress meets this requirement. It is illegal for the mattress store to remove the tag, but once you've bought the mattress, you can gleefully shred the little sucker (the tag, not the mattress) without any fear of penalty.
17. it's not you it's for retailer
18. It isn't illegal to take the tag off of your mattresses or pillows. It is illegal to remove these tags before they have been sold and delivered to the customer. This is for several reasons. Some people have allergies. What is its flammability. How it can be cleaned. those types of things
19. It isn't illegal. Once you buy the mattress, you can do whatever you want with it.
20. It's illegal for the retailer to cut it off, not the purchaser. The reason for it is that there was a big resale market in used mattresses at the time the tags were first required, and many unscrupulous sellers would take used mattresses and sell them as new. The tags were supposed to help prevent this.