Sleepy’s Bedbug Investigation Closed By Conn Atty Gen Without Action

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen has closed his agency’s investigation into customer complaints that Sleepy’s, the nation’s largest mattress retailer, had sold them used mattresses and that some were  infested by bedbugs.

Responding to a request from CtWatchdog on the status of the investigation, Jepsen’s office Tuesday said it found no evidence that Sleepy’s had violated any state laws and he was shutting down the probe. He sent a letter Monday to Sleepy’s attorneys telling them that the investigation is over.

Jepsen’s office Wednesday had these additional comments:

“The investigation found that consumer complaints about mattress defects were subject to and handled according to the manufacturer’s warranties. It also found no evidence of bed bug infestation of company warehouses or delivery trucks, which are regularly inspected and fumigated.

“Further, the company provided information that it has never re-sold used mattresses to consumers and that it has a system in place to ensure that all returned mattresses are not mixed with new mattresses, which are purchased only from manufacturers.

“Jepsen thanked the company for cooperating in the investigation. Assistant Attorneys General Sandra G. Arenas and Michele S. Riverso handled the investigation for the Office of the Attorney General.”

The investigation was launched by his predecessor,  Richard Blumenthal, who last year said that 28 complaints of infestation were made by Connecticut consumers.

Blumenthal had said his investigation into Sleepy’s had not produced any evidence that Sleepy’s  systematically sold returned mattresses as new.

Nor, he said, had his office seen any concrete evidence that Sleepy’s has delivered mattresses that were infested with bedbugs. But he said he would keep the investigation open because he could not preclude the possibility that isolated cases may be found where used mattresses were delivered as new.

Blumenthal had a habit of keeping investigations open, especially when he was unable to prove the initial allegations.

If folks recall, my attempt to write about his announcement of that investigation  in July 2009 led to The Courant firing me as its investigative consumer columnist. Sleepy’s, the largest mattress retailer in Connecticut, with more than 70 retail stores, is one of The Courant’s biggest advertisers. I have since filed an unlawful termination suit against the Courant, which is pending.

Sleepy’s denies it has ever sold a used mattress and says its inspection and quality-control process would make it impossible for someone to receive a product infested with bedbugs. It says there has never been a proven case of bedbug infestations caused by their merchandise.