Mattress tags have been the butt of jokes in the 80’s or even earlier.  Because of the way it was worded, which is actually addressed to counterfeiters, consumers also thought it was not wise to remove the tag once they purchased theirs, fearing they too would land in jail. But of course, you must know that consumers do not get in trouble for it.

Here’s a more vivid explanation:

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.

On hindsight, the tag serves as a guarantee you aren’t buying someone else’s already used mattress, right? So let it stay on. What have you got to lose?

From Yahoo