Person dies in a lazyboy. The store repossesses the chair. Then the
store reseals the lazyboy as if new? Does any one know of any federal
or sate law that prohibits this disgusting practice?

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Request for Question Clarification by efn-ga on 26 Feb 2006 19:36 PST

Hi jsc,

The Federal Trade Commission frowns on selling any used merchandise as
new, regardless of the nature of the previous use.  I did not locate
any specific laws other than the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914.

"Many prior Commission cases hold that used articles restored to the
appearance of new require an affirmative disclosure of prior use. A
1969 Commission Enforcement Policy Statement (34 FR 176) reiterates
this principle.

In recent actions, the Commission has continued to protect consumers
from sellers passing off used goods as new.

...

...various states also prohibit misrepresenting used merchandise as
new, either by specific statute or by common law..."

Would this excerpt from a Federal Trade Commission document be a
satisfactory answer to your question?  I would, of course, cite the
source.

If you are looking for state-specific information, it would help if
you would specify the state.

--efn

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Clarification of Question by jsc-ga on 28 Feb 2006 18:47 PST

Thank you for the reply. I am in Alabama. I was looking to catch the
unconscionable activity of failing to disclosure a death or person
expired in a lazy boy chair. I wonder what that would do to the resale
value. I am sure they by a repo. as is, but it would seem that since a
person expired in the furniture, there is a higher level of
responsibility. Agree?

I doubt that there are laws that address this specific case.