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Furniture Rental Companies And Bed Bugs

Posted at 7:35 PM, Dec 04, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-04 20:35:14-05

A woman said she rented furniture from a Davidson County business, only to find out it was infested with bed bugs.

Tonetta Helms-Foster said she found the perfect furniture set at a Bestway Rentals store last Wednesday, but soon after it was delivered she felt differently. 

"While I was laying on the furniture I felt myself getting bit, so I jumped up immediately and I went to the restroom and took a shower," said Helms-Foster.

When she looked in the mirror she saw bug bites on her back and torso.  "I knew what I was dealing with, bed bugs," said Helms-Foster.

Those bites led to an allergic reaction requiring medication and a shot. The company, Bestway Rentals, agreed to remove the furniture and give her her money back, but Helms-Foster said that's not enough.

She wants them to pay the $1,300 it's going to cost to treat her home and get rid of the bed bugs.  "I can not afford this type treatment," said Helms-Foster.  "I have a handicap son and God forbid he gets bit up like me."

The company insists the bugs did not come from their furniture.  In fact, they say they hired an independent pest control company to inspect her house and it found no sign of bed bugs.  "They said they did a proper inspection, but evidently not," said Helms-Foster.

There's no way to know for sure where exactly the bed bugs came from.  BestWay issued a statement saying they take claims of bedbugs seriously and that they have procedures in their stores to make sure they don't introduce bedbugs into customer's homes.

So what should you do if you plan to rent furniture, so this doesn't happen to you. You'll want to check all used or rented furniture for bed bugs.  Check out the creases, edges and underneath. Turn it over and check it out with a flash light, and only get used or rented furniture from a place with a bed bug prevention policy.