I would wonder if that company had been banned from doing business in California.

CA has strict environmental laws. It might be that the product doesn't pass the muster environmentally. I am not familiar with how gel mattresses are manufactured or disposed of, but if it doesn't meet CAs environmental standards, it's possible you may not want to sleep on it anyways.

That's interesting. I'd like to know, too.

Yes the environmental regulations are very different for California. There are many things that are not allowed. It's not the company that won't ship it's California that won't accept it. A lot of people have things delivered to friends in nearby states and they go get them.

I think Daisy is right. So many products say they are not available in CA (because they don't meet environmental/health standards/laws). It's sad that the rest of the states don't value their citizens' health or their environment as much as CA does.

eta, after reading Raven's comment: I can't believe people are doing a run-around regulations intended to protect health and safety and the environment of all the citizens. Well, I guess I can believe it, but I don't understand that ignorance/selfishness.

Companies don't get banned, I can't imagine how or why that would be done. Unless you can cite an example. But it's true California has tighter standards for many products and items than other places do. Funny thing is, many of California's standards have been trailblazing over the years and have often migrated to other places and sometimes to federal standards too.

People having products shipped to "friends in nearby states"? That's a new one on me, something I've never once heard of. I can't imagine what that might be done for.

Elmer there are insurance companies that are banned in certain states because what they are selling is a fraudulent product. Although that is not a hard product like a mattress or a citrus tree it is still a product.

Yes California has warning labels on everything, from the food you eat to the chairs you sit on. Just about every building you walk into also. Nearly everything we buy has a stupid label. It's so stupid and prevalent people don't even see all the signs anymore.

The unfortunate result of Proposition 65, a feel good measure pushed through by emotional thinkers who wouldn't understand real science or risk assessment matrix if it slapped them in the face.

Then there are the crazy lawsuits that hurt small business.

http://prop65scam.com/lawsuit-abuse/

Here is a link to the mattress I tried to order of the Macy's website. I'm going to see if I google the brand if I can find why it's not shipped to CA. I'm going in to Macys a little a later today to check out mattresses, I'm going to ask when I get there. Just really curious. And yes, if it's because it doesn't meet certain environmental standards or anything like that, I'm glad I can't get it.

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/sensorgel-10-plush-mattress-full-quick-ship-mattress-in-a-box?ID=4559258&CategoryID=25931&RVI=Browse_5&tdp=cm_choiceId~z4559258~xcm_pos~zPos5

"insurance companies that are banned in certain states because what they are selling is a fraudulent product."

maifleur, are there locations where it is permitted to sell a fraudulent product?

"Banned" suggests something is excluded/impermissible with no other recourse or remedy. Many things are subject to governmental regulation and something not yet registered but register-able would hardly be called "banned". Companies are not banned from doing business in one state from another but often have local rules to comply with.

Products not meeting local requirements - yes, those can be banned. But not companies.

I appreciate California's effort to protect the environment and the people who live in it. I'm proud of my state for that.

It’s Macy’s? Why not just call their customer service dept and inquire. Who knows maybe it’s a bug in their computer programming. Can’t hurt to ask. Or maybe they can ship to the store for pick up.

always, California isn't the only "can't ship to" state in the Lower 48 for that mattress. I suspect it has something to do with the product's materials.

watchme, I've always thought of Prop 65 as the opposite of what you describe. A woman who tragically has a miscarriage can't sue her local dry cleaners for damages - there's a Prop 65 sign posted at the door that says "Warning, we use chemicals here, please don't blame us if you later have a problem.". And that site you link to seems to take consistent positions against consumer protection laws. Another example of an organization or movement suggesting the world is only black and white?

If you look at the link, this cannot be shipped to Rhode Island and Connecticut either. Would be interested to know why.

I'm happy about Prop 65. I like having the warnings, and I like that California is stricter about consumer materials. I was surprised to see the warning when shopping for red wine vinegar! I prefer the choice to use a product to be in the hands of the consumers, and I like the full transparency. I'm sure it occasionally produces unnecessary hysteria and over-reactions but I think that's preferable to the alternative.

And the foolishness continues. Now it's coffee the activists have targeted as coffee as a potential carcinogen. But only in California. So if you buy a Starbucks in Nevada better drink it quick before you cross the state line so you won't risk getting cancer. LOL

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/02/10/ca-coffee-shops-must-post-warning-signs-about-cancer-causing-ingredient/

Why does it bother you? I welcome the chance to become more informed based on these signs, and then make a decision for myself. In my vinegar example above, that's exactly what I did. I had no idea lead was a concern, so I read the sign, did a little research and decided I was still comfortable with the product.

People who don't want to to worry about every little possibly unhealthy thing can completely disregard the notices.

I think Starbucks will be okay. I would be surprised if many regular coffee drinkers change their habits after reading these notices. And if they do, it's their choice to avoid a potential carcinogen. What's the problem?

Elmer, People having products shipped to "friends in nearby states"? That's a
new one on me, something I've never once heard of. I can't imagine what
that might be done for.

Right or wrong, I know quite a few Californians who buy plants internationally and have them sent to friends in other states, who can then send them on with no problem. Very often the Ca. Ag department confiscates plants and destroys them, even when they've been properly certified.

As I said, I've never heard of anyone doing that. Never, as in never ever.

I'm appalled to hear of anyone acting so selfishly to circumvent our non-native pest control measures. I can't imagine anyone even considering that. I think most reasonable people would feel the same way.

If you had to pick one phrase from these two to describe the practice, would it be "that's incredibly clever" or "that's incredibly stupid" ? I know which I would pick.

I would say it's incredibly stupid. Nevertheless, people do it.

Anyone admitting to doing that would be viewed as a pariah. The fact that they would tell others they did that speaks to their judgement. Hopefully with agricultural items it's not something widely done.

Not being a Californian, I can't speak with absolute certainty, but the Ag Inspectors have a very bad reputation. My worst addiction is for plumerias and I frequent plumeria forums. Many beautiful cultivars come out of Thailand and have to be certified to come into the country. So I see many people have them shipped to other states and then mailed to their Cali address.

I'm not saying its right, just that yes, it happens all the time in the plant world. Maybe in the mattress world, too. :)

" the Ag Inspectors have a very bad reputation."

Yeah, sounds like nonsense to me. They don't have a bad reputation among the general public, they're state workers doing their jobs and enforcing laws and regulations. If anything, I think people respect and appreciate what they do. I've never heard anything negative said about the ag inspectors usually encountered at airports and on the freeways near state borders. Often with cute dogs with trained sniffers.

People can tend to get carried away and develop feelings of self importance with their hobbies, it sounds like some plumeria people may have that problem.

Ever fly to Australia? They have VERY rigid plant material importation restrictions and what seemed to me to be even tighter inspections upon arrival than here. Remember the issue with the American actor and his dogs a few years ago, they were impounded (I hesitated using that word) for not following the prescribed rules.

Yes, i think it was Johnny Depp? Some just think they're above it all. Yes, plumeria people and anyone else that tries to circumvent the laws to get what they want are the same. My point in posting was just to say yes, people will order what they want and navigate whatever avenue to get it.

Off topic as far as environmental rules go, but another reason people go out of California to make purchases is to avoid California sales tax. They go up to Oregon (a no sales tax state) to buy big ticket items such as appliances, mattresses and hot tubs, pay no sales tax and bring the items into California. They used to do it with vehicles, but the California DMV now collects sales tax when people register vehicles that were purchased in Oregon within a certain period of time (six months I think, but might be as long as a year). My dad lived in Oregon and bought a new car. A couple of months later he moved to California to be closer to us and he was furious when he registered the car and had to pay California sales tax to the tune of $3000.

I do not know a plant person who has not done something similar. I used to be with a group that ordered tree peonies from various countries for their annual sale. Got through customs fine then an idiot plant inspector decided there was no such thing as a tree peony and had very thing destroyed. Please do not talk about respect for plant inspectors because none can know about everything about all plants although they seem to think they do.

"I do not know a plant person who has not done something similar."

Well, you do now!! I agree entirely with Elmer - the restrictions are there for a purpose and the inspectors are only doing their job.

btw, there is a legal term applied to this sort of behavior.......it's called "smuggling".

A plant person who has never been given a plant or cutting then tossed it into a bin rather than cross a state line is a very rare bird.

Yeah, that bothers me. It might be plants but that sort of thinking is a slippery slope. When people can justify their own exceptions and shift the blame onto "idiots" doing their job, it can quickly move into much more serious circumstances.

I boarded a train once in Vancouver, headed to California, and I was eating a snack from my hotel when we crossed back into the US. Border/customs agents came on-board and asked me to throw away my banana as I wasn't allowed to bring it into the US. I could have hidden it but I figured they had a good reason for it. I see this as something similar.

maifleur, I love tree peonies, that must have been heart-breaking. I hope your club tried again, and got a better result. Following the law, of course.

I've nothing but respect for our laws and the inspectors who enforce them; but I also realize these inspectors are humans who will sometime make mistakes. Who can recognize every plant CITES lists as endangered?

Understandable about the plants, a little weird about the mattress, especially since it sounds like the store does business here in CA?

A few months ago DH was looking at backpacks online- the kind that people who do multiple day trekking use. Some of the packs were not to be shipped to CA and that was one we just couldn't figure out. Some from the manufacturer could be and some couldn't. Never did figure that one out. They all looked like they were made of the same materials...

I use to buy supplements from a large retailer in the midwest, but once CA pushed the prop 65 thing on them, they stopped shipping to CA. I can't blame them, no supplement company wants to have to put a cancer warning on a health product. I was trying to order high quality fiber supplements for a family member at the time- don't they tell us to take that to prevent cancer?

Problem with prop 65 is retailers put it on everything to protect themselves so it means nothing. A few months ago DH ordered from a place outside of CA that had to label their products with a prop 65 warning and the company humored us by sticking the warning label on everything including the invoice, the plastic bag the item came in, and a sticker from their company. That was funny.

nickel, we were following the law had all of the certs and inspections until they got to the USDA. Was over $2,000 wholesale of plants sent up in smoke. Three boxes. Another box that was sent at the same time sailed through the inspection so we did have some for sale. Worst part was because of the way things were at that time the person whose name was on the import documents was required to pay a fine. Was contested for several years but since that person is sent and sends plants to other countries to develop and trial it had to be paid or he would not be able to do the research that he does.

It's a crazy system. Better than no system, but far from perfect.