In a special assignment report, Jennifer Baileys was contacted by a Rent-A-Center employee who says some people are paying to infest their own homes with bed bugs.
"The bug problem in Louisville is pretty bad," said "Jeff" who claims to be a Rent-A-Center employee.
"It was maybe one place a year, but now we're getting this one a week. There's no bleach spray, there's absolutely nothing done for bed bugs I took over a location and my first two days on the job was fighting bed bugs," said Jeff.
His job is not in pest control, "Jeff" says he is a manager of Rent-A-Centers in Louisville.
"Personally I wouldn't rent furniture," said "Jeff".
Fox 41 agreed to hide "Jeff's" identity and he provided proof of his employment with Rent-A-Center. "Jeff" said he contacted Fox 41 because he wants everyone to know the truth about the risk of renting furniture.
"They don't want you to junk the stuff, they want to make their money and that's what they're going to do whatever it takes to make their money," said "Jeff" who has worked at stores in Louisville that have been infested with bed bugs.
"Jeff" also claims few employees ever follow Rent-A-Center's bed bug policy.
"100 percent of the time it's not followed," said "Jeff".
As part of the Fox 41 investigation, Jennifer Baileys contacted Rent-A-Center's corporate office in Texas. Company Spokesperson Xavier Dominicis said no one at any of the stores in Louisville would be available to talk on camera and that Fox 41 would not be permitted inside any of the stores.
Dominicis did offer information about Rent-A-Centers bed bug policy. He said all stores use a product called Steri-Fab to fight bed bugs.
"This Steri-Fab do you feel that this really does work and knock out any potential problems," asked Baileys. "It's the best product on the market right now," said Dominicis.
OPC Pest Control in Louisville backs up that claim. Manager Kevin Mills said Steri-Fab will kill bed bugs when sprayed directly on the bug, but like all products on the market it will not fix the problem.
"It's just very difficult there's not really a product that's 100% guaranteed for bed bugs no matter what you do," said Mills.
Rent-A-Center employee "Jeff" said whether Steri-Fab works or not is irrelevant because he said employees like himself are not trained on how to use it and most stores do not even carry the product.
"So the Steri-Fab never gets used," Baileys asked "Jeff" "100% of the time never gets used," said "Jeff" "There's never time to stop and do it."
"Jeff" also claimed precautions are rarely taken in his stores to prevent the spread of bed bugs even when new products like mattresses come in.
"We put the old ones right up next to the new ones," said "Jeff" talking about loading and moving mattresses.
"Roaches, that's probably a bigger epidemic than bed bugs. As a matter of fact, there's no policy in place for roaches," claimed "Jeff".
Of course these are claims Rent-A-Center officials dispute. Dominicis says all merchandise is inspected when it comes into and leaves a store.
"When a piece of merchandise comes back it gets brushed and vacuumed that has an upholstery attachment and then after that it gets treated with a product called Steri-Fab," said Dominicis.
"The companies that rent or buy mattresses when they come in and pick up the old mattresses and put it in the same truck as used and new that it's possible that bed bugs could carry from one on to the new," said Mills with OPC.
Pest control officials said buying used furniture is not a good idea. Mills said if someone decided to rent furniture, check out the creases, edges and underneath. Turn it over and check it out with a flash light, but remember these little bugs are good at hiding and very difficult to get rid of.
"Over-the-counter type products are effective on bed bugs, the problem with anything over the counter including chemicals is it will kill a bed bug on direct contact, but getting to where the bed bugs hide and wait is the key," said Mills.
By: Jennifer Baileys - Fox41.com
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