The last time I bought a mattress for myself was about 11 years ago. I bought a fairly new full-sized one off a coworker. Four moves and a decade later, we’ve decided it’s time to replace it with an adult (and sometimes an extra toddler)-sized bed.
Shopping Blind
When we started looking, I was shocked at the prices. $3000 for a mattress? What the heck are these things made of? Knowing very little, we went shopping for a mattress and other things on a Saturday morning. The first place, we stopped, Sleepy’s, seemed nice enough. We laid on a few and honed in on the one that we both felt most comfortable in. Meanwhile, Audrey discovered the fun of letting herself fall backwards onto mattresses and did it all over the store. She was giggling and the whole store couldn’t help but look and smile at her. Unfortunately, we soon stopped smiling.
When we found something we liked, the seemingly helpful salesman started to get more aggressive. He asked how much we were looking at paying and I made up a number on the spot, something way below the listed price on the bed. The said he would “talk with his manager” and see if he could get us that price. Then he started asking us if we could commit and have it delivered tomorrow. Anne had walked outside to give Audrey a break by that point, so I said I had to go out and talk with her about it. We talked about it for a bit, then decided we didn’t like the high-pressure sales pitch, so we got ready to leave.
I had the car started up when the salesman came out and approached the car window. He then said that he had “talked to his manager” and he could give us the price we wanted AND a free “platinum package”. I said we would talk about it and let him know. We again decided this was sketchy, but to make good on my promise, I went in and gave him my phone number and left.
Later that day we went to Jordan’s Furniture, generally known to be a reputable place with reasonable places. The salespeople there were nice and NOT high-pressure. Prices were generally lower, but strangely, we couldn’t find the mattress we found at Sleepy’s. They had Sertas, but not the one we liked.
Being indecisive, we left with a couple new names of ones we liked. Later, we went to Mattress Discounters. The woman there was not pushy and told us about the BBB complaints that Sleepy’s (a 700-store chain) had gotten. We decided to think some more and head home.
At home, I did some research online and I found something strange – I couldn’t find much of anything on the mattresses we saw that we liked. I found some mattresses, many of the same brand, but not the same models.
One Big Scam
I later came to find out that this was completely intentional. The mattress industry is one big scam. There is no way to make an objective decision on a mattress using actual facts.
Here’s a few things that the mattress industry does to get you:
1. They mark up their prices 100% to 200%!! No wonder the first guy was able to get his “manager” to give me such a steep discount. They were probably still going to make hundreds of dollars of profits on it.
2. They give the same mattresses different names in different stores or they set up exclusivity agreements by mattress line in certain stores. This makes it impossible to comparison shop because…
3. They make it really had to get actual facts about the mattresses. Stuff like coil counts, materials, overall construction are shrouded in secrecy. But that doesn’t really matter because…
4. There’s no objective measure of mattress quality. Consumer Reports won’t rate them because they can’t get the data and there’s no testing that actually says higher coil counts are better or the number of wires in the coils makes a difference in any way. You’re left to deciding how much you believe the marketing. Is a pillow top made of alpaca hair any better than one made of cotton? Your guess is as good as mine.
5. There’s very little online reviews of mattresses, probably because the model names are so fractured. The ones I did find looked more like content-free sites designed to attract referral credits.
Cracking the Code
With some more research, I found out that it was somewhat possible to compare mattresses models from different places. It turns out that they really only make one hardness variation in each line. So you can assume that a Plush Firm mattress in the “Classic” line, is the same as another Plush Firm in the Classic line, even if they have different names.
US-mattress.com was very helpful in figuring this out. We were able to understand which mattresses we saw and how they related to each other. For example, the mattress we liked at Jordan’s was a product line better than the one we saw at Mattress Discounters, even though they came out to the same price! Clearly Jordan’s had the better deal, but US-Mattress had an even better deal.
So I did something I never thought I could do, buy a mattress over the internet. I’m pretty sure it’s the same one we saw in the store and the free delivery and frame were a good deal. I’m sure that even if I’m getting it at half the price I saw it listed at elsewhere, they’re still making a decent profit on it.
Anne and I agree that buying a mattress is worse than buying a car. While both have sketchy salespeople, when you buy a car, you can compare them on MPG, size, features, etc. Multiple dealers have the same models so you can compare prices and make an informed decision based on their invoice prices. There’s none of that when buying a mattress.
Our mattress should arrive in a few weeks. Hopefully we’ll just find it comfortable enough to have to avoid going through buying a mattress again for at least another 11 years.
UPDATE: The mattress arrived quickly and in good condition. We’ve been sleeping on it for several nights and while it feels comfy, I’ve had some upper back soreness which seems to be related to the new mattress. I’m going to keep trying it for a few more weeks and see if my body adjusts as the US-mattress.com website suggests. Hopefully it will go away. Otherwise, we’ll have to find another one and do a $100 exchange I guess.
Awesome article.
I’ve been through a similar ordeal, going back and forth between big mattress retailers, so many pushy salespeople, too much selection and ambiguity between mattresses models – the whole deal. Not only is it frustrating, it’s completely exhausting!
After visiting about 5-6 stores to no avail, I turned to shopping online (which I rarely ever do). I searched for memory foam and went to several online stores, but I found the best deal at http://www.novosbed.com so I decided to FINALLY order a mattress. It arrived about 2 weeks after I ordered (fast!) and I’ve been sleeping on it for about 4 months now. It’s super comfortable… And I sleep even more soundly just knowing that my money didn’t go straight into a pushy salesman’s pocket.
I definitely recommend Novosbed to anyone who is sick and tired of being ripped off!
There is a joke in here somewhere about getting screwed by the mattress industry, I’m just not witty enough to think of it. Good blog though, sounds like most folks already knew about the mattress industry scam, but I didn’t.
First off I’m sorry you guys have had bad experiences. I work in a mattress store, I have been selling for 7 years. I am a NON COMMISSION sales person. The mattress industry does not mark their products up 100 to 200% There is a mark up, but not anywhere near that extent. I would like to know what type of scam you are referring to? What mattress companies do to sell their product is no different that anybody else in the retail industry (cars, tvs, appliances, toys). Just because you had a bad experience with one or two companies doesn’t mean the entire industry is faulty. You probably dealt with commissioned sales people who just want your money.
We were mattress shopping today and one of the salesmen explained how the mattress companies put different model names on the same mattresses to that companies who spend advertising dollars can put higher prices on the same mattress. We also found sales people who told us that one mattress was gel memory foam, then found out from another sales person that it wasn’t.
As a small business owner, not to back up any wrong doing, but the true scams are coming from the city/state/and government fees to just run a business. Which is why we unfortunately have to charge prices that may seem unfair. Just having employees costs a ton of extra money. So we really need to group together and go after these jerks that are scamming our small, usually family owned, businesses to closing. Thanks for reading.
Oh it’s Obamas fault. Lol. I see. Unbelievable. Now mattress prices were his fault. That’s bullshit because small business matrsss companies are making a killing selling high quality matresses online. The brick-and-mortar aspect has always been the same and it’s never changed no matter when or where they’ve always ripped people off when it comes the mattresses because people don’t know any better it’s not the government it’s the stores.
Thats really bad that you have had such a negative experience. I work for a mattress and bed company in London and we pride ourselves on being as helpful and informative as possible.
how much are your beds
we bought a mattress from us-mattress.com and it was heavily damaged (which was supposedly in the incredibly fine print somewhere on their site). 70% restocking fee.
DO NOT USE THEM!!
I am not surprised by all the comments. I’ve been around this industry a long time and everything mentioned sounds way too familiar.
There is too much confusion and too many gimmicks. That’s why I really appreciate what Tempurpedic has done. Minimum prices and the same product in every store. Makes it much easier on consumers. It was my best selling brand and least returned. It would be nice if other manufacturers would learn from their success.
Of the innerspring matts, the quality continues to drop. The “luxury” level beds today would have been your basic mattress 15 years ago. Its insane.
In defense of the people selling, there are some good and honest folks in the business. And if you find them, they will earn every penny of their commission making sure you are matched with the perfect sleep solution. A good salesperson should be selling a good night sleep, not mattresses. Unfortunately, there are far too many out there who should be working at the carnival instead.
There is a joke in here somewhere about getting screwed by the mattress industry, I’m just not witty enough to think of it. Good blog though, sounds like most folks already knew about the mattress industry scam, but I didn’t.
U-S Mattress.com WARNING: Do not buy from these people. We purchased a King Sealy Posturepedic 60th Anniversary Edition for $1169.00 on Dec 28, 2010. After using this mattress for only a few nights we realized that it too has serious problems with body cavities. After a phone call to their sales dept we were told that this is a normal condition and not to worry. This IS NOT NORMAL, we are in our late 60’s and this is the first time in all our lives we have had these problems with a mattress, such as back pains after sleeping on this mattress. After much discussion with the sales person I was told that the only remedy was a less padded model and that the price would be approx $400 less. Since they have a 100 night warranty I thought fine ship it to us, however she said they would not reimburse us the difference in cost. WTF?? PLEASE USE OUR BAD EXPERIENCE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE, STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. Do not become a “I TOLD YOU SO” victim.
Per Wikipedia:
US Mattress has among the highest complaints in the industry, as it doesn’t really permit refunds. As they rely on 3rd party delivery people, the quality & timeliness of the delivery can vary greatly.
Also: http://www.dldewey.com/bed.htm
Sleepy’s of Alexandria sold me a supposedly Simmons NG400 mattress. Approx. $2500. The mattress has a 3/4″ indentation in just one year. Memory foam. Now, I awaken with extreme hip and back pain. Can’t get any help from Simmons. Sleepy’s will allow me to buy another mattress at a “discount,” but I must pay the $1500 remaining balance on the mattress that I have, which literally is coming apart at the seams. I believe the next stop will have to be court! What other recourse does a non-suspecting consumer have?
I think from this blog, the comments, and so many others on the web that it’s clear that the major mattress manufacturers and the national chain stores that are for the most part “in bed” with them are not the places to find value when you are buying a mattress.
In my own search for a mattress, I ended up with a list of almost all the local and regional mattress manufacturers in the US an Canada and quickly came to realize that the real value, quality, and service when you are buying a mattress is from local manufacturers who take pride in what they build. They are also much less than anything equivalent in the major brands.
The misinformation about materials used in mattresses, what they are good for, and how long they last is all over the web. This is compounded by sales and business practices in many places that are questionable at best.
While I don’t sell mattresses, I did put together an educational site, http://www.themattressunderground.com based on hundreds of hours talking to good manufacturers and retailers that can help guide people through the pitfalls of mattress shopping and let them know what to look for and where to get their best value.
The more the “mattress industry” is exposed and the more consumers get good, transparent information, the better.
Shameful plug for a website sponsored by a few select brands in the mattress industry and with an owner (Phoenix) that chastises honest feedback if it’s again your sponsors. I’m just a guy trying to buy a mattress and tired of the fake reviews.
I work at a store that sell mattresses. I would never buy a mattress online or from a TV shopping network. It is a huge investment that needs to be seen in person. Many of your claims as well as others claims on this blog are exaggerated & inaccurate. I will not try to change your mind or dispute your claims because it would be a waste of time.
I will say there are lots of reputable dealers who sell thousands of mattresses with satisfied customers. Our store has a 60 night sleep guarantee. Sleep on it. If you don’t like that mattress you have 60 days to exchange it for another one. It will not take sixty days to know if your mattress is right for you.
Good luck the next time you buy a mattress!!
There is always a person that will either do good or bad to you, especially in terms of business. The key is to find people that you feel most comfortable in doing business with and do not over think it.
You say that the mattress names are the only things that change from retailer to retailer…. That is 100% false! The quality of mattresses may also change, Not just the names! The amount of time the mattresses have been sitting in a warehouse may very as well… Not to mention that some larger retailers may have specially designed mattresses made just for them… You have been misguided misinformed and this article is completly misleading. When you buy one car that is the same model as another there are certain features that may make one vehicle more expensiv than another! When mattresses are made for Cstco or sams club they are made very quickly because these companies order so many at one time. The quality of these mattresses will be inferior and in most cases the mattress you purchase will be very old and sitting in a warehouse stacked in a huge pile for a very long time (check your julian dates) every mattress and box spring (foundation) will have one on the law tag. Never purchase a mattress from a store that offer any kind of comfort guarantee! The only mattress manufacturer that will take back a mattress for comfort is Tempur-Pedic. They offer a 90 day comfort exhcange. No other brand has a comfort exchange… Therefore you must ask yourself 1 question???? If you are offered a comfort exchange, what are these mattress distributors doing with the old mattresses that have been in someones home for 30, 60, or even 90+ days? THEY ARE RESELLING THEM! GROSS! Would you want to sleep on a mattress that has been in someone home for 30 days… People do a lot of things on mattresses (including but not limited to: Smoking, Eatting, Sexual Intercourse and much much more…) That is so gross I can’t even stand to think about it… Do not ever buy a mattress from a retailer offering a comfort echange! Take your time and make sure you are comfortable, DONT BE CHEAP! YOUR SLEEP IS IMPORTANT! We sleep a third of our lives yet we spend thousands upon thousands for our cars that only depreciate in value! A mattress is the number one item that you get what you pay for out of… How important is sleep? Well with out it diet and excersise will do nothing for you, AT ALL! Don’t let your friends tell you what mattress is right for you! You and only you can decide weather you are comfortable on a mattress… Don’t ever ever ever buy a mattress online! So to the person who wrote this article, don’t make assumption based upon a bit of research you have done and don’t jump to conclusions!!! MOST OF ALL DON’T BE SO CHEAP AND DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OR READ ON THE INTERNET!
It’s immaterial how much you spend when you buy a mattress. There are so many sites out there that rate user satisfaction that it is so obvious that price does not equal satisfaction. Instead, price equals costs plus a decent margin. Remember that. Once you do, you will see that cheaper, local and/or discount mattresses can offer the same amount of long-term satisfaction as some of the bigger-ticket mattresses out there.
Lastly… The last comment talks about reselling returned mattresses, but that “sleep guarantee” that so many stores and manufacturers offer is important… you just cannot properly “size up” a mattress in-store. You might get a feel for initial comfort, but to decide whether it offers the support you need, you will want a week or so. And if you are worried about getting a “slept-in” product that would have been properly cleaned up, (ever sleep in a hotel? I’d be more grossed out about THAT), get a mattress protector for $20.
How many people actually post a positive review about things on this planet. Wooooww its so easy to complain online about stuff. But if you have a positive experience are you actually going to go out of your way to post a review online? Most likely not. This blog is bias because + and – reviews are not evenly distributed online. Sorry but that is a fact. We live in a world of duality so there is 2 sides to the story and not just one end all be all. I am certain that there are some very good mattress salesmen out there that would appeal to your architype of personalty , just maybe not in your town…
And…if you send the mattress back then what? They repackage it and send it to me! This is what just happened to us. I bought a Serta from a reputable local dealer. The mattress was wrapped in “new” plastic with “new” tags. There was black dog hair and a urine stain on the mattress.
We sent it back, but what will be shipped out to us next Thursday?
There is a web site that has all the known names published and has a consumer advocate to help people. It is http://www.BeddingHotline.com and the names are in the “Name Comparison” section. It is very helpful.
I have to say that I think I liked the mattress review site http://www.qmattresses.com/ more just because there was more than just mattress sales info there. They had comparison reviews, warranty complaints, and a lot of the popular names in mattresses.
Nothing really new about this tactic. Walmart does the exact same thing… They offer to match local competitors prices for the same products…
They actually do have a test for mattresses called the Rollator. This big rolling pin thing that weighs 230 lbs. rolls over the mattress 200,000 times. Lots of foam mattresses don’t hold up too well, losing about 15% of their shape to this. The trick is finding the balance of comfort and support. Enough springs to support you, enough foam to feel comfortable. You are right though, outside of the Rollator I don’t know there’s much on the industry as far as testing or ratings go. Very confusing industry, hopefully legitimate review sites start popping up soon.
Like Rubydo comment #59 I am another victim of U.S.-MATTRESS.com.I Purchased a Sealy Queen Posturepedic Shadow dream luxury mattress from U.S. mattress in September 2010 for $1250.00 and after less than three months the mattress sagged and bulged out the sides. It’s distorted so bad the sheets will no longer stay on the bed .Another was sent from U.S. mattress with the same problem.I can no longer sleep in this bed and U.S. mattress refuses to refund for what they themselves admitted is a manufacturers defect.Wish i had been warned,so now I’m warning you.
I am in the mattress industry and it is geared toward making the customer buy, and nothing else. Even coil counts are a scam. An example is a cheap imported spring with thin wire, not tempered, being touted as “1000 coils and therefore the best.” Meanwhile a super-duty American built 364 coil, which I know through experience lasts 30 years, is overlooked. The big box stores took over the mattress industry. If you want quality, go to a family-run mattress factory so they can show you how they are built: mcroskey.com in San Fransisco, norwalkmattress.com in CT, sunsetmattress.com in NH, http://magicsleeper.net in PA, Maidinmaine.com in ME, Mycustommattress.com in NJ, etc. This site mentions 100% mark ups in mattress stores. I can tell you that it is actually more like %390. Go to the small mattress maker instead and you will see a big difference! In most cases you will get the real thing for less than half the price. I aggree with Phoenix’s post and his objective mattress underground website. It is time we collectively took a stand against a different kind of corporate greed. Thanks for your time. John S.
I would just like to add a bit of information on how you can shop for a mattress in a more educated manner. As I mentioned previously, John brought up a lot of really valid points. Yet, coming back and re-reading, I realize there really are no solutions. A client I work for offers a mattress buying guide on his website. You can find the guide at http://www.qmattresses.com/qmatters-faqs/12-questions-a-mattress-buying-guide/
I could not sleep last night when the realization hit me like the famous ton of bricks that we had been had by Sleepys in Alexandria, VA. $3,600 for a double mattress, no box spring just mattress, but 1/2price sale. $1,800.
Oh Boy. But wait!! A lot of chat about warranties and bring back if not working etc. Last mattress several years ago was from Penny’s and bought with less song and dance about bringing back etc { I did bring back the first soggy mattress to Pennys with no problem but you have to exchange, not return and a small fee }
So we are getting ready to buy the mattress at Sleepys sort of in shock at the price, and we learn UNLESS WE BUY A $139+ mattress cover we have no warranty. Shock again. I feel like I was worn down. AND the salesman “CALLED HIS MANAGER FOR SOME $$ OFF.”
NEXT we can have credit with no interest payments over 2 years if we wish. OK the husband said. I did not want the debt. But what the hey. So I am approved for credit and can pay off the mattress when we wish no penalty. Ok we say why not??? Why not is the email I got today that I have a credit card WE WERE NOT TOLD WE WERE APPLYING FOR A CARD. We have all the credit cards we need and could have used them.
Also fees to bring us the mattress- fees to take away the old one, taxes and the darn mattress cover and the bottom line grows. I knew better. It was time to leave{ but I do so need a new mattress the 71 year old bones need some support. }
take your time look around. I also felt one of the department stores could be a nicer place to shop. Consumer reports sort of washes its hands re mattresses and says it is very individual. Lie down on one. Stay Smart. I hope to undo our whole transaction with Sleepys
But what to do. Error! that we did not go home and think it over. And the golden mattress did seem OK. I feel had and dumb that I did not think and compare. It is a hard shopping chore.
I totally agree the mattress industry is one big scam, and something so serious that congress needs to look into it. Something not mentioned here is that some mattress companies, such as SpringAir, license out the rights to manufacture their mattress, and I believe us-mattress.com has that license too. Hence quality can easily be compromised. I bought a Sealy Postupedic from us-mattress and it was nothing like advertised. I could not believe Sealy let their logo be put on something like that. They are still promoting it on their web site as the most popular, and I feel sorry for anyone that falls for that. Their site claims over 8000 people like that model, but for three months only 19 reviews! Never changing, and I think 18 of those reviews were posted by their staff. I will never buy a mattress online, no matter the situation.
Ok here is my journey but i have a very happy ending… i suggest you follow and read things posted or you will get robbed!!
read http://mattressscam.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/your-money/10haggler.html
A major Mattress company was busted for re-selling used mattress’ returned after a 30 day try out. Apparently they were examined with a black light and discovered to have “fluid” stains YUK!
and yes you have heard of this company
But I found a bright light in the world of mattress scams.
http://saatvamattress.com/saatva-mattress.html
Check em out! read the reviews, and I will personally vouch for the quality of the bed. Best sleep I’ve had in years.
I do not work for this company nor do I have any relationship but a happy customer with this company.
I am a mattress salesperson and not a great one. I am not a top performer which means I make less sales (and money) than most others. I am not bad at my job. I have a tremendous amount of knowledge about mattresses, I’m friendly, I’m great at fitting each customer to a mattresses they love and can afford. So why am I not a great sales person? Well, I’m not pushy. Customers come to me, receive all the information, use me to find them the perfect bed then leave. The top sales people are the ones that DO push and ARE more aggressive. It always baffles me when people complain about how pushy mattress sales people tend to be. If these were not the ones customers purchase from than this would not be the case. The sales people that truly care about the customers and try and give a very very fair price are the ones that get fired because they are not producing. Buy from the salesperson that cares and the aggressive sales people would no longer be around. One last point…Those online mattress websites can be less expensive. But can you lay on the mattress? Is there someone that helps you find a good mattress? In my experience, customers find the mattress they like from a brick and morter store and then buy online. Unfortunately that brick and morter store has overhead and training costs. you may pay a little extra but its because customers are being provided a service. I have a family to support and because I am not one of those “shady” salespeople I have a harder time supporting my family.
I would be carefull of US Matress. They lie a lot about there delivery times. They advertise overnight when they mean 2 weeks delivery. They are nice when selling but dickheads if you ask them to stick by their promises.
Avoid Avoid Avoid
I bought a Stearns & Foster mattress which is made by Sealy. The mattress immediately started collapsing & bowing out all around the sides of the bed. We took pictures & sent in a complaint packet. I had no doubt they would honor the warranty. No, that didn’t the manufacturer said it was normal wear & tear. This was all before one year of warranty really!! We paid over $3k for the top of the line mattress. I can’t believe Stearns & Foster (Sealy) can’t not design a mattress to last longer than a year!!! You feel like you are falling off the mattress. I worked for a furniture company in college. I bought a mattress for $500 it never collapsed around the sides & bow out even after 10 years!!! There is something wrong, why have a warranty!!! A mattress warranty with Stearns & Foster (Sealy) is a WORTHLESS piece of PAPER!!!!
I really like your blog post. I work as Consumer Advocate for a mattress company and deal with the very same problems you state everyday. I talk to hundreds of people throughout the work week are going through the very same circumstances you write about here. I can tell the readers of your blog that you must compare the materials in the mattress and not the mattress name. Measure the height and get a print out of the materials so an honest comparison may be made between two mattresses. Make price your last consideration because mattress companies actually mark up mattresses by as mush as 600 – 700 percent. When you compare you will find the price gets a lot better, especially if you compare online.
Best regards,
Jeff
Great blog….very interesting read. Thanks.
If you are wanting more information on mattresses then I have created a wonderful blog. Many questions you have will not be answered in the store. Taking the time to answer them is my expertise.
I have a couple of mattress stores in Austin and it is sad that the industry has made it so difficult to shop mattresses. Out of over 600 manufactures in the US there are only 12 major components companies and 6 major components (3 coil systems and 3 foams) If the retailers were better educated they could simplify the process greatly. Everyone is carrying the same products under different names. Never buy from that pushy sales person. They always have an agenda other than your good night’s sleep. Find those stores that are selling health and wellness in a relaxed environment with no proverbial fine print.
Thanks, MattMan
You usually get those kind of problems with big name stores. They only see $$$ signs and not a human being that walks though there doors. They only want to sell you what they want you to buy but not what you need. It is aways better to go to a local independent retailer there you get no pushy sales teams good honest advice and can usually work with you to get a discount on your purchase.
Plus the $ that’s spent in in a local store usually says in the town as the owner of that store would probably support other local stores buy using there products and services, not like the larger companies where your $ is whisked around the world and may never be spent in your local neighbourhood.
You bought a mattress online… hope it is not used and rewrapped!!!!!!!!!! Should of
purchased from JORDAN’S!
I purchases a $700 Sealy mattress for my daughter who weighs about 120 lbs. After about 10 months, it had a 2 inch sag in the middle. When I tried to get it warranted and because I did not keep the “legal” tag, I was sent from my retailer to Sealy.
What a joke that was. I was greeted by an extremely rude “service” rep, who had obviously been down this “no tag/no warranty” road plenty of times. After interrupting me many times as I tried to explain my situation, I asked her to transfer me to someone that could help since she would or could not.
I was transferred, after about a 5 minute wait, to a “Corporate Retail Mediator” who stood by the company policy. What was quite humorous was that when asked why Sealy had to have that tag to stand behind their warranty, he told me that “the government comes in and audits us to see where we are spending our money. We have to have those tags to prove what we are warranting.” I asked him to clarify, but he simply said that because they are a “publicly owned” company, that is how it works and without a tag, I would not be getting a warranty.
This guy, who obviously has never been through a customer service seminar, proceeded to tell me to go back to my retailer….I was the retailer’s customer, not Sealy’s. What a joke this organization is. In my 47 years, I have never experienced anything as ludicrous as this.
Obviously, they deal with this every day due to a crappy product and their own poor policies and service. What made the conversation even better was that when I asked to speak with someone in customer service, he said that was impossible. Rather, the next person that I would speak to, after filling our a form of some sort, would be their legal department. I presume that they are used to people attempting to sue in order to get treated right. Bottom line is that I will never again by a Sealy product and would offer that same advice to anyone. Worst service I’ve ever experienced.
I have been employed by a reputable bedding/mattress manufacturer for almost 18 years.I have also drawn up specifications for models and procured raw materials for the products. Further I have also marketed these products within major retail outlets.
The comments which I have observed in this blog in my opinion are not all correct. A sleep product is designed for comfort and will range within two aspects, firstly to accommodate the comfort level of the user (This is normally for two people and can have a difference of opinion in comfort as the physical body structure between male and female differs)
Secondly, consumers often decide on price and in cases where a budget is limited a decision is made and thereafter the product is blamed.
Insofar as a scam as mentioned by some, let me inform that most retailers have specific markets which are driven by consumer requests such as colour of the product, austhetic appearance, pricing and a host of considerations, all these factors can create price differences.
It is unfortunate that not all advice and service is communicated correctly by whomever to consumers and I would suggest that the consumer take care and time in selecting their product and in particular basing their sleep product on comfort and not on price.Further also establish terms and conditions prior to the purchase. The item purchased is a very personal piece and lets be honest in saying that body fluids such as perspiration and other do permeate into the product and resultantly the mattress cannot be sold as new if returned. It is also a fact that many countries have health regulations and restrictions for retailers in this regard.
This comment is based on a personal opinion and does not reflect on individuals where poor service has been experienced at retail level.
Wishing all good sleep and sound decisions with your sleep product.
Wow! This site was helpful in proving what I believed. It reminds me of Steve Martin as ‘George’ in his hot dog rant.
To generate more profit, it appears that the mattress companies have hit a jackpot.
What appears to be missing in this blog is the tensile strength of the steel (is it still steel – they do make plastic slinkies)the gauge of the steel, the interlock technique, the compression strength, number of coils etc.
ALL of the components need a standard set by the government that can be depended upon for reliability.
This is why the Republicans want LESS regulation. Why have an educated population capable of comparing products based on scientific standards.
Clamp down on industry and help consumers!
That’s not all they do!
You know those “try it, we will replace it if you don’t like it” policies?
THEY ARE RESELLING THE USED MATTRESSES.
Get this – If you go to the local “discount mattress” store, those plastic packaged mattresses were already tried out by other buyers, in their homes. They returned them, and got an “upgrade” or “different model”. Then the mattress chain sells the used mattress to unsuspecting buyers.
We need a Carmax for mattresses! BedMax? SleepMax? 🙂 IDK.
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Quite and interesting post this. But i don’t think its entirely true.
There is a clear price difference between different mattresses and it purely is dependent on their make and quality. for instance the snoozer mattress belong to the premium segment and they are worth every penny spent. I guess you can see their entire range here http://www.fabmart.com/products/snoozer-posture-care-mattress-luxury-soft
Although some of this blog is correct, some parts are not. I own a series of sleep shops around the country and have been in the bedding industry for nearly 20 years and the only real way to cross shop competitors is by looking for beds that have a M.S.R.P rating. This assures a consumer that they will be purchasing the same bed for the same price at any location that may sell a particular model. Tempurpedic and Serta I Comfort series both operate this way. Again, this is the only way.
You’ll spend a third of your life in bed, so your mattress plays a vital role in the quality of your health and well-being. Buying a mattress is a decision that you should think about carefully. Since most people replace their mattress every seven to ten years, you’ll have to live with your decision for a long time. For most people, comfort is the most important factor with support and durability close behind. When it comes to comfort, there is no right or wrong. Only what’s right for you. It’s worth the time and effort to find out which mattress will best suit your needs.
this article is related to mine..it’s necessary to know the quality of the product before considering it because it will affect your lifestyle for some reasons..check out my blog for more details..thank you^^,
Folks, I don’t have an opinion either way, but it does sound like your complaints are rather biased against an industry that for the most part puts a lot of money into technology and research. Yes there are those that will ride the coat tails of a major manufacturer and copy the designs with subpar and inferior ingredients, but really. Let’s look at the positive side of this. Yes there are different labels for the same bed to protect each retailer, sounds to me like a sure fire way to stay in business, just like there are different model numbers for TV’s though the model is exactly the same as the other, or washing machines, dryers, cars, computers,pencils,food products. Where does it end? Nowhere, as long as there are tangible items for sale this will be an ongoing issue. Suck it up or don’t purchase at all. Find the one company you are comfortable with and buy from them, build a longlasting relationship with them and know that regardless the magnitude of your purchase you will always be taken care of fairly.
I bought the bed on 12-23-2012 and was told it would be delivered on 12-24-2012. Sales lady called warehouse to confirm while i was in store and i was assured it would be brought to me on 12-24 -2012 . I called the store on 12-24 at 1pm to confirm it was still comming today and was told YES . I thought i would save everyone time and space on your truck and got rid of my bed today at 1:30pm. Its 955pm and no one called and I have no bed ??? Iam sleeping on the floor. I expect a full refund wednesday at the store and you can keep your bed . I understand things happen , however I waited home half the day and my wife waited the other half of the day and no one shows up or calls ?? And now we are sleeping on the floor???? Please notify the right person to have my refund ready wednesday as I will be in to pickup . I would never recommend MATTRESS ONE STORES to anyone because of this situation
I am going through this headache right this minute. I’ve been to 4 stores and CAN’T compare one mattress from one store with one from another. They’re assuring themselves freedom from competition. It’s frustrating and I’m fearful of buying, without trying, from the internet. I don’t believe their guarantees for a minute.
I’m getting ready to buy a mattress and this blog is getting me real anxious about a purchase. Does anyone know anything about the saatva mattress.
I researched a lot before buying a mattress (and was still confused). In early Dec. 2012 I bought a Sealy Posturepedic Gel Series Kirkpatrick Firm King Size bed. It’s great. We had a too-soft mattress before, and we now get a terrific-night’s sleep on this. I’m a light sleeper, and I don’t notice when my husband tosses a bit. Even if I wake up a bit too early sometimes, I find that I fall back asleep easily on this bed. It’s only been a mo. since we’ve had this, but we get a great night’s sleep on this mattress.