I thought most mattress places were like this...after all, it's not like they can resell it or anything, so it probably gets scrapped/sold to one of those shady mattress stores.

So I'd have to pay $159 for the right to return something if I don't like it - and then when I return it, I have to pay another $159?

Y'know, I'm actually looking for a new bed, mattresses and all. I'm very glad this was posted.

... That's insanely stupid.

As far as mattresses go, I find that I like really soft mattresses, but they hurt my back if it's too soft. So I got a Tempurpedic (not a knock-off or mattress pad) and I've had it for years now and LOVE IT!

Here's a good idea. Go get a book and take into the mattress store. Find one that you think you might like, then spend 20-30 minutes reading while you're laying down on it. That should help you make your decisions.

@mbz32190:

I don't know about this, I think there are plenty of people who would buy used mattresses. A lot of people (college students) would rather buy a used mattress at a discount than pretty much not have a bed at all. I remember when I was going to school, we bought ours from a hotel and it worked out for a few years. Although I can see how some people might have issues with the idea of sleeping on a used mattress.

How is one supposed to know if they are getting a comfortable matteress or not without trying it out?

I got screwed by Mattress Giant this past summer by this:

* I buy $3,000+ mattress
* I'm assured I can return it if I have problems
* I don't buy the stupid $160 mattress cover and am not told I have to in order to make a return.
* Wife hates new mattress after two days
* Stupid customer service refuses to let me return it

Honestly, they stink. I will never do business with these tools again, which is a shame since I just moved into a five bedroom house and need to get three more mattresses.

I wish this had been posted a week ago, when I bought my mattress from Mattress Giant. Fortunately I negotiated a couple hundred off my mattress and I absolutely love it.

I built my own mattress. I did a couple of weeks of research on the various types of foam, and I built my own memory foam mattress (find the FatWallet thread, now about 3-4 years old, on "cheaperpedic"). King size, including a $100 wool mattress pad from Target, I spent $600. It's very comfortable, and has been for a couple years now. Foam mattresses aren't rocket science. On the retail side, though, it's all smoke and mirrors (not unlike the diamond business).

I recount that story to back up this comment: when they say that for $320 ($160 exchange program buy-in plus $160 to do the actual exchange) you can exchange your mattress for another one, they're actually saying that their mattresses have a value of $320. They can't resell your old one, so they scrap it--which means it cost them $320. Then they take the $1499 you already spent with them and they give you another $320 mattress.

I wonder how many times you can do that. If you spend $159 to be part of their exchange program (sort of like a membership to a buying club, eh?), can you keep "exchanging" mattresses for $159 until you find one you really like? If that's the case, then the $159 buy-in to the exchange program is really an administrative fee, and the $159 per exchange means that their mattresses actually cost them $159.

$1499 for a $159 mattress. That's big money.

Well in this case this is kinda the norm. It is stated in their EULA that unless defective you cannot return...most likely because there are laws that generally prohibit a mattress from being resold once it has been used ( for health reasons I believe).

Always very carefully ask for any and all protections in writing before buying a mattress and if you have ANY doubt, don't buy or sign any paperwork until you clearly understand your rights and have it in writing.

In my experience, any reputable mattress seller will let you exchange mattresses within the first 14 or 30 days. The morals: (a) don't shop at Mattress Giant; and (b) do read what you sign.

Ran into a similar issue with GameStop & used 360's. They have a standard 7-day no-questions return period, plus a 30-day exchange period. Not too bad, really.

They also offer a 1-year exchange guarantee that costs $40. If exercised, it applies only once. They'll sell it to you again to guarantee the second 360. After this initial $40 & the purchase of every required piece a la carte, the used 360 costs more than a new 360.

Then of course there's the 20% restocking fee for returns above a certain price at Best Buy. Ridiculous.

Thats why I love Jordan's Furniture. Not only are their sales people the most friendly least bothersome in the entire furniture industry but they let you return anything without question or complaint. Of course I know Jordan's isnt everywhere but they should be.

Did I mention free cookies, ice cream and coffee?

@Randal Milholland:
I went to sit N sleep, if you have one in your area I suggest going. They opened one by my house, I went, the salesman was not high pressure and knew exactly what he was talking about. I told him my budget and he kept me away from higher priced beds.

I liked it so much I took my mom there, and she loved it as well. They delivered and set up her bed and it was all free delivery.

I'm not sure about their return policy but people who know what they are talking about and help you get a proper product make return policies almost un-needed.

For several years, every morning my back/legs would hurt so bad I almost had to stay upstairs. We decided to try a new mattress.

We have very narrow stairs/tight turn/low ceiling, so we had to get a 2 piece box spring - which was actually a BOX - no springs.

I was worried because of my sore back, and WOW was the bed FIRM! But - my back has never been sore once in morning - years now.

Guess I like it firm.

Yeah. Mattress stores are kind of like auto dealers for some reason. Always kind of shady.

@socalrob: Sit n sleep is incredibly overpriced. I'd recommend going to a small independent furniture store when they're having a sale. The mattresses I was looking at at sit n sleep were around $1,500, I got one with the same softness/warranty for $550 at a furniture store next door.

What?1 Next thing you know, they'll be saying I cant return my used swimsuit!!!

I never buy cheap beds or shoes. A ruined back will ruin and rule your life...

@mbz32190: I don't know about other states, but in MA, a store can resell a mattress as NEW if it was bought and returned within 30 days.

I just bought a mattress from Sleep Country in Canada, and they had a thirty-day exchange policy including free pick-up of the unwanted mattress and delivery of the new mattress. I also got 33% off the ticketed price by talking them down. I love my bed, and I would highly recommend Sleep Country!

@parad0x360: Did I mention free cookies, ice cream and coffee?"

I thought that was Bob's. I <3 Beantown, though.

This doesn't solve your problem with a silly return policy, but since I didn't want to buy a new bed when the pillow-top on mine started to degrade, I got a 4" thick memory foam (similar to tempurpedic) topper for my mattress for under 200 bucks from overstock dot something, and I gotta be honest, the thing scared me the first night because I was so comfortable that I was afraid I wouldn't wake up for work. All the soreness and aches and pains I used to have upon waking were gone, and I felt like I had slept far more than I had.

Reason #50 to get a Bedinabox (despite the SNL skit of a similar name). We tried the one with a goose down topper, and a Tempurpedic..and it was much, much better than any bed I've ever slept on - and it only cost about $760 for a queen size! I spend about 1/3 of my nights on an airplane seat, so it's definitely something I look forward to - even if She Daisy or whoever endorse that Sleep number bed don't shill for these guys!

/not associated with Bedinabox in any way, shape, or form.

@HalOfBorg: Box springs haven't actually had any springs in them in decades, at least. I know I've seen box springs with ticking from the 50s and there were no springs in them.

I bought my mattress from the distribution warehouse of a major mattress retailer. When they get sent back from dissatisfied customers, they are broken down for parts and sold in bulk. They recently changed policy about reselling them from the warehouse, but you used to be able to buy them for more than the parts cost. So a $3k mattress plus bedframe and boxspring was $300 total for me. I got the Simmonds Black series and it is absolutely amazing!!

@parad0x360: I miss Jordan's. I have yet to find a furniture store equal to them anywhere else. God knows that the local chains in DC have all been a joke...

The first time I needed to buy a bed I almost had a heart attack - mattresses are ridiculously expensive, never mind the beds and all. But believe it or not, Ikea actually has some really comfy mattresses and acceptable beds - and the full package will cost you less than the cheapest mattress at a mattress store. Been using my current Ikea mattress for six years and it's not even sagging.

I just had to buy new mattresses, and it was exactly that slimy, taken-advantage-of feeling you get with a used car salesman. First he quoted me half the price on the price tag, then "negotiated" a little less. He said he had to call his district manager or some bs, and picked up the phone. I said I'd think about it, and started to leave. He put down the phone and called out a price 60 bucks less than Costco. Guess that "manager OK" wasn't so important after all.

Then they start trying to sell you the mattress protection, extended warranty, special sheets.....arrrrgh!

@Nick1693: We bought our mattress from a hotel that was closing its doors. It was relatively new and, like all the mattresses offered, had been thoroughly cleaned. We got a good mattress at a fraction of the price and have never regretted it.

Denver Mattress in Furniture Row has a great return policy. The wife and I had purchased a mattress that was way too soft and killed our backs. We we allowed to exchange it within 30 days, and returned it for a mattress that we absolutely love.

Because of their generous policy, they have customers for life, and I tell all my friends how happy I was with the transaction. I wish more companies would get this. Instead of loyal customers, they get unsatisfied people like the OP who will cause them way more financial PR damage than the cost of 1000 mattresses.

@Sinflux:
True, but unfortunately in my area the mom and pop shops dont last that long. And the ones that do last have the cheapest crap and high pressure sales tactics.

My shopping philosophy is unless I ask for your help, just stand within eye sight. And thats basically what the Sit N Sleep salesman did. In fact he told me to lay on the bed with my girlfriend for 10 minutes while he went to do something else.

Good customer service means more to me than saving a few bucks sometimes.

@GeoffinAround:
Best Buy doesn't charge a 20% restocking fee as you mention. I put their actual policy below for you to read.

Restocking fee
A restocking fee of 15% will be charged on opened notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras, radar detectors, GPS navigation and in-car video systems unless defective or prohibited by law. A restocking fee of 25% will be charged on Special Order Products, including appliances unless defective or prohibited by law.

I have to say the BedinaBox rocks the universe. I had to deal with such douchey salesguys at Mattress Giant, etc. (including the one that swears their mattresses were built by the Amish. . .really? Here in Florida?) that I will never, ever set foot in one of those showrooms again. BedinaBox arrived, unpacked quickly, and has been great for six months--and it got me laid! Really! One of my "friends" couldn't believe it came in such a small box, and asked if he could sit on it, and. . .

@Eric: And if you notice a pattern in the items that get you a restocking fee you would be correct. They are items that people take on vacation or for trips .

@kidnextdoor: but you can if it's LLBean or LandsEnd.

@RedwoodFlyer: I got my "bed in a box" from Costco. I called the day I got it to make sure I didn't have to keep the actual BOX and the CS person said, no, just the paper work. When I asked about a return, she said, "Hey, it's Costco and a mattress. We don't advertise it, but we'll take it back up to a year after purchase.Sometimes it takes that long to know if you like it!" I love Costco.

We bought a mattress and frame from Sleep Train about 7 years ago. About a week later, we decided that we wanted the next size up. We called them up and they did the exchange the next day with no fees or hassle.

So what does Mattress Midget sell that their guarantee DOES apply to? (Love my Sleep Number bed by the way..)

they're totally doing the customer a favor by keeping them from sleeping on the floor. how dare they make light of that magnanimous gesture by seeking a return!

@brandymb: I'm curious about this.. do you change the number you sleep at? Is that just a gimmick?

We upgraded to a king size a few years ago. I learned a few things.

1. You will never find the same model of mattress at 2 different stores (unless they are part of the same chain) they do this to make it harder to compare prices.

2. You want a box spring not a foundation. The box spring will make your mattress more comfortable and help it last longer (We gave our old mattress to our son and originally we had a foundation under it but we bought a box spring when we gave it to him and it was much more comfortable).

3. You want a mattress you can flip not one with just the pillow top on one side. You want to flip and rotate your mattress every few months to distribute the wear, prevent dips and make it last longer. If you get an unflippable mattress then you will get dips in it where you lay.

4. Most new mattresses only come with a foundation and are not flipable.

We ended up buying ours from The Original Mattress factory and couldn't be happier with it. We saved a few hundred dollars compared to the other sets we liked and we got a better mattress. Two of my co-workers bought from there and loved theirs. They suggested I at least check them out before I buy and I'm glad I did.

Furniture dealers are just as bad as car dealers. They want to get as much money out of you as possible and are shady.

I don't understand why anybody would complain about the cost of a mattress or buy a "cheap" one. Do some basic math of a 10 year warranty mattress that costs say $2000 (that would be WAY high). If you use it every night for 10 years, ignoring leap years, you have 3650 days worth of use which comes out to 55 cents a day, and if you take that to a 7 hours of sleep, you are under 8 cents an hour. If you have another person you sleep with, that comes to less than 4 cents an hour for each of you. PAY EXTRA FOR QUALITY or spend the rest of yoru life with back pain. Seems a no brainer to me

@kidnextdoor: You can return your used swimsuit if you bought it from Lands End, actually. Sorry to step on your snark.

Point is that the store advertises "Satisfaction Guaranteed". In the fine print, they add that this guarantee applies to everything EXCEPT the main product they are selling - mattresses. Yes, the consumer should read the fine print, but it's like going to a car dealership and finding out that they have a "Satisfaction Guaranteed" policy that applies only to the floor mats.

The exchange policy seems pretty clear and straighforward. I wouldn't be happy about paying $160.00 to return/exchange (ONE TIME) my mattress but it's kinda understandable.

From the website:

You've bought your new mattress - now get comfy.

It may take a couple of weeks for your body to adjust to the feel of your new mattress. If it's been a while since you purchased a new mattress, this new bed could sleep much differently than your old one. But, if you're not sleeping comfortably on your new mattress after 21 nights (and up to 90 nights), we'll gladly exchange it for you. We do require the mattress to be in good condition and to be protected with Mattress Giant mattress protection (ranging from Giant Guard Spray to your choice of Giant Guard mattress protectors).

You have the one-time option of exchanging your originally purchased mattress for any other mattress we offer at an equal or greater price, based on the purchase price listed on your sales receipt. You will be asked to pay a $159.99 fee to help with the cost of inspecting, sanitizing, and rewrapping your exchanged mattress. This way, your exchanged mattress can be stocked in our separate "Light Use" mattress inventory for resale to our customers who are looking to purchase a discounted "like new" mattress. This fee also includes the delivery of your new mattress.

If you purchased Giant Guard fabric treatment, by itself or as part of a package on your original mattress, you will receive a free Giant Guard fabric treatment on your new mattress.

Questions about our Mattress Exchange Policy? Don't hesitate to call the Mattress Giant store where you made your purchase (you can find that phone number on your receipt). We're here to help.

*Tempur-Pedic mattresses are covered under a different manufacturer's exchange policy. You will receive full credit on the price of a Tempur-Pedic mattress and foundation less $175

Satisfaction / Exchange Guarantee

Our satisfaction / exchange guarantee is simple - 100% satisfaction. You may exchange any product purchased (other than a mattress) for a new one based on the value of your original purchase. Or you may return your purchase and receive a full refund for the price you paid. Just be sure to save this original sales receipt with the purchase recorded on it.

Two quick points:

1. Several people have suggested that a used mattress can't be sold. I'm not sure about all the legalities of this, but it seems like the hotel industry would love to get their hands on discounted mattress returns.

2. IANAL, but the return policy looks like it came out of corporate marketing and not of out their legal department. A close reading of it shows that the consumer ALWAYS has the refund option, but only has the exchange option for non-mattress purchases. The problem is they stuck the mattress exclusion into the sentence that only addresses exchanges. That leaves the refund sentence unconstrained by the mattress exclusion. Of course it's easy to guess what the marketers wanted to say, but any reasonable judge would give the consumer the benefit of the doubt.

Glen -- Tell them that they can give the politely give back all your money or you're going to get all of your plus some of theirs for court costs. Then make a date with them for small claims court.

A few weeks ago I bought a mattress from Sleepy's which also has a guarantee...there is a fee, I think around $200, but I was told that in the event I wanted to exchange it, they would knock as much of that $200 off the price of the new mattress as feasible. Given the ridiculous markup on this stuff, I don't doubt they would honor that.

I found an old comment that I posted on another blog about 2 years ago...

...
I've sold mattresses in the past for three different furniture retailers. There are a couple things to note:

- The lower in the alphabet you go for the Stearns line, generally the better you get. However, some retailers have their own lineup that all begin with one letter. The Mattress Firm used to have their own Rosecrest Collection. There were minor differences in some of the upholstery meant to give them a leg up. However, when it came down to it, telling someone that everything was the same at multiple stores except "ours" had an extra 1/3" layer of cashmere built into the upholstery it really didn't help. It ultimately came down to price.

The alphabet thing only works with certain manufacturers and certain lines. They've since changed this naming convention.

- Firm not being good for you… Maybe not for everyone, but it could be good for you. As long as you have the support level needed, then the comfort level is up to the individual. If firm beds were bad for you, I don't think they'd be sold. Just my opinion.

- I've never (and I was in the biz for 7 years) heard that beds feel different for different sizes. With respect… no. The upholstery layers should remain the same throughout the length and width regardless of size, and the support system is proportionate. One thing I recommend doing is making sure that you have the right coil counts being given to you. If you're buying a Queen, then get the queen counts so you can compare apples to apples at another store. DONT expect another manufacturers coil system to be the same. Yes, some manufacturers buy their coils from places like Legget & Platt, but some manufacturers have their own coil systems. Therefore, you cannot actually compare brand coil counts against each other. It's kind of like saying a Ford v-6 is the same as a Chevy v-6. So on top of comparing coil counts, make sure you're doing it for the same brand. If you're weighing different brands, then you have to make sure you get ALL of your specs to compare.

- Price… wow… Umm… At every retailer I worked for the price remained the same throughout the entire year. Two places would buy in truckloads of seconds and damaged product and would sell them as "closeouts" and "mislabeled" beds. When a new line comes in you really can get a huge savings, but if someone tells you that "This bed is on sale.", it probably isn't. It is FOR sale, not ON sale. They are all price pointed. If you buy a $299 bed, you're getting a $299 bed. Think about it. When you go and look at the 299 bed and realize "I'm not sleeping on that thing", how are they going to EVER sell it at $399, $499, or since it's "Half off" $599?? In all honesty, that bed is and will always be $299, unless it's being discontinued.

Your best bet is to see if there is wiggle room in the pricing. Some places will work with you, but approach it tactfully. Learn about the product you want first. Then decide on the model. THEN talk price. As a "sleazy" former-mattress slinger, the worst approach is to come in and say "How much do I get off of this?". It happened often and you get more with honey than you do with vinegar.

- In home testing. "Comfort guarantee". Be prepared to get a little hassle if you want to "cash in" on this guarantee… especially if you want to plain out return the bed. The retailer is out money and let's face it… they don't really like that. You will probably be hit with return fees and delivery fees.

- The best thing to do for negotiation is other merchandise. Pillows, linens, fabric treatment (don't even get me started there), and such are the best bet instead of expecting 100's off of your purchase. Sure we could drop the price. In my case I could sell if for cost if I wanted to. Its better for the store to give what costs them 10-15 bucks away, than to give 100's off something with a nice margin built in.

- Fabric treatment… Ok. I had to touch on it. Yes, your warranty is technically void if you stain your mattress. They don't know if that stain is red Kool-Aid or something else. And trust me… they don't want to know either, and they aren't going to pick up a bed like that and deliver it on the same truck that delivers new beds to people. Albeit the new ones are in plastic. I digress… back to treatment. Some places sell these treatments for near 100 bucks. It costs them about 5. This is something you might be able to use to sweeten the deal if offered. It's an OK thing to have, but don't pay big bucks for it. And make sure your retailer applies it themselves if you purchase it. Don't take a bottle home and do it yourself. I've had customers tell me that they spent big money, applied it themselves, and then their retailer refused it because the fine print says "must be professionally applied".

- Price. I've said what I need, but you will get what you pay for. Remember this is a durable good. Something that you are going to buy again in 8-10 years, not in the next 6-12 months (at least I hope not). So it's not like underwear. It's more like a refrigerator or a car. You use them all every day, but there's a huge difference in how they are used and how often they are replaced.

- Try it in the store. Try it like you'd normally sleep. If you are a side sleeper try your side. If you are a back sleeper do that. But also try other positions. It's best if couples are together so they can try it together. Don't worry about looking silly, your rest depends on it. And if you snore too loud then you just might be verbally woken up. It happened to me a ton of times.

All in all, bed buying is extremely frustrating and it's not something fun to do. Find a reputable retailer, try the bed in the store for as long as you'd like, and don't be afraid to ask to be left alone if the salesperson is hovering (ugh!!). In my opinion, do your research and narrow it down to a brand first, then find the right model. It'll make it a lot easier on you to compare brand A to brand A in your comparison shopping. You can also probably call the manufacturer directly to check and see if your comparisons are correct.

Oh, and I sold the heck outta Tempurpedic beds. Never had one person call to ask to return. Everyone loved them.

To be fair, there's a huge problem with people buying a mattress, using it once for Prom, and then returning it the next day.