Warning: Actual Consequences To Removing Mattress Tags
Through the ages, comedians have made unfunny jokes about the tags attached to mattresses and pillows, and the dire consequences that can (not) befall the person who dares to remove them. Bryan, however, discovered that there can be serious consequences to removing the tag. And it's even worse if, as Bryan claims, you're not the one who removed it.
Mattress shopping is an expensive, confusing, and stressful time. Not only do mattress companies do everything they can to help confuse the consumer, they can provide horrid support after the sale. In 2005, my wife and I purchased a King Sealy Engagement Plush Pillowtop mattress from Mattress Warehouse in Ashburn, Virginia. It was a bit more than we wanted to spend at nearly $2,000.00, but we saw value in the 10 year non-prorated warranty. To us, it was an investment in quality sleep. The mattress set was delivered promptly and my wife and I proceeded to enjoy our new sleep space.
Fast forward four years and the bed is a shadow of its former self. The pillow-top has basically fallen apart as there is very little support on either side of the bed where my wife or I sleep, whereas the center is full of support. Both my wife and I started dealing with nagging back pain nearly three months ago. It has become so bad that she moved into our guest room (where an excellent 13 year old Sealy resides). No problem, I thought, we are well within our warranty window and I can get the mattress fixed or replaced under the warranty.
One thing the salesmen, nor the manufacturers of mattresses tell you is that the law tag on the bed is REQUIRED for all warranty claims. Neither the company we purchased the mattress from, nor Sealy will even talk to us about the warranty without the law tag. This is even though the mattress must have been delivered without the tag as there is nothing on either of our boxsprings, nor the mattress itself and we didn't remove it (the tag is still on that 13 year old mattress in the guest room). Neither company cares that we still have our original receipt and invoice, we just get no response or "there is nothing we can do". An attempted EECB seems to be an epic failure without any response either.
So we are now out $2,000.00 due to two companies that don't stick by their product. Needless to say, I will never buy another Sealy mattress again or spend a dime at Mattress Warehouse. But I at least hope by bringing this up to the Consumerist, others may not find themselves in the same situation. Whenever you buy a new mattress, always be sure to keep your receipt and invoice, and ensure that your mattress has a law tag.
Duly noted. The advice about keeping receipts and invoices applies to other major purchases, too.
Unfortunately, Bryan is quite correct: The Sealy warranty at the time Bryan and his wife purchased their mattress does, in fact, require that the mattress's tag be intact. Here are their requirements:
In order for this limited warranty to be valid, you must:
1. Be the original consumer purchaser, and have purchased the sleep set from one of our authorized dealers in the United States or Puerto Rico;
2. Provide a copy of the original store receipt, or other proof of date, place of purchase and purchase price; and
3. Provide the law label from the defective product.
Warranty for purchases after June 2003 [Sealy]
Consumer Fraud: Where To File Consumer Complaints [VIrginia Attorney General]
We would recommend filing a complaint with the Virginia attorney general against the retailer that allegedly sold the tagless mattress. Small claims court may also be a good choice. However, it will be hard to come up with evidence of absence of the tag, so we wish Bryan luck and hope to hear how things turn out.
(Photo: Mykl Roventine)
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Comments:
Does the mattress tag have specific information on it? If not, fake it. It's unlikely the pickup folks would look for it. If its ever challenged, just say the tag was on the mattress when it was picked up. There is no need to be more honest to them than they were to you.
I used this for AAA with my parents number when I was in college. The policy holder "had to be" with the car, when the tow truck driver showed up he didn't even ask who the policy holder was. If he had, I would've simply said he had to take a cab to an meeting.
The tag says "this tag not to be removed EXCEPT by the consumer". That means I can tear it off when I get mattress, but doing so automatically voids my warranty even though I'm just going along with what the tag clearly says?
I'm confused.
I just bought a new mattress from the Denver Mattress Company (Doctor's Choice Firm...really feels nice on my back!) with a 15 year warranty.
Both the warranty blurb and the salesman noted that we needed to keep the tags on the mattress, or to keep them with the receipts if we took them off. So does their website.
Law Label
The law tag on the end of your mattress serves as a means to identify and validate your warranty rights and should not be removed. If you do remove it, please keep it in a safe place with your bill of sale.
Personally, I just pulled it off the mattress and stored it away with the receipt and other information so it's all in the same place. I've noticed these things have a tendency to get pulled off and disappear otherwise, especially if you move.
Wow. And I ripped mine off because it was funny...
Interesting that they didn't know. I bought a Sealy a year and a half ago and it had the tag plus a postcard-sized "do's and dont's" card that clearly states that the tag is required for all warranty claims, so I shouldn't remove it.
I don't know what you gain from removing it at all. It's not like you don't put a sheet over it.
Although, once my home turns into a crack house, the sheets will be stolen but I'd wager at that point I won't care about the warranty anymore.
I would have never admitted the tag was missing, which is probably already noted in Sealy and Mattress Warehouse files on this case.
The tag would have come off the guest room mattress and been sewn onto the Sealy and a photo taken of it on the Sealy mattress without my saying a word. Betcha the warranty would be paid.
@dragonfire81: It's a way to sneakily void valid warranties. Just shady business practices and nothing more.
The best mattress I ever had was the Sam's Club one made by Serta. And that "investment in quality sleep" makes it sound like someone listened to the salesperson too much.
I have a tag I cut off my sleeping bag after I put it through the dryer once. The tag came out all small, but readable, like a Shrinky-dink!
@PLATTWORX: Uhhh, Probably not. I'm sure in looking at the tag, they would realize somethings just didn't add up.
@Corporate_guy: The tag contains important information like composition, date of manufacturer, and others. If there wasn't a requirement that it be attached, what's to stop me from ripping off a tag on display in a store and claiming it came with my 9000 year old mattress, so I'm entitled to a new one?
That said, if a $10 T-Shirt can be made without a tag, surely a pricey mattress can.
Matresses are a huge rip-off- you pretty much have to spend $3000 or more for anything worthwhile- and who has that kind of scratch?
I'm onto your wiles you evil corporate machine!
@ptkdude: Yeah I got mine at BJs. Not much selection, but I got a pillow-top queen w/ box spring for $500 PLUS bonus of not having to deal with scamtastic mattress salespeople.
Been five years and I'm still happy with it.
@SeattleTed is proud to like Robert Zimmerman: Fight fraud with fraud, I guess... I applaud you for your outstanding ethics.
Wow, no joke -- this story has some amazing timing for me right now. My wife and I are in the process of replacing our mattress which is over 10 years old now. Among the product lines we've been looking at are Simmons Beautyrest (Black series) and the Sealy Posturpedic. Also, we've been looking around at Sleeptrain were thinking of stopping at Mattress Warehouse this weekend.
Like I said, great timing. I guess we can cross Mattress Warehouse off our list because if this is the way they're going to treat customers then I'm not wasting 2-3 grand on them.
@dragonfire81: As far as the law is concerned, you can tear the tag off. As far as your contract with the manufacturer is concerned, you need to provide (note that it doesn't have to remain attached to the mattress) your tag. Those are two different things.
Hrm, something in this reminds me of that page you always see in pulp novels:
"If you bought this book without its cover, this book was reported destroyed and no money was earned by the publisher or the author."
This warning stems from book sellers who are reimbursed for "damaged" books by removing the front cover and returning them to the publisher. Some unscrupulous folks were doing this and then selling the remaining books (at a discount, but still against the terms of the damage-reimbursement policy).
What do you want to bet some similar fraud was conducted here? Perhaps the retailer where Bryan purchased his mattress (or their shipping entity) removed the Law tag and used it to fraudulently file a warranty claim with the manufacturer? Ill-gotten "replacement" mattresses re-sold to boost the profits of an unscrupulous mattress retailer?
I am confused here, did they buy the mattress for a cheaper price than retail, like a lot cheaper? If the price was a lot cheaper then it was probably because the tag was removed, and I am guessing the company selling it was just hoping the customers would not notice this fault.
If they paid full retail or close to full retail then this was a real rip off.
It sounds like they got sold a returned or partially used mattress that already had the tag removed by the previous owner.
Was the "horrid support" a pun? Because I thought it was rather funny.
Seriously, when you buy a 'new' mattress, check the tag. Would you buy a car without a VIN?
@Xerloq speaks Portuguese, too...: "Ethics" are an outdated and useless idea. Do what gets you the result you want, as long as it isn't going to result in your getting a fine, jail time, or hurting someone else I say go for it.
@Applekid: I buy tagless t-shirts because they are more comfortable, but a tagless mattress would be no more comfortable than one with tags.
They could make tagless mattresses, but then they would have to fulfill more warranties. They have no reason to innovate, and they would actually lose money doing so, even though it's kind of a cheap business tactic.
@Applekid:
In their defense, they're pretty insistent that they didn't remove the tag and that the mattress must have been delivered without one.
My 12 year old $100 Sam's Club mattress is still in great shape. Just as comfy as I day I got it (actually more comfy - it's broken in just right). I've never been one to get any benefit out an expensive mattress.
@doctor_cos:
I have bought at least a dozen cars in my life and have never looked for a VIN. I assume it's where it's supposed to be, but I've never gone out of my way to look for one.
Well without the tag, how do they know you bought it from them, even if you have the receipt and invoice doesn't mean anything. They could think you replaced that with a cheaper mattress, and you trying to rip them off.
Why do people rip off the tags anyway? It's not like it gets in the way.
Jeers to Mattress Warehouse and their shady customer service. How do those people sleep at night?
@PLATTWORX: The mattress company doesn't just mail a check, they send an inspector to verify the claim. I suspect he/she might notice the deception.
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): I hate to sound like a testimonial, but I can't recommend tempurpedic highly enough. We bought the second or third model up from the bottom 3 or 4 years ago, and it's awesome. It comes with a zip-on mattress cover that's plastic on the inside and fabric on the outside that keeps mites etc... from getting in and we were talked into buying an expensive additional similar mattress cover by the salesman that goes on like a sheet instead of zipping on. (He said that in cases where we needed to wash the mattress cover, we could take off the top one and wash that and keep the zipper one on. That does make it a little easier.)
Anyway - I wouldn't know about customer service, because I've never needed to contact them, but the mattress is fantastic. Best sleep ever.
@floraposte: Yep. Its like the serial number on many electronics products - you as the consumer are free to deface/remove the serial number to your heart's content but a retailer can not have a non-serialized unit for sale nor can he check it in for repair. Without the tag, they have no way of determining that the mattress in question falls within warranty.
@tbax929 is just plain tbax929: Good luck with that - you're beyond the point you can go after the retailer and somehow every customer who can't find their receipt insists that they were never given one. It won't fly for warranty service - you can't meet YOUR burden of proof that warranty service is required.
I've noticed a few commenters saying that the old mattress in the guest room is still very comfortable while the newer mattress in their bedroom is starting to break down.
(eyebrows and OP...)
Don't forget that the mattress in the guest room rarely, if ever gets used while the mattress in the primary bedroom gets used (and USED...wink) every night.
Of course it's going to wear out sooner.
@MikeHerbst: Sounds like quite a possibility. BTW, that same practice of removing book covers is done for end of life books and magazines.
@MikeHerbst: HA! My older brother's friend used to work at a movie theater right next to a book store. At night when they closed the theater and took out the trash they would all go dumpster diving in the bookstore dumpster and get tons of books with no covers. Fueled my love of Sci-fi for years.
I suppose technically they were all stealing from the publisher but at the age of 10 I didn't really see a flaw in it. It seems kind of victimless, but then people say that about all intellectual property piracy.
I have a $600 King Koil mattress that's 8 years old and still going strong. My husband and I right now are sleeping on a $350 Serta mattress that, while not QUITE as comfortable as the King Koil, is still better than the air mattress we slept on for 8 months after moving.
The best mattress for you is the one that's comfortable. Mattresses are like most major purchases - there's really only a few companies that make them, they just throw different names around.
If you want a good long life out of your mattress though, I recommend getting a platform bed. These are becoming easy to find for relatively little money at places like Ikea, though you can also purchase more expensive, heirloom-quality wooden platform beds (I prefer companies like Vermont Tubbs, Vermont Precision Woodworks, and Oak Designs). The lack of boxspring helps the mattress to retain it's shape.
On topic, I would try to do a chargeback or a small claims suit.
@JGKojak:
My $500 king size mattress is the single most comfortable thing I have ever slept on in my entire life. I got it at a discount furniture outlet.
No, it won't last 10 years, and probably not even 5, but for $500 who the hell cares.
@Xerloq speaks Portuguese, too...: That's not fraud. The policy is bullshit and so is their denial of the warranty claim.
What rational difference does it make to the quality of the mattress whether the tag is attached or not. The policy could have just as easily said "Warranty void if you put green sheets on this mattress", but it's still sullshit.
Dooley Noted.
@Xerloq speaks Portuguese, too...: Having ""good"" ""ethics"" just means the ethic-less can walk all over you.
Case in point, this one.
Note that the requirements say you have to "provide the law label" not that the law label must be attached. That means you may be able to cut one off another mattress and send it in. Important distinction. Just make sure you find out of the law label is the same on that era of mattress.
@[DFX] Deimos: You think that you shouldn't do something to hurt someone else? I believe that falls into the outdated and useless category of "ethics".
@Geekybiker: In reference to them having a log of your previous conversation, just say it fell off and you found it behind the bed later.
@tbax929 is just plain tbax929: You need the VIN for registering the vehicle. The dealer will provide a bill of sale w/ the VIN, but you should always verify that they're the same. My friend bought a car (Infinity G35), but the dealer wrote the VIN from another G35 on the lot on the bill of sale. It took weeks of screwing around to get a hold of the woman who actually had the car with that VIN, cancel the paperwork, etc etc, before he could register his new car. I think the dealer let him use dealer plates until they sorted it out.
@DreamTheEndless: Death's little brother: I heard that the Tempurpedic mattresses get really hot when you sleep on them. That would be a huge problem in my non-air-conditioned apartment in summer. Has that been your experience?
I sleep on a futon (that's never been folded), because I love a rock-hard mattress. They're also conveniently cheap, so when this one eventually collapses, I can easily replace it.
@Colonel Jack O'Neill: The mattress will have the model information on another tag, sewn right on top of the mattress that nobody ever removes. It's easy to verify that the mattress is the same model as the receipt with that top tag.
@dragonfire81: I think that wording is basically there so that when you get the item, you know that that tag is for that item. That way you don't have to "trust" the store to be giving you the correct tag.
@AirIntake: Oh, and people rip off the tags, because it says not to by penalty of law. It feels good to disobey the man from time to time.
Ugh. our very expensive mattress, which is about 7 years old now, is starting to go, and I just dread the thought of shopping for a new one. And it's not like this one lasted it's expensive claimed lifespan!
(However, my cheap double bed mattress that is now in the guest room is going strong.)