Insiders, How Mattress Stores Totally Rip You Off?

Life is good in the 21st century, but mattress shopping still sucks.

Even if you ignore the fact that mattress ads from mattress stores, they are among the most annoying on television…

You’ve got the actual experience of being in a mattress store, where you just know you’re getting ripped off.

Here’s How Mattress Stores Trick You.

Customers walking into a mattress store will probably see a salesperson creep up on them even before they see any actual mattresses, and that’s because they have a lot to try to sell a customer on.

And a lot of what they’re pushing doesn’t actually matter.

Mattress quilting is one of the biggest scams.

People like things that look nice, but what are you doing at home?
Covering it with blankets.

How About Extra Mattress Thickness?

That doesn’t make a good mattress more comfortable, it only makes a bad mattress look good.

Box springs?

Also, unnecessary.

Then there are things like the special “no-flip” mattress.

The idea that mattresses need to be flipped regularly, so they wear evenly is one of those bits of wisdom that’s been handed down through the generations.

But according to Business Insider, pretty much all mattresses are one-sided these days, there’s no need to flip them, and those salespeople are just trying to cash in on customers’ outdated beliefs.

Mattresses are expensive, that’s just a fact of life consumers have grown to expect.
But they’re expensive because most mattress stores mark them up an almost unthinkable amount.

Mattress stores tend to mark up their product was, was above cost, then offer sales and deep discounts to make customers think they’re getting a good deal.

That super-soft, luxurious mattress that’s on sale for $1,500 is a huge bargain, right?
In fact, it’s marked all the way down from $3,000, so good timing, you lucky person!
Not so fast here…

The actual value is a lot closer to the $1,000 mark, and anyone who pays anything above that is just gravy for the stores.

Consumer Reports gives this guideline:

Take the non-sale price or the price they’re advertising as “regular,” take 50 per cent off, and that’s about what they should actually be charging.

“I’ve got all the premium prices!

I’ve got $19.
99 for sale, for $20!
You come to me when you want fine European prices!” Mattresses with a green sticker on it can cost thousands, but some of those green labels don’t mean jack.

There’s a whole slew of green labels that can appear on mattresses, and
manufacturers have to meet different standards to get them.

Some are good, like the Global Organic Textile Standard label.

They require 95 per cent of mattress materials to be certified organic, but on the other end of the spectrum are the labels that just claim that a mattress is made with organic materials.

“I’m with the mattress police.

There are no tags on these mattresses.

Legally, that label can be on as long as any part of the mattress – in any percentage, even a tiny one – is made with organic materials
.
There are no guidelines regarding how organic it has to be, and there are also no guidelines on what chemicals can be used for manufacturing
.

Is That Worth Paying The Extra For?

It’s pretty much a guarantee that salesmen are going to try to convince you
warranties will help you sleep tight on your new purchase, but they’re a complete waste of money.

See also Best Price Mattress 8 Inch Tight Top Pocket Spring Mattress Review
In most cases, that warranty covers whatever is inside the mattress.

What’s not covered is normal wear and tear or the outside of the mattress.
You know, the part that’s going to wear out first.

Most even include caveats that void warranties entirely.

Really!

Use the wrong box spring, the wrong support frame, or stain it in any way whatsoever and the warranty could be void, leaving you out of luck and out of cash in your pocket.

Buckle up, as this one’s going to get pretty gross.

With all those money-back guarantees and exchange programs, mattress stores are going to end up with a lot of returned merchandise.

What Do They Do With All Of The Mattresses?

Consumer Affairs found there’s a good chance some of the mattresses might be re-bagged and sold as “new.

‘If a salesperson suggests they can give you a good deal on a mattress that’s being discounted because it was “scuffed” in the warehouse.

In fact, that might not be the case at all, and the wear might be because it’s a return.

Be wary of great deals on “overstock” mattresses, too, and while the mattress is being delivered, watch for tape on the packaging as a clue it may have been re-bagged.

How Often Does This Mattress Re Bagging Happen?

Well, the insiders say it happens, so often it’s practically an industry standard.
This mattress looks just like your mattress at home.

What?

No, it doesn’t!

I mean sure, there are a couple of similarities, but…

Oh, boy it’s the exact same one!

I have a dumpster mattress!”

Mattress Reports calls it the “comfort scam,” and here’s how it works.

Mary the Mattress-Buyer tests a bunch of different mattresses in the store, lying on them each for just a few minutes.

They pick one they like, buy it, and proceeds to take it home.

But soon, they find out it’s not nearly as comfortable as they thought it was when they bought it.

What gives?

Manufacturers have figured out that both high-quality, expensive materials and lower-quality, cheaper materials have about the same level of comfort in the store.

That’s because potential buyers are only lying on them for a few minutes at a time, and once they’ve spent a lot of money on a cheap mattress and taken it home, that lower-quality one is going to start to shift and sag a lot faster.

No one will be happy about that.

There’s another trick here, too.

Some mattress materials, like memory foam, soften in warmer temperatures.

That’s why stores will keep their showrooms toasty warm, and it’s also why that mattress is suddenly not so memorable when it’s unpacked in a cooler bedroom.

So, I bet you did not know all these things about mattress stores, did you?

Sometimes you just need to go online to keep away from the dodgy salespeople on the store floors walking around to catch you before you run out of the mattress store itself.