Will a Mattress last as Long as the warranty cards indicate? Many people believe their mattresses should last at least ten years that so many manufacturers hype up. The fact is most won’t even come close. The answer to the initial question is subjective and is often determined by the quality of the mattress you buy. However some of you might be surprised to learn than in most cases the answer is no.

There is a general consensus that a mattress should last as long as the promised warranty and the hyped sale pitch by a saleman. The reality is that a warranty is a not an indicator of a mattresses overall durability, but a promise to fix defects in the mattress. The greater part of all mattresses sold today cost under $1000.00. Most have 10 year warranties and majority just won’t last the ten years implied on the warranty card, regardless of mattress size, price, and brand name.

Interestingly Consumer Reports suggests that a mattress will only last on average 8 years. That is a far cry from the standard warranty card that is marked with: ten, fifteen, or even 20 years or longer. Many mattress insiders say mattress comfort life is more like six to seven years maximum. To understand what is actually covered by a mattress manufacturer and their warranty you need to be a lawyer and a Rhodes Scholar. One thing we can safely assume that is not covered by a mattress warranty is comfort. If you do not like the feel of a mattress, you will learn quickly that, comfort is not a warranty issue. Comfort is dealt with by many bedroom stores under what is called a comfort guarantee, which lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 days after purchasing a new mattress. 

As we have learned warranties do not guarantee comfort, but they also do not promise good support. They merely promise that under normal circumstances that the mattress will not break down excessively, and that the mattress will be free from defects due to bad workmanship of faulty materials. The truth is not matter how well a mattress is built, it usually loses most of its support, comfort, and aesthetics well before reaching it’s 10 year birthday you can be guaranteed of that.

While shopping on the Internet there it was advertised. It was one of the most popular mattress types memory foam, in the most popular mattress size queen, and perhaps it was some lucky mattress shoppers’ lucky day. This was because according to the ad they were was about to receive some unbelievably spectacular mattress savings. I posted a copy of the ad below, which seems pretty self-explanatory or does it? We left the name of the retailer and the mattress off intentionally. This same type of marketing is common and could apply to many of the mattress ads I saw during my research.

11-inch Memory Foam Queen Size Mattress
· Compare at: $1,130.90
· Our Price: $350.00
· Sale Discount: $35.00
· Your Price: $315.00
· You Save: $815.90 or (72%)

If this particular advertised mattress actually sold for $1,130.90 then this very well may be a great deal. However, in this ad nowhere does it say any such a thing. The ad says Compare at: $1,130.90
It goes on to say plainly “Our Price: (is) $350.00.”
 It then says the “Sale Discount: (is) $35.00.” (This is the discount the company is offering)
It then goes on to say that “Your Price: (is) $315.00.” (What you will pay)
Finally the ad claims “You Save: $815.90 (or) (72%).”

Wait a minute didn’t they just tell you that your Sale Discount is only $35.00? Yes it did. The truth is the way this mattress ad is worded in my opinion is very deceptive and not uncommon in the mattress industry. They are telling you the “Sale Discount” is only “$35.00.” That is the equivalent off only 10% off of their price. Yet the ad is claiming a savings of $815.90 or (72%) when looking at the “Compare at price”
 
It is my opinion that this is not a great mattress deal. This mattress ad doesn’t say this mattress was originally $1,130.90, it says Compare at. (Compare to Who, What, Where and When?) Those are important questions that need to be addressed. Sure you can probably find a store selling a memory foam mattress for $1130.90 but was it the exact same one? I don’t think so after all the #1 memory foam mattress Tempur Pedic offers memory foam mattresses for thousands of dollars but I assure you this was no Tempur Pedic.
 
The funny thing about this ad is that it has a disclaimer defining to the mattress shopper what “Compare at” means. In this ad the definition of compare at is nearly one page long, has over 301 words in it, and I’m not sure a lawyer could understand the disclaimer, I know I didn’t.

I believe we all like a good deal but It is not about how much you save. It is about comparing apples to apples and getting the best price for that apple.

Feel free to tell us your experiences. No company names Please. Store names will be deleted.

Outlet: (n) a store, merchant, or agency selling the goods of a particular wholesaler or manufacturer.

Interestingly the definition does not define such stores as having the ability to sell wholesale to the public. It does not say that they have the ability to save you even a small amount of money. Furniture outlets, clothing outlets, what ever kind of outlet you can think of it is one of the most ingenious marketing inventions ever put in to action.

Here in St. Louis there are a number of outlet stores that sell mattresses and furniture that make claim to cut out the middleman therefore saving you money. Some of the stores and salespeople claim to sell their products for “wholesale cost to the public”. I personally do not have a problem with that, if that was what they were really doing. I believe these businesses and their sales staffs are intentionally implying direct savings to you the consumer by means of a factory direct to the customer (you) wholesale pricing.

I can assure you this is rarely if ever the actual case and is one of the easiest marketing methods to put into plain words for the retail buying consumer. Factories design and build items like mattresses and furniture in large volume. They then hire territorial sales representatives to locate retail stores and distribution centers who are willing to sell and market their goods in large quantities. Ultimately those products like the mattresses and furniture are then sold at wholesale cost to a retail store, chain, or distribution center.

These loyal and committed retail stores often enter a working arrangement and act as the liaison between the manufacturer and the customer. They set up showroom locations to see product selection, get product information, and take care of all service related issues. The dealer is expected to uphold the manufacturers standards and even calls upon the manufacturer for help when needed. This authorized dealer in essence enters an agreement or contract for exclusivity or obligatory minimum purchase amounts in order to buy from the manufacture at wholesale prices. Distribution centers are required to purchase greater volumes and then at the end of the day sell their products to retail stores who may not be able to make manufacturers’ purchase minimums.

I get frustrated when I see ads like the ad I saw on line doing research for this blog. Company X claimed their item was on sale for 50% off their already wholesale to the public price. It’s my opinion that outlet stores should have to answer to the various State Attorney Generals with ridiculously high fines or even closure if such deception persisted after a warning and steep fines. It is important that the public can trust what they read and hear on signs and in ads. Just as important customers need to be able to believe what sale associates tell them to be good and trustworthy information. Retail establishments need to stop trying to gain a competitive business edge with claims of wholesale pricing to the public which are often untrue. My ongoing opinion, if state attorney generals would crack down hard on such ads and deceitful claims of selling wholesale to the public it would put an end to such bad retail business practices, but I guess that is wishful thinking.

Signs say it; newspaper ads print it, and any red-blooded shopper that can take to mean what an ad implies to be true believes there are great deals to be had. But just because someone says that they are only open on weekends to save us money, does that make it factual or for that matter even possible? Lets dig a little deeper.

Companies buy buildings or rent them but do they only have to pay the mortgage or rent payments on the weekends?
I think we all no that’s not true. I think it is safe to say our mortgage holders or landlords would not be so generous to forgive us of our monthly principle and interest payments just because we only lived in our residents only on the weekends. However it does sound like a sweet deal, I want that.

If selling furniture, mattresses or any item for that matter only on the weekends really saved customer’s money why doesn’t every store in every industry do the same thing?
My guess is that slow and steady beats a weekend mad rush, you know like the Tortoise and the hair. Someone once told me why isn’t Costco or Sam’s Club only open on the weekends? Aren’t those the two most successful money saving companies in the United States? If only being open on the weekend saved you more money I have to believe these two giants would lead the way.

Do companies that are only open on the weekends only incur lower costs by only being open on the weekend?

My view is I do not think so, put your current life in a weekend mode of doing everything you do, would that really save you money? If it worked we would do it, the world would do it. I think it is safe to say the answer is no.

Do companies have to still pay utilities, insurance, and advertising throughout the week?
Yes, just because their weekend store hours start on Fridays and go on thru Sundays that does not mean they stop accumulating bills Monday thru Thursday.

Is advertising stopped by weekend only type businesses during the week such as Internet, TV and radio if no why is that?
Of course not the answer is simple, no. The reason is consistency, they do not want to lose that constant steady exposure that mainstream stores who are open 7 days a week benefit from.

Is it true that stores that are open Sunday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM can also buy truckloads, close outs and one of a kinds?
Sure they can and they do. Maybe even more so than a business that is only open on the weekends because they are open all week long waiting and ready to take advantage of such great bargains and special buys.

Is customer service better from a store that is open 7 days a week as apposed to stores that are only open on weekends?
That is hard to say. My guess is that a store that is open 7 days a week vs. one that is open 2 or 3 days a week will have someone conveniently available to help you with your service needs. I suppose another thing one could do is look to organizations like the BBB or talk with people who have bought from these companies and find out how they were treated. It just seems to me that being available to your customer virtually everyday shows you are truly committed to their needs.

Conclusion:
So why would buying on the weekends only save me money? I just don’t know.

Also read: Can you Buy Mattresses and Furuniture Direct And Really Save Money?

Part 1 of 3

Can you Buy Mattresses and Furniture Directly And Really Save Money? Seriously does anyone believe that buying a mattress or furniture on the weekend from an outlet store or buying direct is going to save him or her money? This series of blogs may change your mind and if they do not, well then I have a bridge to nowhere in Alaska to sell you.

The only question you need to ask is direct from whom? Customers are often confused and buy into this controversial way of marketing mattresses and furniture. Customers really don’t know if they are directly buying from the manufacturer, a distributor, or the retail store. Are you only saving monopoly money and if so how can you protect yourself and know that you are not being mislead?
Here is the facts, if you buy from someone aren’t you buying it direct? It is often just a play on words, so how do you know if you really purchasing from the manufacturer that builds the furniture or in fact makes the mattresses? It is pretty simple if you are buying direct from the manufacturer your at the place they are building it. Mattress or furniture retail stores are middlemen or distributors of the goods. They buy direct from the factory and sell to furniture and mattress retail stores and the general public as authorized even contracted dealers. These stores can be found in any shopping mall, busy commercially zoned area, or industrial complex so don’t be fooled by warehouse looking locations.

Think about this, if selling direct to the public were so simple Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler would own all of the car lots and have direct to the public sales all the time. So explain these claims of buying furniture and mattresses direct from the manufacturer? It is true retail stores or distribution stores buy direct from the manufacturer, however the general public typically cannot. There are very rare cases where consumers can purchase their goods from the factories. There is only one other example I can think of where the general public can buy from the factory so called directly and that is through their own factory owned stores, which are rare. Even more unusual would be a factory owned store undercutting or undermining their own authorized mattress and furniture stores. This is often a claim  when they say they won’t be undersold because they cut out the middleman to save you money. Really we say?

It is my opinion that retail stores want to lead you to believe through their advertising that you to can also directly buy mattresses and furniture from the factory for the same price they the retail and distribution stores are buying it for. Again if you believe that ironically I have another bridge to sell you that stretches from California to Hawaii.
The truth is factories deal in large volume selling and are not structured to sell one, two, or three pieces at a time. So don’t think for a second that they are about to bite the hand that feeds them by undercutting their own authorized or even contracted mattress and furniture stores. Factories hire sales representatives who call on retail mattress and furniture stores to distribute their goods.

Read Part 2 of this blog