Get a mattress and boxspring with a life time warranty…

Sound too good to be true? If you are thinking about purchasing a new mattress and have considered the warranty to be a key indicator of the quality of your mattress, hang on to your night cap. Mattress manufacturers have some of the longest warranties on their products in any industry to be found. 10 years, 20 years even lifetime mattress warranties can be found by the unsuspecting bed shopper, but are they just a dream?

Lifetime Mattress Warranty available on all mattresses?

Yes, it seems you can find such deals on about anything in the bedding industry. We have seen the lifetime guarantee available on every type of mattress including: Mattress and Box Springs, Memory Foam, Waterbeds , Airbeds, Etc. If you have considered buying one of these products the fact is dealers or manufacturers will have an offer to entice you. Something so good that it just may cause you to stop your mattress shopping process and buy what they have to offer because it is guaranteed for the lifetime that you own it, wow what a deal right?

What does a Lifetime Mattress Warranty really cover?

While it is true that these lifetime warranties offer the buyer some level of protection throughout their ownership of their set. There are many details to be read which could fill this entire page so we will spare you lawyer jargon, however the main point that we would like to point out is that the promises of  this kind of warranty coverage do not come without some kind of costs to the consumer. This is because the details of these repair or replacement promises are written by lawyers for the retailers and builders of the beds. In reality the full warranty coverage usually ranges from 5 to 20 years and cover sworkman ship and material defects.

Included are many details and usually leave to the final and ultimate determination of  warranty qualification to the manufacturer not the consumer. The remaining years are pro-rated. This means the consumer gets a discount on repair or replacement. This discount is often off of a higher inflated retail price. As the years pass the discounts are reduced.  The purchaser may have to pay for labor and shipping fees and often does not cover fabric or outer covering which is susceptible to ordinary wear and tear

Is a Lifetime Mattress Warranty a good deal?

Know  that if you buy into a life time mattress warranty that you will need to be comfortable dealing with the same brand and manufacturer. Perhaps you will be locked into working with the same retailer for the entire life of owning this bed. In the case the retailer was also the mattress manufacturer and they go out of business, know that your warranty is not worth the paper it is written on. If you are comfortable with having to pay 50%,  75% ,or more of the current retail price to have your mattress fixed or replaced this is probably not for you. If you are comfortable paying all shipping costs which includes both ways, boxing and bagging again not for you.  If you realize that that any sign of abuse or improper care which includes simple marks or stains can cancel the care and replacement you expect. The warranty is null and void.

When it comes to lifetime guarantees and mattresses just remember the old idiom “the devil is in the details” which refers to a catch or mysterious hidden element that is in the details and in this case it is the warranty card. Read one before you are awakened from the nightmare of a bad warranty. Mattress Warranty Top 10 Questions

breaking-law by In Shaw

People laugh and joke about going to jail because they removed the legal tag from their mattress…

but I have never seen a 4 year old prosecuted for doing it. So don’t panic, with that being said it is on there for a reason. Your legal tag most importantly establishes your warranty rights as a consumer. It has, the date it was manufactured and the manufacturers warranty code because many manufacturers have different warranties for different mattresses. The big 4 mattress makers Sealy, Serta, Simmons and Spring Air warranties all require preservation of the mattress tag. This means leave it on the mattress and if it comes loose or you choose to remove it, then be sure to attach it to your sales receipt.  Keeping the legal tag attached to the mattress is the best chance you have of getting warranty satisfaction in the event your mattress develops a warranted defect.

As of July 1st 2007 all mattresses and mattress toppers must meet the more strict fire code 16 CFR Part 1633. The legal tag will specify that the mattress you are considering to purchase meets this code. The law was put into affect to save people from injury or possible death due to smoking in bed and other such accidental fires. Older mattresses will not have this level of safety and the tag assures you of that in the event of a fire. Another benefit of the label is that there is now a way for manufacturers who are required to recall mattresses and or foundations can do so, for example if they fail to meet the new fire testing guidelines. Without the tag there is virtually no way to recall the mattress in such an event.

Reasons for not removing mattress label

Some mattresses might have cleaning recommendations that can be helpful to the consumer if their mattress becomes soiled. There is often a set of instructions that describes the process including explicit do’s and don’ts that in the event you stain your mattress you can clean it so that the mattress may be able to pass a stain inspection in the event of a warranty claim.  Truly this could be a costly lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way so not only do the important things like using a mattress pad, protector, and sheets but “Save The Mattress Label” for all of the reasons your didn’t think of. The moral of the story is “Think twice before you remove the legal tag from your mattress after all what is it really hurting and in the end if a real problem were to arise you want a smooth and painless way to proceed through the situation and leaving your label attached is the best way to achieve that because with out it the only real cost will end up on you the customer.

How long do you think a mattress should last?

One of the biggest surprises people find out about when purchasing a new bed is finding out how poorly most mattresses sold today perform, but hey wait it has a warranty right? Listen to sales people; read warranty cards, or go by the life of your last mattress and you may very well be disappointed with the purchase of your new bed when you find out that Mattress Warranty is Not an Indicator of Expected Life. Today’s mattress warranty cards have some of the longest manufacturers’ warranties of any industry out there and based on how mattresses have held up in the past why shouldn’t they have at least 10 to 20 years or more of assurance?

10 year warranty
20 year warranty
30 year warranty

For consumers these manufacturers’ guarantees are the presumed life expectancies.

The fact is you shouldn’t always believe everything you read or better yet actually sit down and read the entire warranty and what it really covers. The reality is most mattresses fall far short of such lofty promises and once you read the fine print of the written assurance an incomplete puzzle begins to become a clearer picture.

Unusually long guarantees are used and abused by everyone in the mattress industry…

from manufacturers who build the beds to the salespeople that sell them. Warranties are often used to give comfort and reassurance to the consumer who believes the expected comfort life and quality of the bed should match the warranty card. Customers are often disappointed when they find that mattress sets fall far short of their lofty implied expectations.

Consumer Reports and mattress forums like WhatsTheBestMattress.com, are flooded with complaints of companies who won’t stand behind their products and they all say the same thing, warranties don’t cover much and they don’t mean much. We agree and say they are all written by lawyers for the manufacturers to protect them not to protect your purchase. Most tell you up front that body impressions are normal and part of the beds “breaking in period”. In most cases warranties will not cover mattresses that have body impressions or sagging until it reaches a depth of a least 1 ½ inches. Picture that before you read on.

The fact of knowing the bed and knowing the problems that plaque it before you buy it arms you and prepares you in the event that you have to exercise a warranty claim on your mattress. Know what is expected of you and your specific responsibilities as the buyer. You need to know if regular turning or flipping your mattress is required. You need to know if your warranty is valid if there is a scuff, mark, or stain on it. You need to know how to protect your mattress from accidental stains or markings. You need to have a valid proof of purchase such as a receipt. Not complying with your requirements and responsibilities is how many of the retailers and manufacturers weasel their way out of standing behind their product. Lawyer jargon covers their rear don’t make it easier for them by not holding up your end of the bargain.

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.

Recently this question was asked of me at a local home show. The customer went on to inquire if our store could handle his mattress warranty claim even though the mattress and boxspring was bought at another Campbell Mattress Authorized Dealer where they used to live. Unfortunately the customer had either misplaced or lost their original sales receipt which makes this particular mattress warranty one of the hardest for a mattress dealer to take care of, but not impossible. So what guidelines will a mattress store normally require a customer to follow before exercising a warranty adjustment:

1. The original sales receipt, which is mandatory under all mattress warranties.
2. The mattress must be defective under the terms of the warranty card explanation.
3. Must be inspected by an authorized representative of the mattress manufacturer or authorized dealer.

Alternative Proofs Of Purchase That Mattress Stores Could Accept

Countless times the original receipt is either lost or misplaced, so what else might be acceptable to the mattress dealer or manufacturer to show original purchaser evidence? If I may toot my horn, stores like ours strive to offer the best service possible, and we do this by allowing the customer to provide alternative proofs of original purchase in the event of a lost receipt such as:

1. Credit card statement that shows the purchase date of the mattress
2. Cancelled check or copy of the cancelled check from the bank showing the purchase date of the mattress with pertinent information
3. For our store customers simply knowing the original purchase date so the invoice can be looked up.
4. Some companies now are fully automated and keep records on their computer through computer generated invoices.

The crazy thing is most mattress dealers will only accept the original receipt. They feel a cancelled check would not be enough to establish proof of purchase.

The sad thing is if a mattress warranty is rejected everyone loses. What if the customer decides to upgrade mattresses? Isn’t that a win win situation for the mattress manufacturer, the customer, and the mattress dealer? Let me be clear in saying with the information provided below it’s very easy for a dealer to take care of a mattress warranty.

Standard mattress and boxspring warranties only need to meet a few requirements to be accepted and replaced:

• Proof of purchase (Mattress Receipt)
• The old mattress is still with in the warranty period
• The mattress needs to be inspected by either a factory representative or an authorized dealer
• Mattress inspection needs to reveal a defective mattress.

In other words, no blatant signs of abuse or neglect on the customer’s part. No stains from bodily fluids. (Side Note our requirement) The Water Works is not concerned about a small smudge, marks, or mild scrapes.

• Mattress dealers have the right to charge for the service of exchanging the defective mattress or boxspring and some do.

No one should be out a penny except the mattress manufacturer who built the defective mattress in the first place. This really is how simple a warranty claim should be.

Fortunately or unfortunately the ultimate responsibility of proof of purchase is to be provided by the consumer so keep your receipt. The solution is simple, the person filing the mattress warranty claim needs to prove that he or she is the original owner and that the mattress was bought new and not second hand from an individual or used furniture store. The mattress needs to be found defective. If this can be done case closed.

Have you had a bad or a good mattress warranty experience? If so leave your comment below.