I frequently receive emails from people outlining the problems that they have had with warranty services for memory foam mattresses they have purchased. I have found that most of these warranty questions fall under two categories which have led me to consider two things: 1. what were these consumers considering when they purchased their memory foam mattress that they now want to return it? and 2. was the sales person, or store policy misleading in any way? In most cases I find that people who buy a bed or mattress didn’t try it out for long enough to be able to determine if it is the right bed for them. Buying a mattress is a very personal experience, and no two people are going to need, or for that matter get the same thing out of the same mattress. For this reason it is the responsibility of the consumer to make sure that they have taken the time to try the bed in question out for long enough that they will be able to determine if it is comfortable for them to sleep on. I tend to recommend a 15 minute trial period per bed, which is long enough for your body to become accustom to the sleeping surface. Along the same lines it is equally important to make sure to try as many different kinds of mattresses as possible. If you are used to sleeping on a spring mattress, then try memory form mattresses and latex mattress. By the same token if you are already sleeping on a memory foam mattress, then it is a good idea to try several different brands, as most brands tend to use different grades of memory foam. If you are considering a memory foam mattress then it is most important to ask what the density of the memory foam is. A standard density is 5.3 lbs/ Sq ft such as found is a TempurPedic mattress, but some mattress companies will market their beds as being “5.3 lbs density.” Remember all the way back to the 7th grade, density is measured in pounds per square feet. If you find that you are looking at a mattress that is only advertising their memory foam density in pounds, you might consider looking to another mattress brand. Although a bed might be made of memory foam, it is also very important to understand that there are distinct differences in the quality of the memory foam used as well. Because of this it is a good idea to ask if the mattress manufacturer is also the manufacturer for their foam. If not, then try to find out where the foam is made so that you don’t wind up overpaying for a product that is just a repackaged Chinese good. This brings up the second possibility, that the mattress warranty wasn’t explained properly by the salesperson. Most mattress companies provide 30 day limited warranty policies, but it is very important to determine what circumstances will allow you to actually return the mattress in full for another one. With the case of some online mattress stores, they will let you return any mattress within a 30 day time frame as long as you pay the shipping costs. Either way, if you find out that a warranty is available make certain to ask all the questions about what would be covered under warranty should you want to return your mattress. Most warranty disputes are the result of the consumer not having enough information pre-purchase to make a proper buying decision. It is your job as the consumer to ask the appropriate questions before purchasing an expensive item such a mattress. |
