Two Strikes And.....................

[slpngoc]

robertwhite wrote:




Sorry, I have you confused with another poster as far as the job details go.

As for your returned mattresses, over $1300 in return fees makes your Tempurpedic pretty pricey at well over $3K (for a twin?) That is not chicken scratch in anyone but a very well off persons view. You obviously also live in a large metro area where you have access to very large chain stores who have very liberal return policies. Many people do not. Plus, you live in a state that allows returns. If you did not, how much would that TP have cost by now, about $5K?

The $1300 loss was due to this - I bought a Stearns and Foster set from Sears. I used my one time exchange to get the iComfort from Sears which cost a net of $1500. Didn't work. I had to sell the iComfort on Craigslist, only got $175, so lost about $1300.
I don't know what your take is on the iComfort Serta brand, but consider this -
The Insight is iComfort's entry level mattress, like 8.75" thick. It sells from Sears for $899 twin XL set + tax. One trouble is the box spring is of terrible quality with that set. I've seen the center bend in no time. I don't know how good the mattress is or not, I didn't have that model at home.
so, the equivalent TP would be a Cloud which is usually $1450 for the twin XL set. first off the foundation is a very sturdily constructed wood unit with reinforced top, and quite heavy to pick up. The mattress has an air channel which is supposed to help with cooling. So, it's $550 more and works for me. Believe me, I'm not crying over the extra $550 cost of it over a Serta Insight.
I can't comment on states with no return policy. That's pretty lousy considering one never knows how a mattress really is until they sleep on it for a few weeks.

 

[budgy]

robertwhite wrote:

Let me reprase the $2K cost factor...... NO companies piece of foam is worth anywhere near $2K, period. Do you really have any doubt that at the $2K price, ($2500 with box spring/foundatio) that TP mattress is at least 600-800% profit? And that is their lowest priced mattress (King). Do you not think that a $5K price tag on their best model is not the biggest rip off in the bedding industry? Seriously, think about it for a minute.

I understand the advertising costs and the heavier/denser foam costs, but again, it is not $2K worth of material and labor, no matter how you slice it.

I agree that whatever works for a person is just fine. But if TP really wanted to "help" their customer base, they would price their beds realistically and sell a whole lot more to boot.

Do I have watches that cost as much as the Costco mattress? Absolutely. In fact several times more, BUT, I can turn around any day of the week and get what I paid for said watches or even more. A high end watch is not only mechanical art, but an investment too. A mattress (at any price) is just like an every day vehicle. Depreciates the second you sign on the dotted line.

I don't disagree...but consider where Costco's pricing on these beds comes in, they buy bulk sans advertising costs and sell them in a store that is already profitable without a mattress section. Part of the reason so many Tempurs sell is because they are profitable and have a low return rate (to the retailers themselves). Consider for a moment that Tempur-Pedic does not really sell many beds direct to the end user, most are sold through retailers...if they lowered their prices and cut down on the profit potential there would be less reasons for sales people to sell them for Tempur-Pedic and they would in all likelihood sell less of them, ultimately a cut in sales and profit for each bed also lowers the amount of advertising they would be able to do and less people interested in buying as well. I am not saying the beds are worth their weight in materials and labour, I totally agree with you there, probably the highest mark up around. But I understand why they do it from a business perspective.
All I am saying is that if a bed ultimately works, when do you say any price for a bed is unreasonabl? Or how much would you pay for a good nights sleep?...there is also a possibility that there is not a memory foam product that may work for you, Tempur-Pedic or otherwise.
If all you are concerned about is the dollars figure, and you obviously can afford more than the costco price based on your hobby (which by the way I am not knocking, I like the finer things in life too, watches are like a functional piece of art in many cases) but a watch cannot improve your quality of life the way a good nights sleep can. You may want to consider broadening your options if you try another Costco bed and it doesn't pan out. They are not known for selling the highest quality, they sell average to good mattresses with better than average prices and value, great return policies.

 

[seekingmattress]

Just wondering how you found the Sealy Roseshore Firm mattress? Thinking about getting one. Was it a keeper?

 

[robertwhite]

seekingmattress wrote:
Just wondering how you found the Sealy Roseshore Firm mattress? Thinking about getting one. Was it a keeper?

We wound up getting the RoseVille which is a plush instead of the RoseShore which is a plush Euro pillowtop.
They are carried instore and when I brought the other 2 sets back (not even a question why from the CS people) we picked it up. I am not using the box springs as not only are they 2 twins, but are much weaker than my custom platform. So far it is WAY better than the pure foam beds and my back does not hurt in the AM. It has foam over springs. I think the problem with the pure foam beds was the room temp. We keep the heat at 63 and even though it is fine for sleeping, it is too cold for the foam.

 

[JasonRatky]

robertwhite wrote:

Let me reprase the $2K cost factor...... NO companies piece of foam is worth anywhere near $2K, period. Do you really have any doubt that at the $2K price, ($2500 with box spring/foundatio) that TP mattress is at least 600-800% profit? And that is their lowest priced mattress (King). Do you not think that a $5K price tag on their best model is not the biggest rip off in the bedding industry? Seriously, think about it for a minute.

I understand the advertising costs and the heavier/denser foam costs, but again, it is not $2K worth of material and labor, no matter how you slice it.

I agree that whatever works for a person is just fine. But if TP really wanted to "help" their customer base, they would price their beds realistically and sell a whole lot more to boot.

Do I have watches that cost as much as the Costco mattress? Absolutely. In fact several times more, BUT, I can turn around any day of the week and get what I paid for said watches or even more. A high end watch is not only mechanical art, but an investment too. A mattress (at any price) is just like an every day vehicle. Depreciates the second you sign on the dotted line.

I bet you're not far off on those markup percentages vs. the budget versions at Sam's & Costco. It's unfortunate that we're paying so much in part for TP's marketing campaign, but it's also true that TP's perform better & last much longer too. I found this out first hand. We have one of the cheaper ones from sams that you can already feel the beginnings of a body indention in, & it is only occassionally used in a guest bedroom. Compared to my friend's bottom of the line TP that's over three times as old, is much thinner, & gets compressed by a 200+ pounder every night- with no performance degradation in the TP so far. Still sleeps better than our newer, thicker one from sams, to my back. So advertising, markup %'s, & resale value aside, they're still "worth" whatever people are willing to pay, are satisfied with, & would buy again/recommend to a friend. If you can't get past paying such a premium for a TP, then I'd say at least splurge on one of the higher end versions at the discount stores that publish specs for not only the MF comfort layer, but also the support core (eg 5lbs & 2lbs respectively). Of course that can put even those into >$1k territory, but still a fraction the price of a TP, and might not result in serial returns & early indentions like the cheapest ones. Would never do that again.
Really I'm with you on TP out of principle, & I too have since discovered there is no substitute for a spring component anyway (or use for MF), but I also wouldn't tell anyone they've been "ripped off" on a mattress that they paid thousands for & never looked back, then sleep well on it for years. They don't care how much it cost to make, how much of their money went toward advertising, or what the resale value is. THey just know it was worth the price to them for a good nights sleep.

 

[FKrueger]

Unfortuneatley for my backand neck , laytex and memoryfoam have been the only way to go. I had a Englander laytex about 10yrs ago, it lasted 2yrs and got body impressions, Then a Restonic plush laytex which went 5yrs and got body impressions, now have a firm memory foam generic that I am putting on a topper and having to change every couple of years. I went thru about 8 different spring mattresses in a 6 yr period before trying laytex, and yes that was expensive. So far laytex have been the most comfortable for me, I am a back and side sleeper, the mattress can't be firm as when I sleep on my side a firm mattress shoves my should in and I get neck pains. I read that to get a firm mattress and add toppers is the way to go and I have to agree. I'm around the 5 year mark with this firm memory foam and have ordered the 3rd topper for it as the toppers get body impressions. Toppers are getting more expensive, but they are cheaper than buying a new mattress. I think the mattress itself had only developed a small amount of impression at this time, I do use a water proof mattress cover on the memory foam mattress, and a normal cloth cover over the topper. The plush Englander laytex was the most comfortable mattress I have felt, but the reviews online have them developing the hammock affect in months with a poor warranty from Enlander, Englanders plush individual pocketed spring mattress felt the next best, but as I tried a Bassett ages ago and it developed impressions in 2 yrs I am afraid to go back to individual pockets springs. Am beginning to believe that all of these mattresses are just not designed to go past 5yrs without body impressions. If you are fortuneate enough to be able to sleep on a firm mattress, they do appear to last longer, and if you don't have back or neck problems, then your mattress will last forever.

 

[Lynn2006]

I would try Flobeds with their great return policy with split layers and then you can adjust layers to get your own comfort for each side of the bed. Having the cushion over firmness is the way to stop back pain ... at least for me as I sleep.