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What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

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Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#161

Post by baddox »

simonsarris wrote: post #95
Johnny555 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I purchased a Purple 3, thinking that if I loved it, I'd just stick with it. I did love it, but I couldn't justify spending $2k on a twin I don't understand this -- you loved the mattress and you knew the price when you ordered, so what other outcome did you expect if you couldn't justify the price to yourself even if you loved it? It seems that you'd have been better off going with a more affordably priced mattress…

1. Testing cars you can't afford is awesome. Knowing the full range of experience in a good can be very enlightening. How much better is a $10,000 camera from a $1,000 camera, or $400 wine from $4? I used to run a tasting group which is basically a way to pool money and try liquors that are vastly out of our individual price range and I highly recommend it. You can try expensive cars and mattresses for free, that's e…

Yes, but the parent commenter explicitly said the plan was to keep it if they loved it, and they loved it, but they didn't keep it because it was too expensive.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#162

Post by Retric »

croissants wrote: post #149
135792468 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t read the article but I’ve worked for one of these companies that was a startup and have a local mattress company as a client. So a little perspective. These companies are all marketing companies. There is no “science” they literally get rolls of foam from foam makers, throw them on in layers and try to find the right combo. I was there, I’ve done it myself. The companies that end up winning have fantastic ma…

How should people buy mattresses, or mattress-like products, to avoid this 2000% markup?

IKEA for example sells a lot of mattresses under 150$. Under that you can just by foam pads, but the biggest savings is simply avoiding mattress stores or companies.

If you like pillow tops or those egg shell foam pads you can also just buy them separately.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#163

Post by sjg007 »

croissants wrote: post #149
135792468 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t read the article but I’ve worked for one of these companies that was a startup and have a local mattress company as a client. So a little perspective. These companies are all marketing companies. There is no “science” they literally get rolls of foam from foam makers, throw them on in layers and try to find the right combo. I was there, I’ve done it myself. The companies that end up winning have fantastic ma…

How should people buy mattresses, or mattress-like products, to avoid this 2000% markup?

You'd have to bulk order from China most likely or build your own mattress... or just order something cheap on Amazon where it is a race to the bottom. IKEA is also ok. I prefer Costco b/c of the return policy itself. Maybe you might find a hotel liquidator.

The fact that we all sleep in hotels though shows you that the mattress resale laws are kind of weird or antiquated .. e.g. maybe last century. It seems like there should be a rehab process that allows a mattress to be resold "used" but clean. I am guessing the reason is health and safety but given craigslist where mattress change hands ad infinitum I am not sure how big the risk is. The fire risk is obviously a bigger deal.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#164

Post by paxys »

bsanr wrote: post #30

I'd thought I'd get around the madness of mattress shopping by using just the technique mentioned in the article here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22377160 At least, until I found something I liked. I purchased a Purple 3, thinking that if I loved it, I'd just stick with it. I did love it, but I couldn't justify spending $2k on a twin(!). I returned it, and purchased from another company for ~$700. I didn't…

> Was my mattress so cheaply-made that the manufacturer could afford to give them away

It's a combination of huge markup on retail prices, acceptable losses due to returns, and mostly just having VC money to burn through.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#165

Post by koolba »

Retric wrote: post #162
croissants wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How should people buy mattresses, or mattress-like products, to avoid this 2000% markup?

IKEA for example sells a lot of mattresses under 150$. Under that you can just by foam pads, but the biggest savings is simply avoiding mattress stores or companies. If you like pillow tops or those egg shell foam pads you can also just buy them separately.

... and you can still return it if you’re not satisfied! Plus you get to grab a few $.50 hot dogs while you’re there.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#166

Post by wycy »

giarc wrote: post #114
wycy wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the AmazonBasics mattress: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C49ZPQG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b... It's my guest room mattress but I do sleep in the guest room occasionally, and when I do I sleep better than my normal mattress. That said, the edge support isn't great. Being close to the edge makes it feel almost like you're at a slight slope. Still, no regrets for $250. Edit: I'm 6ft / 165 lb. It's possible that it wo…

I agree with the edge support and foam mattresses. A friend of mine asked me about whether he should recommend a foam mattress for his grandparents. I specifically said no because of the edge support. I fear someone with mobility issues might not be able to support themselves if they were to sit on the corner.

FWIW, my main mattress is also foam (Leesa) and seems to have good edge support. But the Leesa was a lot more expensive than the Amazon mattress, and I wanted to spend less since it was a guest room.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#167

Post by paxys »

Johnny555 wrote: post #91
bsanr wrote: post #30

I'd thought I'd get around the madness of mattress shopping by using just the technique mentioned in the article here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22377160 At least, until I found something I liked. I purchased a Purple 3, thinking that if I loved it, I'd just stick with it. I did love it, but I couldn't justify spending $2k on a twin(!). I returned it, and purchased from another company for ~$700. I didn't…

I purchased a Purple 3, thinking that if I loved it, I'd just stick with it. I did love it, but I couldn't justify spending $2k on a twin I don't understand this -- you loved the mattress and you knew the price when you ordered, so what other outcome did you expect if you couldn't justify the price to yourself even if you loved it? It seems that you'd have been better off going with a more affordably priced mattress…

You can simultaneously love something and find it not worth the price.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#168

Post by seanmcdirmid »

sjg007 wrote: post #163
croissants wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How should people buy mattresses, or mattress-like products, to avoid this 2000% markup?

You'd have to bulk order from China most likely or build your own mattress... or just order something cheap on Amazon where it is a race to the bottom. IKEA is also ok. I prefer Costco b/c of the return policy itself. Maybe you might find a hotel liquidator. The fact that we all sleep in hotels though shows you that the mattress resale laws are kind of weird or antiquated .. e.g. maybe last century. It seems like the…

The reason is surely bedbug infestations. It is just too risky to buy a mattress second hand, even from legitimate sources.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#169

Post by sjg007 »

Retric wrote: post #162
croissants wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How should people buy mattresses, or mattress-like products, to avoid this 2000% markup?

IKEA for example sells a lot of mattresses under 150$. Under that you can just by foam pads, but the biggest savings is simply avoiding mattress stores or companies. If you like pillow tops or those egg shell foam pads you can also just buy them separately.

One interesting diy hack I read about is to put insulation or sound proofing around your dishwasher. Basically $20 in insulation can turn an old dishwasher or a $200 dishwasher into something super quiet.

Re: What happens to a mail-order mattress after you return it

#170

Post by sjg007 »

sgustard wrote: post #142
135792468 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t read the article but I’ve worked for one of these companies that was a startup and have a local mattress company as a client. So a little perspective. These companies are all marketing companies. There is no “science” they literally get rolls of foam from foam makers, throw them on in layers and try to find the right combo. I was there, I’ve done it myself. The companies that end up winning have fantastic ma…

Is the mattress industry significantly different from furniture in general? In terms of rarity of purchase, huge markups, cheap raw materials, different brands at every store, and so on? Back when I listened to the radio, there were literally mattress store ads multiple times an hour, all day every day. Sleep Train, etc. Is that the key to their "fantastic marketing?"

Yes. Furniture is the worst. You have to buy something high end to get any sort of quality, especially couches. This will sound crazy but I have a very expensive couch that was made in the 1970s and it is perfect. I also have a 1k sectional couch from Ashley's and it is absolutely terrible. Now I could probably fix the sectional with some diy hacks to firm it up but I don't have the skill. But that super expensive heirloom just keeps going.
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