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

fivethirtyeight.com

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

#181

Post by ghaff »

sjg007 wrote: post #175
ghaff wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was speaking at a company event at the BMW facility in SC. We did some driving on their track. My takeaway was: 1. I do get the attraction of some of these cars. 2. Nope. Not worth it to me even though I could afford them if I wanted to.

Sure but next try out a Porsche.

I doubt it would be any different. I have an SUV which I use for sport transportation stuff. I got rid of my old 2-seater. I like sports cars. But I'm not really willing to pay for them given that I'd drive them a few thousand miles a year--mostly in conditions where I wouldn't really enjoy them.

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

#182

Post by sjg007 »

ghaff wrote: post #181
sjg007 wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure but next try out a Porsche.

I doubt it would be any different. I have an SUV which I use for sport transportation stuff. I got rid of my old 2-seater. I like sports cars. But I'm not really willing to pay for them given that I'd drive them a few thousand miles a year--mostly in conditions where I wouldn't really enjoy them.

Porsche SUVs are fun.

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

#183

Post by pengaru »

Presumably the return policies will change once there are no more brick and mortar local mattress stores to buy from.

At that point, you'll only be able to buy online, and they won't need to offer returns. You have no choice but to have something delivered, or go without a mattress (my personal preference).

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

#184

Post by foobar1962 »

eropple wrote: post #177
baddox wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I am fascinated by the way that so many people have the misapprehension that "love it" is completely binary.

I hate that too.

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

#185

Post by sunsetMurk »

pengaru wrote: post #183

Presumably the return policies will change once there are no more brick and mortar local mattress stores to buy from. At that point, you'll only be able to buy online, and they won't need to offer returns. You have no choice but to have something delivered, or go without a mattress (my personal preference).

what's your sleeping situation like w/o a mattress?

(I'm waiting for someone to invent & sell some sort of sleeping pod that provides a perfect environment, and keeps me in ideal position for the maximum sleep benefit)

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

#186

Post by ip26 »

sjg007 wrote: post #170
sgustard wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 he…

Yeah, furniture is really frustrating. High end luxury or made-for-the-dumpster junk. As I like to call it, the vanishing middle market.

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

#187

Post by lotsofpulp »

hnick wrote: post #132
Zimahl wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not OP, but I'd guess its because there is a really limited market for mattresses. People of course need and want them, but the turnover is (or can be) a very long time. I have a mattress in our guest bedroom that I used in college, over 20 years ago. It could probably be replaced, but will probably only get replaced with our main mattress when we replace it. It's fine for the minimal guests we have or when my wi…

Said another way, none of us need to buy mattresses often enough that we are mattress-buying-experts, so we're chumps easily taken advantage of. This could apply to cars (and it does a bit) but the higher price and social factor makes people understand them more. Mattresses are just cheap enough (with just enough "bargains") that it's easier to just get it over with. For your last point I'm from Australia so our bran…

> Said another way, none of us need to buy mattresses often enough that we are mattress-buying-experts, so we're chumps easily taken advantage of.

But there are people who do buy them often enough - hotels! I like to find a Marriott/Hilton/Hyatt/IHG standard mattress and it should be good enough. Ask a hotel manager to hook you up, should only be $250 to $500 at most for a King.

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

#188

Post by Spooky23 »

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?

Sam’s Club or Costco will sell a good mattress for about 60% less than whatever mattress stores charge.

Limited choice, lower margin.

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

#189

Post by ip26 »

Animats wrote: post #130
acd wrote: post #125

Online shopping is not that sustainable. Current concerns are returns. First you have the carbon emissions of the first package delivery then the return package carbon emissions plus the waste. The waste comes that is more expensive to handle return products than to simply throw them. What I mean it’s more eco friendly to have big batch shipments to stores than individual small packages sent by post. A normal physica…

No, driving the SUV to the store usually uses more fuel than the entire supply chain to get to the store.

... unless you choose two day shipping. Or so I've read.

(Two day often involves air freight instead of trucks)

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

#190

Post by Spooky23 »

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…

There are many places that refurb mattresses. My dad used to run housing projects, and people would dumpster dive to sell mattresses when they cleaned out apartments.
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