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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

#201

Post by organsnyder »

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…

We go to a smallish local furniture store. Nothing there is really cheap (almost everything is over $1000) and you most likely have to order something (they only have display models). But every piece we've purchased from there has held up perfectly.

I'm sitting on a Flexsteel couch right now that is ten years old and takes a regular beating from four young kids, as well as a lot of use by adults. It's still as good as new.

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

#202

Post by dghughes »

throw7 wrote: post #145

I never liked the space a bed takes up so I decided to look into alternatives some years ago when it started to offer less support. I always had a futon so I immediately switched to that. I also bought a cheap hammock and built some hammock stands to use it indoors. I didn't have any problems adjusting to the futon; that's what I sleep on most of the time today. I'm also pretty sure I'd have no problems with a japane…

I've watched videos about how to get in one and how to orient yourself in one it's not as simple as I thought. I'm not sure if I could sleep in a position that's anything but flat.

I have acid reflux so I stack up pillows but sometime I roll over flat on my stomach and barf (yeah nice right!). But in the morning my hands are asleep probably due to my neck at a bad angle.

I'd like to try a hammock but the attachments for the ends is the biggest problem.

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

#203

Post by jfim »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #187
hnick wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That's a pretty clever trick. Thanks!

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

#204

Post by koolba »

saalweachter wrote: post #193
ip26 wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

There's definitely a middle to the furniture market... it's just expensive enough most people assume it's the high end.

The middle market for quality durable goods is buying used quality furniture at estate sales.

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

#205

Post by [deleted] »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #168
sjg007 wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

[deleted]

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

#206

Post by scarface74 »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #199
OJFord wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's enough for many of us to avoid it, it hardly needs regulation. GP's point is that we gladly share hotel mattresses. Bed bugs are consequently occasionally an inconvenience.

The hotels check for bedbugs often and are aggressive in their cleaning habits. They know their reputation is shot once they have even one infestation. Now buy a used mattress from a source you don’t know whose hygiene is also unknown, you just don’t take that risk.

That sounds like a business opportunity for “certified mattress cleaners”....

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

#207

Post by seanmcdirmid »

scarface74 wrote: post #206
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hotels check for bedbugs often and are aggressive in their cleaning habits. They know their reputation is shot once they have even one infestation. Now buy a used mattress from a source you don’t know whose hygiene is also unknown, you just don’t take that risk.

That sounds like a business opportunity for “certified mattress cleaners”....

When you get an infestation, it’s best to just burn everything in the room and then fumigate.

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

#208

Post by hnick »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #187
hnick wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Ah yeah, great idea. I heard the same about sheets. They get ones that last through many washes.

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

#209

Post by scarface74 »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #207
scarface74 wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds like a business opportunity for “certified mattress cleaners”....

When you get an infestation, it’s best to just burn everything in the room and then fumigate.

There’s no way to get rid of an infestation? I’ve never had one so I seriously don’t know.
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