Mattress Purchase

“I saved over $350 by following your advice and doing my homework.”

So You Found The Perfect Mattress – Once you found the mattress you like, its time to make a decision. If you have done your homework beforehand, you will know if the mattress you like is competitively priced. If this was your first stop, take down as much information on the mattress and seek out other retailers who carry the same brand as the one you selected.

A few years back, most mattress stores just put some high price on mattresses and then “haggled” until you would buy. They might even allow the salesperson 3-5 discount levels. This type of antiquated sales technique still exists, but thankfully, its on the decline. Many stores are adopting a fair price strategy of putting a competitive price on the mattress. This is why it is so important to know what the fair market value of a mattress is.

An Example From The Front Lines:
If one store has a mattress marked at $1,000, but then drops it to $800 to get you buy it TODAY, and another has a comparable on sale for $500 – guess what you overpaid by $300 if you bought it from the first place. You may think you got a “deal.” Instead, you got screwed.

On the other side of the coin, if you take the advice of some of the online experts and demand that the $500 retailer discount it another $200, you may end up shopping all over town and have nothing to show for your efforts. All mattress stores and salespeople are in the business to make money – just like you go to work to earn a living. Giving product away is not the way to survive, even in tough times. That is why the salesperson in the first example will so willingly drop the price – he has taken you for $300 more than his competitor for the exact same quality mattress!

When To Ask For A Better Price – You have every right to ask for a lower price if you have found a comparable mattress for less. The key is to make sure it is in fact comparable. Every manufacturer has different lines and models. For instance, the Sealy Posturepedic Reserve line will have several common features no matter where you find them. But there might also be two or three models that are at the Reserve level. The difference could be types or amount of foam layers, ticking and/or type of fiber on top. It is unlikely you will find an exact match, but you can get close enough. Verify comfort layers from spec sheets, or POP (point of purchase – signs on mattresses) or even the Law Tag (B/W tag attached by law to every mattress that provides foam layers as a percentage).

HOT TIP
Don’t just take a salesperson’s word for what is in a mattress. If there are no specs on the mattress or on their web site, and if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. They should be able to produce documentation on all their beds that is printed by the manufacturer.

Another Humorous Story: There was a company that offered “free” $200 department store gift cards with the purchase of a certain mattress. The total price of the mattress and gift card was $999. Their competitor had a comparable mattress on sale for $749! I think I would prefer to save $250 and spend it at any store I wanted, wouldn’t you agree? To make matters worse, the same mattress was on sale at the first store for $799 before and after the “free gift card” promotion. Don’t get fooled by the hype.

What Is Included? – Make sure you understand what the sales price includes. Is delivery included? What about mattress protector and frames? Most of these services are extra and in some cases are very much needed. Don’t make the mistake and assume that these are all included – that is a thing of the past. See Mattress Accessories for details. Some people will fall on a sword before paying for delivery. Deliveries require two men, gas, truck, insurance etc. There is definitely a cost associated with this service. You can always choose to pick it up yourself to save some money.

But if one store charges $700 + $50 for delivery = $750 and another FOR A COMPARABLE MATTRESS charges $799 with “free delivery.” Which would you choose? Believe it or not, I’ve known customers that have chosen the latter.

Mattress Salesman - Friend or Enemy?

Your mattress salesperson can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

Same goes for frames, pillows, mattress protectors and host of other accessories. Again, know what you are getting so you can make an apples-to-apples comparison. If ultimately two stores are very close, give the business to the store with the best services and/or the most helpful salesperson.

Policies & Guarantees – The next step is to make sure you understand the mattress warranty, trial period/return policy, availability and general delivery policy. These will all factor into your final mattress purchase decision. See Mattress Services for details.

Final Thoughts – You may find that your first stop did in fact have the best price. Or maybe some other store had a slight edge. Assuming the prices are similar, you need to compare service and accessory prices. This is where you need to really decide what is most important to you.

Now suppose you found a salesperson that was really helpful, but the price or services were less at a competitor. Take your information and tell them what you found and ask them if they will beat the deal. They may only be able to match it depending on corporate policy, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If you appreciated their help, let them know.

Don’t be afraid to ask. If you have done the research, a GOOD Salesperson will appreciate what you have done. I loved it when people came back and gave me one more chance to earn their business. I always tried to know if I was higher, but it is difficult to keep up with hundreds of mattress prices that are constantly changing.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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