It seems they are everywhere. You can find them in large metro areas, and in small communities. You can find them in the large mattress chains, and stuck in some temporary building with a homemade mattresses for sale sign. Who am I talking about? The salesperson that will say whatever it takes to get your business.

I happened to be in another market for Thanksgiving and visited a few stores. I was told about a small shop that does a whole lot of business in the area, so I was interested in seeing what they offered. Among the many things I learned during my visit:

“This memory foam mattress has the same material as Tempur-Pedic, but I am not allowed to advertise it.” Really? So Tempur-Pedic sells their product to a competitor who then builds a mattress and retails it for half of what Tempur-Pedic sells them for? Does that even make sense on any level?

“This mattress is the same one found in (major hotel chain).” I had never heard of the brand. Which was one big red flag. And I also knew exactly what brand was in this particular hotel – something anyone with a smart phone could have verified in seconds.

“This mattress was rated better than (major mattress brand), by (heretofore unknown consumer rating service).” Of course there was nothing to back his claim but his word, which was proving most unreliable.

I could go on and on with examples. There is a reason that most large mattress stores carry almost identical product lines. These are generally the very best in the industry. If Purple Hippo brand mattresses were the cat’s meow, they would be carried by everyone. That does not mean that smaller manufacturers could not, or would not, produce a mattress that fits your needs. In fact, in certain situations, a lesser known brand may be best. But there is no reason to lie about your product, or even your competitors. Mattress shopping is already hard enough for the consumer. Why make it worse with misinformation and deception?

When you are shopping for a mattress, look out for these bogus claims, especially those that are easily verified. If you run across a clown that is playing fast and loose with the facts, get the heck out of there. Sleep is way too important to be at the mercy of someone who cares more about a sale than your sleep quality.

Caveat emptor – Let the buyer beware!