Hi everyone,
I have been lurking but really need some feedback / guidance.
I recently purchased an Organicpedic Duo from a local retailer. Between the mattress and the Organicpedic linens I purchased, I spent close to $5500 with this retailer.
All mattresses sold as is without exchanges. There is a 90 day layer exchange program for which we would need to pay shipping.
The delivery process was horrible and shocking. It is possible the two delivery men were under the influence of drugs as they seemed confused by the most simple of directions to our home and seemed “off” the entire time. One had severely blood shot eyes. They were both dripping in sweat.
There were tears in the plastic which encased the mattress; therefore it was subject to all the dirt and debris in the delivery truck.
They placed the mattress on their heads to transport it from the delivery truck to our apartment building. This seemed strange.
They placed the mattress on the ground (parking lot); note the tears in the plastic encasing. When I told them to lift if off the ground as it was a very mattress (retails $8K) they seemed genuinely confused.
They placed the mattress on the floor of the elevator; note the tears.
They threw the mattress, with the dirty plastic encasing, on my existing bedframe (which I had just meticulously cleaned).
The mattress was so disshelved in transport that the top foam layers were misshapen and out of place.
Finally, by far the worse issue was that the two men were sweating profusely. As such, they sweat on the mattress layers as they were being placed, on the mattress encasing which surrounded the layers, and lastly the special mattress encasing (allergen proof) which I purchased.
In hindsight I should not have accepted the delivery. Honestly, I was in a state of shock at the time. I am not sure of any recourse after signing the delivery paperwork.
I contacted the retailer the day after delivery and tried to relay the information as best as I could. At first she seemed supportive, however she turned quickly and insinuated that I was being unreasonable. She commented that delivery men sweat as it is hot and there is no way to clean the latex layers.
Questions:
Do you think we have any recourse given the manner in which the mattress was delivered? I am wondering if the manner in which it was delivered may be covered by the warranty.
Is there a way to properly clean or wipe down the latex layers to remove the sweat / stains?
Is there a way to launder the mattress cover that holds together the 3 mattress layers?
Do you think it is possible to simply pay for shipping for 6 new pieces of latex (essentially a new bed) from Organipedic?
Thank you in advance for any guidance or insight.
I’m sorry you had a bad delivery experience from your local retailer , however, there’s not really much I can offer you here. If the delivery was as poor as you specified and the product arrived damaged, then you shouldn’t have signed for the product, and by doing so you may have given up some legal rights.
To address a few of your other comments:
It would be normal for layers in a component system to move about if they were already assembled within a mattress upon delivery and have to be slightly rearranged, so that wouldn’t be a defect. Transporting a heavy latex mattress like the Duo on their heads, while perhaps unconventional, would not damage the product and may have been the easiest way for these delivery men to bring the item into your home.
Regarding your opinion of the delivery men possibly being on drugs, you would have no way of knowing this for sure and making such a statement doesn’t serve to strengthen your argument, but instead to a retailer would probably seem more like someone trying to boost their claim by “adding on” as opposed to sticking to facts. I wouldn’t make this a focus of your complaint.
If you think that your item arrived damaged to the delivery people dragging the mattress or soiling the product, those would be legitimate, factual concerns that you may wish to address. I would politely speak with the store where you purchased the item (you can see if you can speak with the owner or manager above the salesperson you spoke to previously), and if after that you think that there is still an unresolved issue, you may then wish to speak directly with OMI regarding your concerns and ask them for their help and advice, but I would again stick to specific facts of damage to your product that you’ve observed. You’ll have the best chance of a positive outcome in this manner.
Regarding your other questions:
Mattress warranties do not cover deliveries. That is covered by the delivery service or the retailer. It would have nothing to do with a manufacturing defect, which is covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.
Do not use any cleaners on your latex. You would more than likely damage the foam and could tear it or introduce chemicals that would damage your latex layers.
I do not believe the cover on the Duo is machine washable, but that would be a question for OMI.
OMI might sell separate pieces of latex to existing clients, and you could contact them regarding this.
I’m sorry I don’t have more specifics for you, but overall the best advice I can offer is to be polite, factual, and to the point in any conversations you might have with your retailer or OMI.
Thanks Phoenix! I appreciate you taking the time to respond. We reached out to the owner via email this weekend and she is not willing to make any concessions.
She still owes me a pillow so I hope she honors that.
Of course I regret signing for the delivery and not stopping it, however I was honestly in shock. Lesson learned.
I researched and I found that LifeKind sells a spot cleaner / detergent on their website and they have an article on how to clean a latex mattress on their blog. Do you think we could safely use this product to clean the mattress? Do you think the sweat can damage the mattress - longevity and performance?
I will reach out to OMI with these questions. If neither the latex layers nor the mattress casing can be safely washed, we will reach out to OMI and request all new latex layers and (perhaps) a new cover. I simply cannot sleep on a mattress which is soiled with sweat from other people.
Lifekind and OMI are both owned by Walt Bader, so if you are going to order their detergent please phone them first and let them know specifically what you are looking to use it on to make sure that it is appropriate (they should be familiar with your mattress as the companies are “related”).
I would doubt that the overall amount of perspiration that may have reached your foam would be enough to cause any issues as far as durability/longevity.
Of course, I welcome feedback from any of the other forum members on this issue.
I would like your honest feedback and opinion on this matter. Of course I know the final decision is up to me. Do you think I am blowing things out of proportion regarding the sweat? Perhaps I simply do not have enough knowledge regarding how sweat can affect the mattress. I just have the visual of the delivery men sweating all over the latex layers and I am not exaggerating when I say I am traumatized by it. The sweat saturation simply seems so unhygienic.
The best case scenario is that OMI sends a replacement give the overall poor experience to ensure a happy customer. Otherwise, whether I clean the mattress layers (I will need to hire someone) or order new layers from OMI I estimate it will cost $200 - $1000. I paid $4K for the mattress and another $1K for pillows and linens so I don’t mind spending a bit more money but don’t want to be foolhardy.
Do you recommend I just forget about it? What would you do if it were you?
Note I also have the OMI dust mite mattress barrier cover and the flannel mattress pad so there is some distance between me and the mattress layers.
I completely agree with the advice that Phoenix has given you regarding the problem you had with delivery. Delivery is the responsibility of the seller and not the product manufacturer unless they are parts of the same company. Most local mattress sellers have their own delivery trucks and employees but some may use other companies for delivery. As you said since you signed for it you may be out of luck as far as having any recourse, but that would depend upon what exactly you signed. Signing that the product was delivered would have been fine but if it also states that you found it all in perfect condition would certainly limit your options.
I don’t think that there would be a reasonable way to clean and effectively sanitize the latex layers themselves, so if they were really badly saturated with sweat as you’ve described the only option for your peace of mind may be replacement. If the cover could be cleaned or replaced that may be a satisfactory compromise as long as the latex layers are not adversely affected by the sweat. I’m like you in that such stains would bother me just knowing that they’re there and would definitely prefer having clean and sanitary bedding which is what you expected when entering into such a costly purchase. Since the delivery issues are not ultimately the responsibility of the manufacturer the best I would think you could hope for from them would be selling you replacement components at a discounted price to make you a happy customer.
If you still feel that you have some valid claims with the seller and their less than satisfactory delivery service provided you could try to follow-up with some consumer support services like the BBB or local consumer support organizations. Again I’d suggest following Phoenix’s advice in keeping your claims to the factual issues and not any speculation, but such claims can get involved and generally take some time to resolve. Take into consideration the details of exactly what you signed upon delivery to know whether you really have a valid case before taking such action. It’s possible that what you signed effectively removes the seller from any further responsibility.
I’m very sorry to hear about your difficulties and hope that you find a reasonable solution that will result in you being able to soon be sleeping well on your new mattress!
Thanks Sweet Dreams. I really appreciate your feedback. Unfortunately the local seller thinks her company did nothing wrong with the delivery and is unwilling to make any concessions.
So it appears the only option we have is to work directly with OMI. Perhaps the replacement layers are will work out.
I spoke with LifeKind this weekend and the rep recommended diluted essential oil (lavender, tea tree oil) and misting the casing and all the layers. I will ask OMI if that would void the warranty in any way.
I have been really disappointed with customer service throughout this process.
I wasn’t at your delivery, so I can’t speak with certainty to what actually transpired, and your level of reaction to the events are not something that I would judge. I can comment for myself that sweat from a delivery crew would not be a reason for me to ask for a replacement of an item unless it had stained, soiled or caused an unsanitary condition (that would have to be a lot of sweat!). If the item had actually been damaged (dragged as to cause tearing or staining), I would consider that a reason for remediation or replacement of the covering. Other than that, while the professionalism of the delivery as you described may not have been to your standards, it would generally not be a reason for me to request any concessions.
That is a really helpful answer. I have not seen any soils or stains on the latex layers. My concern is really the sweat and it was a lot of sweat! So you are saying that even if the delivery people sweat profusely all over the layers it would not be a reason for you to request a replacement? And that the excessive sweat will not damage the latex layers?
Thanks. That is exactly the feedback I am looking for!
I live in South Florida where sweat is a part of life here. You may take a shower in the morning, step outside and viola you are a pool of fresh sweat. I recently purchased a latex mattress I was going back and forth on an OMI mattress or a Pure Talalay mattress and went with the Pure Talalay mattress due to the overall feel.
With that said, our retailer assured us that the delivery was not going to be a “pretty” delivery due to it being 100% Latex without a hardback on it… like typical mattresses. We live in an older style condo so the men had to walk up two flights of stairs due to the weight restrictions of the elevator. The men delivering the mattress were of course very hot, and sweaty after carrying a 400 lb mattress up two flights of stairs. They said they generally use a mattress carrier but the weight of the mattress is just too heavy and breaks it. When the men arrived at my condo, I told them to cool off for a minute gave them some water and let them rest… they both asked to wash their hands and used hand towels that were clipped to their pants to wipe the sweat from their brow. Heck, I was sweating just watching them. I could see that delivering a 400 lb latex mattress was the opposite of delivering our guest room bed which was light and easy. I’m not sure about the DUO mattress and how much it weighs I was looking into the Pinnacle mattress which was about $6700.
So, you asked if you were overreacting? I would have to say YES. Never once in your description did you say you tried to accommodate the delivery people, you only talked about how bad they were sweating. Generally, people with half a heart would say hey…drop the mattress here, take a minute cool off all that I heard was … Drugs, Sweat, and Give me something for Free.
I think we have to keep in mind these delivery guys work their butts off to deliver not just your products but I’m sure hundreds more that week. I don’t know where you live but in my neck of the woods… Sweat is just a part of life.
Hygienically, I understand where you are coming from with sweat being on your new mattress. I’m sure if they were sweating so profusely I would have asked them to leave the plastic on the mattress and put it in place that I and a friend would get the plastic off.
You seem like a very educated person, Sweat is part of life and if it bothered you that much I think you could have handled this a million different ways and asking the manufacturer or store for accommodations was a little much but simply saying that “I was in shock” simply won’t do.
I do have to say, I love my Pure Talalay Bliss mattress, my delivery was not “pretty” but I got through it. Toughen up Buttercup!
, however, there’s not really much I can offer you here. If the delivery was as poor as you specified and the product arrived damaged, then you shouldn’t have signed for the product, and by doing so you may have given up some legal rights.