We want to buy a latex mattress from a well-known MA manufacturer(not sure if I’m supposed to identify by name, but it is based in Salem). The mattress set itself is pricey enough–$2250. The manufacturer does not deliver directly to where we live(the Cape), but delivers to a delivery service in Bourne, which then does all the cape deliveries. The manufacturer’s charge to deliver to Bourne is $50. The Bourne charge is $100. $150 to get the mattress from near Boston to the Cape. Sounds a bit high to me.
Short of picking the mattress up myself–which is impossible because I don’t own a pickup truck–what are our options? Try to negotiate with the mattress company? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hi swami,
In most cases delivery charges are not really a profit center and depends on the type of shipping used and the distance.
Latex mattresses are heavy and they can cost a lot to truck ship which in the end is part of the cost of the mattress (just like shipping charges to the manufacturer are part of the cost of the mattress). “Negotiating” won’t change their delivery costs but it never hurts to ask for a discount or if there is anything they can do to offset the cost. The worst that can happen is that they say no.
Truck shipping a latex mattress over longer distances can cost easily twice what you are paying.
If you are outside of their “regular” delivery area then the alternatives I can think of would be to either arrange for your own pickup and delivery service (if that was possible) or to pick up the mattress yourself with a truck, van, or rental.
Phoenix