Hi rupert,
I thought I had answered this in my last reply (I even linked to the specific topper you are mentioning). They describe it as having “pillows” not as a “pillowtop” (which is a specific type of mattress construction). It is apparently made with a specific mold that gives it its shape but different types of surface modifications can also be the result of fabrication after the layer is manufactured.
I called the first two retailers in the Nashville list here and both of them carry an all latex Jamison on their floor that could at least provide you with a sense of the feel of latex and if you call the others I believe you will find more examples of latex mattresses as well. Even latex hybrids which have latex in the top few inches of the mattress will give you some reference points for the feel of latex.
If you go through the list one at a time you will find some latex to test in or near Nashville.
I think (or at least would hope) that most people would realize that “free shipping” is part of the purchase price whether it is separated out or included in the purchase price. Either way … it needs to be included in the end price of a mattress for comparison purposes. I would just call this different pricing models. Manufacturers also don’t separate their margins from the purchase price either and yet this is also part of the cost of a mattress and included in the final price. In the same way … any return or exchange options are also factored into the final cost of a mattress. There are many manufacturers that ship separate layers or components through UPS that reduces the cost of shipping compared to truck freight (which would generally need two people for a complete mattress as you mentioned).
Phoenix