Hi Vanilla,
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I wasn’t a part of the conversation, so I don’t know the manner in which or how you framed your questions, so it may be that your commentary came off to them as a competitor simply asking for specs, and over the phone they may not be willing to share the specifications about their products. While it would be nice if everyone was transparent with the construction of their mattresses, unfortunately some stores are not so, for various reasons. I would suggest an actual visit to this store and try out the product and speak with a salesperson to see if you like the product, and to also show them that you are in fact a consumer interested in making a purchase. If at that point you can’t determine all of the componentry within the mattress, I would then be cautious about purchasing that particular item.
Again, I wasn’t part of the conversation you had with Beds, Etc., but I find it odd that you’ve phoned two stores and both are adamant about not working with you and I would suspect that the manner (which I’m sure is unintentional) in which you are approaching your conversations with these businesses is leading them to the reactions you claim they are providing.
This is just a polyfoam and she would have no idea of the ingredients used to produce that foam, nor would it be particularly meaningful to you if she indeed knew the ingredients (which she wouldn’t because these ingredients are closely held proprietary specifications), and unless you are a foam chemist the complexity of the chemicals used to create this specific polyfoam and the manner in which it is produced would have little “real-world” meaning to you or anyone else outside of the foam industry.
That doesn’t surprise me, as this is terminology I use to describe mattress construction and using such terminology would suppose that you actually had an understanding of the laying of the mattress in question. Using terminology like this in an introductory phone conversation without an understanding of the layering of a mattress (as opposed to simply asking about the layers within the mattress which would tell you whether it was progressive or differential in design, which is a simply a descriptor and not particularly meaningful by itself) with a mattress store or manufacturer would also help explain the reaction you claim each store had as a result of your phone call to them. Again, my best advice would be an actual visit to the showroom where you take some time to test the items first and find something that meets your personal PPP and then make some inquiries about the construction of the product.
I really would advise you to go back and read some more, and specifically I would start with a complete read of the mattress shopping tutorial here. Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
When you go investigate a mattress in person, make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
As I stated earlier, I wasn’t part of your phone conversations, but from the brief information you provided I think you’re asking questions that may not be germane to what you really need to know, and even if you did receive answers to some of those questions that information wouldn’t necessarily be particularly meaningful or useful to you. Go through the steps in the tutorial and make some good notes and I think that will be really helpful to you and help you get better results as you go through your mattress shopping process.
Oh my goodness, you weren’t provided the exact specifications of the layers within a mattress (which isn’t dishonesty) and you want to pursue a lawsuit? I know you may be disappointed in the results of your phone conversations, but this is a “loss of perspective” and I would tell you to take a pause and reconsider this.
Mattress manufacturers are required by law to post the componentry contained within their mattress as a percentage on the mattress law tags, but there is no requirement that they (or their retailers) give you complete information about the density or ILDs of their foam layers. While I certainly recommend that any consumer be able to acquire as much information about the componentry within a mattress to make an informed decision (thickness of layers, density of polyfoams, ILD and blends/styles of latex…), there is no expectation of entitlement to that information. Some retailers aren’t provided that information and aren’t interested in acquiring it; other retailers have the information but will provide it only when a client is visiting in-store; some retailers share the information openly online – there are many different circumstances out there. And I’ll always advise anyone to be as informed as possible before making a purchase decision, and caution them about purchasing an item until they know the materials inside of the product.
Again, I would refer you to my comments above. All that is evidenced by your account is that both of these stores refused to give YOU more detailed information about their products - not that they don’t provide this information to others, and I suspect some of this may have come about from your manner of inquiry in your phone conversations. I wouldn’t paint with too broad of a brush here nor provide a “review” based upon a single phone interaction.
I really think that in both of these instances that you’d be best served by visiting these stores, or any other local brick and mortar stores you’re considering, in person. You can either ask to look at particular items you’ve seen online or describe to the salesperson what you’re trying to find, and let them guide you. Then, if you find an item that you like, inquire about the layers used within the product and find out the information I linked to earlier in this reply. I think that will be a much more productive manner for you to find a new mattress and help get you on the correct path, which of course is your goal as well as that of this site.
I hope that specific information is more helpful to you.
Good luck!
Phoenix