The industry - Introduction

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
21

Hi droidx.

Generally, there is much confusion about Reviews of any type (see post #13 here) where a small minority of people with unusual issues that have little knowledge or understanding of mattresses, have completely unreasonable expectations. Because reviews have become so important in today’s online market they have gained a false aura of legitimacy and can be successfully exploited by some review entities that not only have little recourse to verify if claims are substantiated or not, but have no way or inclination to discriminate if a particular review comes from somone who may have an axe to grind, or a competitor who can’t or won’t compete in more ethical ways and chose to go after the reputation of a business that stands in their way to gain some competitive advantage. I always have little patience for those that are trying to harm the reputation of a long-term, reputable, and reliable business that not only has been going out of their way to provide good quality products and information but also has a solid track record of positive experiences shared through third-party review sites which speak highly about their service and integrity to their customers for many years.

To add to this picture, there are several reports of a few other trusted members who related similar experiences to the experience that Richmond described and debunked in their response to the negative Yelp review this year. For example, digging out old “reviews” of disgruntled customers or competitors in disguise from various places on the internet and bringing them back from dormancy after more than 10 years is another venue for such manipulative and unethical practices. A quick Google search on this subject will reveal much more about such tactics that seem to be often employed to blackmail and extort businesses (see some articles here and here) by manipulating reviews or making “negative” reviews go away for paid advertising.

While Richmond Bedding is a relatively new trusted member here we’ve considered their membership for several years and we’ve observed and looked at their business, products, transparency, and integrity over a long period of time and have found that they consistently meet our stringent membership criteria and like all the members here I think very highly of and consider them to compete well with “the best” in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency

Phoenix

22

Hi Phoenix,

Replying to your last post about my mattress issue. Thanks for the assessment of the base. I have not been able to get the base yet but I did check out the warranty and it’s not clear whether this type of base is a problem. However, I am thinking it is moot point because I have been sleeping on the mattress on the floor since my last post, 5 nights now, and things have gone downhill. The foam in the center has already broken down/been compressed somewhat and is no longer supportive for my hips or cushiony at all. I am not an exceptionally heavy person (under 200 lbs) so this is crazy. I have to again resort to the sides of the bed but I’m sure the same thing will start happening there. I have been waking up with terrible back pain unless I sleep on my side. I think it’s the lack of support combined with hardness of the feel. This morning, it’s unbearable. I am now thinking of selling this on Craigslist or something for $100 and just eating the $900 loss, which I can’t really afford to do. This was a huge purchase for me and I will still have to pay off the part I financed…but I just can’t take it. I don’t know what recourse I have to either the manufacturer or the retailer. Even if one of them had mercy on me, I don’t want any of the other mattresses they have to offer. I think I’m also emotionally drained at this point. Thanks so much for your help and for listening —it is the only thing that’s gotten me through this ordeal with some of my sanity intact. Guess I will be checking out the mattress -buying threads now.

23

So you use an email here with the address “[email protected]”, a username of 'droidx" and go on Yelp with a username of “Critic R”. Anonymity seems to be a priority for you. Looks like you don’t want anyone to know who you are?

On Yelp you give us a one-star review because we stand up for ourselves and tell the truth about reviewers who:

A. Have never done business with us (like you for instance).
B. Grossly misrepresent an encounter they had at our store.
C. Never had an encounter at our store or online and lie.
D. Have tried to cheat either us, Leggett & Platt or both.

How I choose to address reviews by dishonest people is my choice. If you think I should just leave it alone and let the lies stand, that’s your opinion and we’ll just agree to disagree.

However, not agreeing with my policy and posting a one-star Yelp review that states “I’ve never talked to this guy, and probably never will” is just wrong.

Then you post this here trying to “warn” others?

You should really be warning them about Yelp. How they “extort” companies for ad money. If you don’t advertise they move your good reviews to the back page, your bad reviews to the front page and lower your score. If you pay them $3600 ($300 x 12 months) they do just the opposite and raise your score.

This isn’t just me saying this. A quick Goole search of “Yelp Extortion”, Yelp Scam", “Yelp Sham” or similar terms will have you reading all day.

Look at Yelp’s BBB Report: Yelp.com | Better Business Bureau® Profile

1400 complaints, 700 + Reviews and 97% of those were negative.

But you want to “warn” people about Richmond Bedding who has an unimpeachable reputation based on what you saw on Yelp? And on Yelp the complaint you state is basically “how dare you defend yourself”.

As for your statement: “anyone looking to buy from them. I know I never will.”

I have to be honest. I’m kind of glad about that.

Also, just noticed. You flagged all my five-star reviews on Yelp as “funny” and anything bad as “useful” How petty can one person be? You joined here about 10 days ago and are making quite the impression.

24

I have the huge St.Charles mattress bought close to 2 years ago now. I moved up from a 20+ year old budget mattress - Serta or Sealy one of those but didn’t have the issues I’ve had with this one.

So this mattress was chosen after a bunch of correspondence with the ‘old bed guy’ guy - but right out of the gate, it arrived with a ‘pillow top’ which in fact wasn’t in the description - and I sincerely believe it’s a major part of my problem with it. I am ‘sleeping hot’ on this mattress like never before on the old mattress… I am recently waking up itching like crazy with indentations of the mattress in my back – and more important, always hot - never able to get comfortable. So here i am…with presumably no option to return/exchange it.
I am told about “toppers” - which is rather absurd as this already a notably huge height mattress already, and that’s basically just a ‘fix’ to what should ideally be the ‘right’ mattress.
I might’ve spent, 700 bucks on this thing - it was a holiday weekend sale some time that year - but WTF? This had all indications and recommendations as ideal for me based on info I’d given a few supposedly expert bedding people. I’ll jump to the bottom line here… Is this a mattress that can be flipped over so I can get rid of the stupid pillow top that I didn’t know it came with? I swear it’s causing heat retention and I’ve had multiple whole body heat rashes and scores of sleepless nights on this thing)…
Rightly or wrongly I feel I’ve been ripped off; and yeah I realize it’s stupid to settle on something based on online research but I did a huge amount of investigation and maybe it’s just a matter of the OBG (old bed guy) seeming too sincere to disbelieve but honestly I did not get that vibe whatsover as I recall - otherwise wouldn’t have moved forward with buying it long distance in an area where there are no …still can’t think of the manufacturer name - dealers for this mattress. Need help.
Need to get back to decent and regular sleep and i’m bordering on ordering some Casper or similar Millennial Enterpreneur mail-order bed and finding some way to unload this one on a family member who might be able to use it for guest room or whatever …even tho it’s a Queen Size.

Welcoming any advice with many thanks in advance,

Mike

25

Hi Mike,

I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing discomfort and sleepless nights.

First, adding a topper to an uncomfortable mattress will not create great sleep. Toppers are perfect if someone is trying to soften up a mattress that may be a little too firm, if they need a temporary fix, or for guests to use periodically in a spare bedroom.

Second, the hype, low prices, and great marketing for millennial mattresses can seem like a quick and easy fix, but their strong appeal does not directly translate to high quality or longevity in a mattress.

It sounds like your mattress has caused you quite some grief with comfort and temperature regulation for some time now as indicated in your previous posts here and I’d not rush into buying something just on the chance that it might be better than the previous one. You must first understand what your needs and preference are in terms of sleep surfaces and comfort. TMU is a great non-bias tool that offers a lot of knowledge to help with this understanding and valuable information regarding companies and manufacturers that make different kinds of mattresses. My advice is to invest in great sleep! It is not worth keeping your old mattress based on the money spent or buying a cheap one as a temporary solution if either of those are going to eventually continue causing sleepless nights. Nobody can know or recommend what is best mattress for you as this is so subjective and depending on many variables but once you have the chance to decide the type of mattress you like (all latex, some latex, memory foam, spring, pocket coil, natural alternatives) and narrow down your search to 2-3 options I, Phoenix or other experts here would be happy to assist you.

I would advise you to first read the Mattress Undergrounds Mattress Shop Tutorial here as your first step in making a successful purchase, and equally importantly, how to avoid another similar situation with an uncomfortable/heat retaining mattress!

Two key links in the tutorial are post #2 here which explains the different ways to choose a suitable mattress that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and post #13 here which articulates the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you 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).

The next most important item would be the durability of the mattress. We also wouldn’t want you back mattress shopping again in another few years! Durability focuses on the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the manufacturer on the label, or how a mattress feels in a showroom, or when it is relatively new. Make sure you find out the 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 durability and useful life of a mattress.

Next, I would personally recommend to research latex in mattresses. Latex is an all-natural material that is known for helping to moderate temperature. Since sleeping hot sounds like a major concern for you, this is where you should start. Also consider the mattress pad, and sheets as these are all play a key role to your temperature as well as the environment of the room you are sleeping in.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you!

FSF Team

https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/40660/128x84_fsf_logo.jpg

26

hi, quite the delayed reply here but i appreciate your response to a post about my disappointment in a Charles Rogers St.Charles mattress. I unfortunately dont have a great deal of inclination to delve into extensive exhaustive research but do have a lot of respect for the expertise and objective information provided here. I feel I was duped into CPR after learning of the Old Bed Guy’s affiliation with this company . We corresonded quite a bit and i trusted him in his recommendation of this mattress - well crafted as it may be, my lower back is constantly stiff - like the far cheaper one i replaced it with…it has a pillow top that was not mentioned, which sinks in, and retains heat. I do not feel comfortable with the bed and theres no returning it now for my 800+ dollars or whatever it was just a couple years ago, so i am stiffed…literally on this deal. I just want a firm latex mattress, good back support…l am so overwhelmed by the seemingly excessive amt of information and options out there. But again, the biggest disappointment was that i seem to have been deceived and charmed into the wrong bed, pillow top i didnt want and no inexpensive recourse except some add on topper which seems absurd because i couldve probably just done that with an Inexpensive Serta, etc or even my old one, and been fine… I gave this a chance thinking it might take some time to get used to it. Same lower back discomfort as i had with my old mattress. Really wish i could flip this thing to elimnate the pillowtop but i gather these mattresses arent made for that.

Sorry if this becaome a flat out rant. Frustrated.

mike

27

Hi Mike,

Thank you for sharing your frustration about your experience. I am sorry it resulted in the way that it did. Sleep, as we all know, is a key element to living a healthy life. It is necessary for our bodies to rest and restore to help rejuvenate us to function at our optimal capacity. Having uncomfortable or lack of sleep can have a snowball effect on every area of life! So in your case, still waking up with back pain, is something reasonable to be frustrated about.

Unfortunately there are no short cuts to doing the research for a successful mattress purchase. However, this forum provides a wealth of knowledge all in one place, so when you do find some time to do a little research, I think it would be of huge benefit to you. Many other customers, like yourself, have also offered their experience in this buying process throughout the forum, so you are not alone.

Please feel free to reach out to us for further guidance!

FSF Team

28

I hope that I am posting this in the correct location. I purchased a queen mattress/box spring set from a furniture store. I did not notice until it was delivered that the mattress tag on the mattress says that it is a crib mattress manufactured by Baby Time International Inc. The mattress itself has a logo on it that says BodyFit Diamond Royale. I searched on the internet for BodyFit mattress and found nothing. A search for Baby Time International Inc yielded a company in New Jersey. I called the company and the customer service representative said that they just put the wrong tag on the mattress. I asked him if this would affect the warranty, and he said that he did not know and that he would find out and call me back. I never received a call back. Any advice? Thank you.

29

Hi jaywills,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :).

Thanks for the post. Interesting situation, it does sound like it was an administrative mistake from the factory. Of course, it seems simple that there is no way that this should affect the warranty.

I am a little confused about this company. I found the New Jersey address on this site:
https://www.manta.com/c/mb4g09d/baby-time-international-inc

But when searching website on the Baby Tim Intl about us page it say the company is located in New York? And this site is totally baby stuff and quick glance and I see no mention of the regular mattresses they make.

A couple of suggestions:

Question what Furniture Store did you buy the mattress from?

You should also contact the furniture store and tell them the situation, and also convey to them you may need to replace/return this mattress, and receive one that is properly tagged mattress. It’s very important that you have the law tag because it states critical information about what is inside your mattress. They will have more influence over the manufacturer than individual consumers. Contact your salesperson, maybe the sales manager and any other individual at the furniture store. Mattress retail people hate these situations and can help rectify this situation.

You need to get a pdf copy of the law tag as well as an email in writing stating that this will have no effect on the warranty, and while you are at it have them send a copy of the warranty to you. Continue to work both the manufacturer and the furniture retailer. Of course, make notes of the conversations and try to keep the names of people you spoke with.

I don’t think this situation is dire, by any means, but as in most industires, one needs to be diligent to stay on these companies. And keep as much of this information in writing/email.

Let me know the Furniture store and I will make a new topic/thread called “Name Furn Store / Baby Time Intl Inc” so they know we have a public forum discussing this situation.

Thanks again for the post.
Sensei