I have been a victim of Bensons for Beds. They really are a bunch of cowboys.
I sent this letter to them on 21/03/2011. They wrote back to me telling me how sorry they were, but there was nothing they could do. (so tough)
I realise now, I should have paid that bit more and gone to John Lewis. I guess I thought I was saving money. I finished work last May and my partner passed away in October, so one thing I do have now is time. I'm going to be a pain in the backside to Bensons. I even thought about standing outside the shop and handing out leaflets regarding my experience, but that's silly. We should do whatever we can to name and shame this lot, even though I think they're probably used to it.
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Dear Sir / Madame
On 31/01/2011, I purchased a Posturecare Pocket 1000, 135cm mattress, from your Doncaster Branch. I explained to the assistant that I had some back pain, and my existing one was far too soft.
I told her that I wanted a firm mattress that would support my back. She recommended the above, and after laying on it, in the shop for a short while, it seemed firm enough.
I paid with my debit card and received the goods on 09/02/2011.
I now find that after sleeping on it, that it sinks where I lay. It doesn’t even spring back, when I’m not in the bed. It most certainly does not support my back, as I was told it would.
I have persevered with this for over a month now. I sleep on the edge of the bed, in an effort to get some sleep, but still wake up with chronic pain in my lower back every morning. I now suffer constantly with back pain, which I didn’t before.
I had one night in York Hospital last week and woke up pain free. This just confirmed what I already new.
I did not ask for a mattress that moulds itself to my body shape..
Under the sales of goods act of 1979, the mattress is not fit for purpose.
Please get back to me straight away, as I cannot continue like this.

Yous sincerely

J R Ashmore

On the 2nd March this year my husband and I visited Benson for Beds, Kingsgate Retail Park, East Kilbride, to purchase a new mattress. The lady who served us was infact the store Manager called Jeanette and she highly recommended the 'SEALY' Backcare mattress. She told us it was on a fantastic offer being 'Half Price' £399 instead of £799. It was the only mattress we looked at that had no price advertised!!! So after little persuasion we handed over a credit card and paid £399.99 for the mattress plus £20 for delivery. She said she was unable to print us off the invoice as her printer wasn't working but reassured us that she would pop our invoice in the post in the next day or so. We were giving a delivery date for the 15th March and then left the store. Two days later we recieved a 'Hand Written' 'EPOS' Invoice through the post from Bensons, showing the sale of the mattress @ £399.99 and delivery @ £20.
On the 15th March as arranged, our mattress was delivered. The mattress delivered didn't look like the same mattress I had seen in store so I went onto the Benson for Beds website just to check it was the correct mattress. The mattress was on their site but was being advertised at £299.I called customer services and asked if instore and online prices were different and was told NO. If it is advertised online at a certain price then it will also be available instore at that same price. I was told that the mattress we purchased must have been £399 at that time and it had since been reduced to £299. When I asked what date was it reduced by £100 she was unable to tell me and advised me to ask the store where we purchased it. I found it strange how they were unable to tell me dates that items get reduced! I asked for a head office number to see if they could give me a date but I was told Head Office was Customer Services! There was no Head Office number! Only a Customer Service number.
I then started making random calls to Benson for Beds trying to get more info on the price of this mattress. The first store I called (Glasgow) I was told it was £299 and had been at that price since Christmas. I then called another branch and was told it was on a 5 day promotion and will go back upto its correct price of £799 in 2 days! I rang back the Glasgow branch and explained that I had bought the mattress 12 days ago and paid £399 for it, again the Gentleman informed me it had never been £399 since Christmas and asked for my invoice number and he would check my order. After explaining I have Never recieved any invoice he found our details through name & postcode. He read out our invoice details from his screen, which contained the following-
Sealy King Size Mattress @ £299.99
Care & Protect 3 year Insurance @ £40.00
Pack of twin pillows @ £7.99
2 x Mattress protectors @ £19.99 each = £39.98
Delivery @ £35.00
Less a Head Office Discount of - £2.97
Total £419.99

I told the gentleman that we never purchased any other items only the £399.99 mattress and £20 delivery. He couldn't understand why I never recieved an invoice either, showing these transactions and advised me to go back into the original store and enquire.
I went into the East Kilbride store on Monday but it was the managers day off, I explained the story to the assistant (James) and asked for an explanation but he was as confused as I was. He told me to come back in the morning when (Jeanette)the Manager would be back in.
Tuesday morning I went into the store only to be greeted by another gentleman who informed me that Jeanette would not be in for a few days as her mum had just died. He was aware of my complaint and could only appologise but could not explain what had gone on. He then tried to refund my card with the £100 but accidently debited it! He then had to refund me £200 on my card. He explained to me that he was trying to contact the area Manager to get some advice but was unable to, due to him being in a meeting that morning. The phone then rang while we were sitting and it was (Kenny) the Area Manager. He said, "Yes, Mrs Baxter is sitting with me now" and got up and walked to the back of the store so I couldn't hear the conversation about me. He obviously had something to hide!!! He came off the phone and told me he was having a meeting with the area Manager tomorrow and he would be in a better position after this meeting to explain what has happened. I asked him for a copy of the invoice and he said he was unable give me it, I then explained that The Office of Fair Trading need a copy of the invoice. So he printed one off and told me that if anyone asks, Don't tell them I gave you it.
This is all VERY SUSPICIOUS and I believe there has been Deception and possibly Fraud committed. I will never shop in this store again and I feel the public need to be made aware that when ever you purchase anything ALWAYS get a reciept or an Invoice for your purchase.
We were sold a mattress that was only £299 yet we were charged £399 by the store Manageress!!! We were never given an invoice and later discovered that other items totalling £100 had been added onto this invoice (items which we never asked for or received) to balance the figures, figures being the £399 + £20 delivery we were charged. I have sent this story to the Daily Record and a reporter called Lesley Cambell from the Record has been very helpful in getting me a cheque for £200 from Bensons as a gesture of good will. I have had no explination as to what happened but have been reassured from Bensons head office that my complaint is being investigated and treated as very serious. Lesley Cambell, reporter from Daily Record tried to speak to Jeanette( manageress in Bensons for Beds East Klibride Store) but Jeanette would not comment due to customer confidentiality. I have since been back into the store to speak to Jeanette after she refused to speak to me over the phone by saying she was busy with customers and unable to talk to me and would call me back, she never did! Two days running I was told she would call me back but never, so I paid a visit back to the store and confronted her. She spluttered a bit to start and resembled the look of a 'rabbit in the headlights' when I aproached her. She basically lied again through her teeth to me saying she never processed the invoice and blamed 'new staff' on the error! When I showed her the invoice with HER name on it she spluttered a bit more before explaining that some other member of staff can easily put her name on invoices!!! I asked if each assistant was not allocated a pass word and or a personal number to enter the shops computor/ till system for security, as in most sales related positions. She explained they all had there own personal passwords but again 'new staff' just use anyones ID to carry out sales!!! Likely Story, the lies just kept pouring out her mouth! At this point I decided to leave the store as she was starting to annoy me with her lies but did tell her I was going to the papers about the hole 'SCAM' and it would be in her best interest to speak to the reporter from the Record, the next time she calls, to have her say.
This is the first time I have shopped from Bensons for Beds and needless to say it will be the last. So people please be aware the next time you decide to purchase from Bensons for Beds, Kinsgate Retail Park or any other store for that matter. Make sure you get your sales invoice there and then for your purchase. If there is a fault with the shops printer or system and they need to send your invoice out to you, make sure it is a proper printed invoice with a invoice number, and not a hand written one like we were sent. With regards to the actual mattress we purchased it is Faultless and the Delivery was also first class from Bensons, they called me the morning of the delivery and told me when to expect them at 12.30 and at 12.30 it arrived.

This is possibly the worst bed shop on your high street
all promises and yet extremely poor customer services department
the customer services based at warrington are unhelpful, and very rude there is no way of complaining only by post for the breach in your contract which is inevitable as this company and its employees are amateurs with quite the worst customer service ever
I ordered an americano bed and with it a top of the range mattresss totalling £1203.00 i was happy to wait six weeks for delivery but on reaching my delivery date it all turned bad ...
1. they would not deliver on a time slot suitable to me and i was available for 90% of the whole day as i had to take my daughter to her dance class for 1 hour in the late afternoon ( and this was booked 6 weeks in advance ) despite delivery charge payment of £35.00 and i had postal notice that all my items were in stock and were due for delivery on this date
2. on questioning this i was shockingly abused over the phone first by "Emma" who ridiculed my predicament and then an hour later by a a "Craig" at customer services who was rude arrogant and abusive to me .when i asked to speak to the customer services manager
paul burgham is the managing director but is totally unavailable i was told this eventually by the store manager where i origionally bought the bed but was told he was only contactable by letter
in my attempts to speak to a customer services manager at warrington i was spoken to rudely cut off three times by a "Craig" on the customer services at warrington in succession !
3. only to be called back 1 hour later after this disagreement to be told that even though i had waited 6 weeks my mattress could not be delivered until a week later
i have cancelled my order with bensons for beds they are shocking rude and need reporting to trading standards
this is the worst company i have ever had the displeasure of
please dont waste your time and money
PLEASE AVIOD THEM AND SAVE YOURSELF THE LOST TIME OFF WORK FOR NON DELIVERY AND THE MONEY SPENT ON RUDENESS OVER THE PHONE

I bought a bed from Bensons for Beds that was a year ago 40+ phone calls 20 + letters one year on and only after lodging a Small Claim in court I have now been got my money back.
The pain (yes physical and mental) this firm has caused myself and my wife I cannot begin to describe. Customer Service is not a statement Bensons For Beds should be allowed to use as they do not understand either Customer or Service. If one person reads this and decides to buy anywhere else but Bensons For Beds then it will have been worth while sharing this experience. If you have bought from them two words GOOD LUCK you will need it, and read up on Small Claims