My story with Mattress Warehouse concerns some questionable salesmanship, incredibly restrictive return policies, dreadful customer service and an inexplicable management philosophy. I would strongly recommend not buying from them. After a $300 loss, I went to Mattress Discounters nearby and had a very positive experience.

Summary: I stopped into Mattress Warehouse in Cockeysville, MD to buy a twin pillowtop mattress. I looked at one for $1, 000 and quickly requested a lower-priced model. The next one I saw was comfortable and had a soft top, or so it seemed. I didn’t think to confirm it was a pillowtop. I bought it, missing the sign on the wall that said no returns. When I got home, my wife and daughter said it wasn’t a pillowtop, so I returned 19 hours later with the mattress in its original packaging. The assistant manager said no returns but he assumed an exchange was OK. That’s what I was planning to do anyway, so that was fine. But when I finally spoke w/the manager – who sold me the piece, BTW – he said absolutely no exchanges either (what business outside of fresh food does this, when they can immediately resell the product AND still make the sale?). He said it was corporate policy and gave me their number. I called and finally got the district manager’s voice mail. He didn’t return the call, so I sent the CEO a letter (see below), saying I needed a resolution w/in a week or I’d have to buy another mattress. No call from him or anyone else. Case closed, at least from their standpoint.

Not from mine, however. I may be out the money, but I hope I can save others from a similar fate.

Here is the letter to the CEO of Mattress Warehouse - http://docs.google.com/View?id=dd9g28wk_9hkv5qngk . After the dreadful experience, I shouldn’t have been surprised by anything but still - what company wouldn’t at least have a middle mgt lackey call and pay lip service after getting this? I was so frustrated by their rigid return rules, stubborn refusal to talk to the customer and lack of business acumen, I wrote a poem based on the fateful trip of the castaways to Gilligan’s Isle - http://docs.google.com/View?id=dd9g28wk_8fw67bchp. Pass it along if it makes you smile (I didn’t at the time).