Mattress fault: 4 weeks to replacement!

[bruce_phipps]

[Slightly OT: we need a uk.home-furnishings news group!]

Just moved into a new house. On Saturday, I took delivery of a new divan bed + mattress from one of the big UK suppliers.

On unpacking the bed,I found a spring sticking out of a corner of the mattress fabric. I had to tape this area over for safety reasons. As the spring did not stick out of the sleeping area, I was able to sleep on the bed at the weekend.

This morning, Monday, I contacted the suppliers and asked for a replacement. They were happy to do this but quoted a lead time of 4 weeks until delivery of a replacement mattress.

I was unhappy with this -- 4 weeks with a faulty and potentially dangerous product.

The bed suppliers were unable to either speed up the led time or offer me any price reduction for inconvenience caused whilst I wait 4 weeks for a replacement mattress.

The bed suppliers have got my money up front (debit card). I feel my only option is to cancel the order ASAP. Unfortunately that will leave me sleeping on the sofa...

Any ideas?

Bruce

[Andy Hall]

Not Courts was it?

I would say that they are not trying very hard to address the problem and have probably not taken the trouble to push on the factory to do something.

You haven't mentioned the price, but was it low, medium or high end?

If you paid a lot for what should have been a good quality product, then you have more reason to kick up a fuss, but I would kick up a fuss anyway.

This was a big mistake. I would have thought that people would have learned this lesson from the Courts disaster. Always buy things like this if they cost more than £100 using a credit card.

You could of course threaten legal action etc. The trouble is that by the time the whole thing was processed, you would have your new mattress.

I think that you have to decide what you want them to do.

One option would be to ask them to take it away and refund. They may not, and would you get a replacement elsewhere more quickly?

Do you want them to lend you another mattress? Would you really want to sleep on a secondhand one?

I think that I would be inclined to visit them during their busiest time and push for better delivery. Get the name of the area manager and his boss and write to both.

In practical, rather than consumer rights terms, that's probably about it.

You could try but see above.

Maybe an inflatable bed?

[Andy Dingley]

Mattresses do usually have long lead times, unless you're buying a stock size. Of course one would hopethey'd expedite this when it's their screw-up, but that's typical British manufacturing for you.

Why is the spring sticking out ? Damage in transit, reasonable problem, or are they just not very good at making mattresses ?

If I still had faith in this maker of mattresses, then I'd wait. If the spring was sticking out because it was badly made (and I find it hard to think how it couldn't be) then I'd simply want a refund so I could go elsewhere. I'd also make it clear that waiting 4 weeks was a major factor in my decision.

Personally I prefer latex foam anyway, but they're admittedly not cheap.

[dmc]

Hijacking the the thread somewhat here....

We are in the market for a new bed in the next couple of months - thought we had decided on a half decent pocket sprung mattress but looking around this latex foam seems to be the thing at the moment. Is it that good then? Testing it in the shops it feels "odd" to me :)

Opinions? We are looking for king size bed and mattress for something like

6-9 hundred quid...

Darren

[Owain]

"Andy Hall" wrote | You could of course threaten legal action etc. The trouble is that | by the time the whole thing was processed, you would have your | new mattress. ... | One option would be to ask them to take it away and refund. They | may not, and would you get a replacement elsewhere more quickly?

There must be places that *stock* mattresses, even if not of equivalent quality. Argos have *one* single cheap one at £50 they will deliver 'usually in 48 hours'

Owain

[Andy Dingley]

Well I'm convinced. I rented a house from a friend for a few months and it came with one of their latex mattresses. It was a couple of years before I got my own, but I knew I was going to have one some day!

I've always liked firm mattresses, but I'd suggest you have one with a softer surface layer put on it (most are laminated from 2" sheets, so this is a zero-cost option). You should also get the maker to supply a fitted mattress protector with it, because a foam mattress is always going to be less robust against surface or corner wear.

Foam For Comfort, Foam Direct and SafeFoam are some of the better known suppliers. I think mine came from FFC and was around 800 for a non-standard large king size.

I'm making chairs this week

and I'm just ordering the seat squabs. PU foam is coming in at a tenner, latex foam at 20 and visco-elastic foam (like Tempur et al) is about 40.

[Bob Eager]

Funny you should say that. I'm after some foam, but the prices round here are ruinous (or perhaps they're not, these days, what with fireproofing etc.). I wanted 6ft by 2ft, 2 inches thick, I guess nothing special for the actual foam, and was quoted 40 quid. Is that high, low or just right?

[Capitol]

Bob Eager wrote: I wanted 6ft by 2ft, 2 inches thick, I guess nothing

Should be about half that. For 6'6 x 6' x 2" medium density, I paid £60 IIRC in Nov 04. N London. It was £400 IIRC for a standard 5' wide Tempur(memory) 6" foam Mattress.

Regards Capitol

[Andy Dingley]

Foam isn't cheap. I don't know if it ever was - I thought it used to be, but every time I've personally bought it I thought it was surprisingly expensive.

B&M

for cheap £37 for premium or for chipfoam (chipfoam is the entry-level for seat squabs) £47 for Reflex (top-end PU foam) £105 for pincored latex

FFC are £35 for basic PU, £67 for superior PU, £107 for latex

can hunt around the mail order suppliers a lot, but IMHE there's no difference in their core foam pricing. Their shipping varies, their accessories vary, but any apparent difference in foam price turns out to be due to an inherent quality variation. Vendor pricing

[Andy Dingley]

Where did you get Tempur for that price ?

[Andy Dingley]

Size.

[John Rumm]

Personally I prefer latex, but if you are used to a sprung mattress then it will feel "dead" since there is no real bounce to it.

Latex has many advantages, placed on an open based(i.e. slats for example) it will breathe better and allow moisture through (given that we sweat something like a pint a night, that can add up!) No squeeks, or boings in the night from springs either. Less roll together.

(I find you get a feeling of being able to sink into it more than being "perched on top" like with a sprung one).

[bruce_phipps]

Thanks, Its a Slumberland 4ft 6in entry-level model. I would imagine they make

100's every week. There seems to be no leeway in the supply-chain for quick replacement of damaged goods.

Bruce

[Rob Morley]

Your links to Ron Arad and the Rover Chair seem to be dead.

[Andy Dingley]

Thanks! Bloody designers - don't understand the importance of stable URLs.

[Rob Morley]

Your links to Ron Arad and the Rover Chair seem to be dead.

[Capitol]

Try this link:-

IME are more flexible if you collect.

Regards Capitol