We payed over $2000 for a new Sealy latex mattress. Bought it from "C&C Mattress". Found out this company is run by some shady New Jersey character named "Pete" Cancelli. This guy pitches himself as the so called "mattress expert" and someone you can trust in the slimy mattress business. They sent us a mattress with a gaping opening that we discovered once it was removed from the packaging. The outer packaging was perfect so it was obviously packaged and sent with a pre-existing defect. We sent pictures of the hole to "Pete" Cancelli, the owner of C&C Mattress whereupon he blamed Sealy saying the hole is an obvious factory defect, that it's Sealy's fault and refused to address our problem. We contacted Sealy and they rudely said, "Not our problem, you need to take it up with "C&C Mattress", the store you purchased it from". Now, after spending over $2000, we are stuck with a mattress that is falling apart.
Both Sealy and C&C Mattress in New Jersey refuse to help us and continue to point the finger at each other.

I have read his column(writes for a newspaper) and he seems to know what is inside about every mattress made anywhere.  He was able to tell me what springs were inside a mattress I slept on in a hotel, which I loved.  Even tho he offers to send them across the country without sales tax, I was never tempted to order a mattress sight unseen.  I am so sorry that happened...that is atrocious!  I'd contact the Better Business Bureau and also take him to small claims court.  You'll win.
Just goes to show that everyone can be whatever/whoever they want to be on the internet.  Sad world.
Kait

Let me get this straight.  You bought a mattress from someone with an Italian name in Jersey??  Is the full name Pete (sleep-with-the-fishes) Cancelli?

In seriousness, what a shame - to us, two grand is a LOT of money.

Did the mattress ship from a Jersey business location or straight from Sealy which would make Mister Pete just a middleman?

Also, what about the Sealy warranty.  Do the Ts & Cs of the warranty specify that you can only invoke the warranty through the retail seller that you bought the mattress from?  You clearly have a warranty issue - maybe instead of telling Sealy it arrived damaged you can say after you slept on it this big gaping opening appeared?

Even if Sealy will take the mattress back for warranty inspection I imagine you will have to eat the cost of shipping and I imagine latex mattress weight is considerable and you shipping cost to be substantial.

I've never minded buying our waterbed mattresses via the internet from distant and virtually unknown merchants but furniture or "real" bedding components (or electronics and a lot of other stuff) I would only buy from a nearby brick and mortar store.

Best of Luck

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. I guess I fell for Pete Cancelli's pitch.  We were taken in by his claims that he was different, that he could be trusted. But on second thought, that's the claim made by everyone who is "selling" something.  He's just another infomercial on the web.

I went back and looked closer at his website. The following conflicting assertions were taken directly from C&C Mattress website:

YOU MUST INSPECT YOUR ITEMS AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY
Refunds are not available for any reason, once the mattress has been delivered and the packaging has been opened

As you can see, they tell you the mattress must be inspected. But then they warn you not to open the packaging. Now they are fully aware the mattress is double wrappped in thick plastic inside a cardboard box. How do they expect you to inspect the product without opening the box and plastic. Do we need an x-ray machine in order to comply with C&C Mattress. If you open the packaging you get no refund.

*** We did ask to inspect the mattress when it arrived but the delivery men told said we could not open the box.

http://newjersey.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=89&bbb=0221&firm=80006028

Please Swallow, file a Better Business Report on C this mattress place that did you wrong to see if the BBB in NJ will help you get your money back.  If this does not work, I would see if you can find a lawyer to represent you but it may be difficult to do on an contingent basis (I know this since a small windows blind company committed fraud against me and I had to defend myself... I won but I should have counter sued for fraud like the other person being sued with me did and won.... my case was finally dismissed after I lost so much money defending myself over 2 years).   New Jersey has strict laws on selling products that must perform as a product should and apparently your mattress did not.  Please keep us updated. I am so sorry that you are going through this. 

Swallow,

So sorry about this awful experience. In addition to the BBB, you could probably file a claim through small claims court without incurring the cost of a lawyer.  I also recommend writing a letter to C&C with a copy to Sealy pointing out the contradictory information in the exchange policy as you described it to us, documenting your prior phone conversations.  Include photos of the box and mattress to support your claim. Keep a paper trail.  Tell him that if you do not get a satisfactory response within XX days, you will file a lawsuit and write about your experience over the internet (this forum, epinions, etc.)  When I first started reading his web site (the discussion forum, not the store) I found him to be informative but there was something about it that didn't seem right. He always pushing that Sealy beachside model (or whatever it's called) and he's clearily trying to steer people to his store. Good luck and let us know how this turns out.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I'd definitely "put the screws" to both C&C and Sealy. Threaten to file with the BBB (for C&C AND Sealy) if your problem is not resolved within X days. Also threaten small claims court.

Also, being that a fair portion of C&C's business comes to them via the internet and the "Mattress blog", threaten to spread your story far and wide on the internet if it's not resolved.

Having to resort to threats is unfortunate, but it's fair game given how you've been mistreated, and it often does work.

I would send C&C Mattress and Sealy both a copy of these posts to show them that others know their bad tactics and we are all waiting to see a justice prevail and money returned to Swallow for selling him a mattress that he says was unfit to sleep on.   If they do not do anything to right this wrong, then I would threaten to report them to the BBB and take them to small claims court.  Please keep us updated. I am sorry that you have to go through all this stress of just wanting to buy a comfortable mattress.

Did you post your letter at his website http://blog.pennlive.com/mattress/about.html

Good luck.

I have read this guy's blog, and even sent him a question once which he answered.... he seems to be fairly upfront in his blog and I notice him steering people away from Pillowtops, which is a good thing for a mattress seller.  I do notice he seems to point people toward the Sealy Spring Free mattresses (which he justs happens to sell :) :).

What are some other opinions on his store? Has anyone here other than the OP bought anything from him and had a problem?

I read a complaint about Cancelli refusing to post any complaints on his blog. If you go to his website he states conflicting policies. For example he states he will refuse to replace or refund a product if the customer opens the box. Then on the same page he insists customers inspect what he sends. Sounds like he covers himself either way.

Some places to file complaints in NJ ...

Cherry Hill is in Camden County. Their consumer complaint office is:

Camden County Consumer Protection
Office of Weights and Measures
DiPiero Center, Lakeland Road
Blackwood, New Jersey 08012-1601
856-374-6161   

The Camden County  website where you can get a complaint form is:

http://www.camdencounty.com/health/healthserv/consumer.html

If you get no satisfaction from them, try the state of NJ's comsumer affairs department.

http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp/ocpform.htm

(I can't seem to make these links clickable. Copy and paste them into your address bar and GOOD LUCK !!!!!)

My name is Peter Cancelli, the owner of C&C Mattress. Steve, from St. Louis, received a mattress, which we had shipped to him. He signed for it as having received it in good condition. Later, he sent pictures of an open tape edge. I had no way of knowing if it happened while he was handling it, or if it had been incorrectly sewn at the factory. Just the same, for the sake of customer satisfaction, we offered to send out an upholsterer to sew it closed, but Steve wasn't happy with that....so, we ordered him a new mattress. The mattress was made and sent to our shipper a week later...on the same day we received notice from Steve's credit card company of his intent to stop payment. In the face of this, we stopped shipment. We told Steve that if he would reverse the chargeback, we would release the mattress for the exchange.

We are currently in the middle of the stand-off that Steve created.

Furthermore, Steve has identified himself as a prosecutor and has threatened me, and I quote: "I have no choice but to have this matter investigated by the New Jersey Secretary of State and Attorney General. I will pursue you both in State Court as well as Federal Court for practicing in fraudulent interstate commerce."

If Steve is, in fact, a prosecutor, it is likely to be illegal for him to abuse his authority for personal reasons.

Now to set the record straight.

C&C Mattress AKA "Pete" Cancelli never offered to replace the mattress until the credit card company got involved. We were forced to dispute the charges because he "refused" to replace the mattress explaining that replacing the defective matress would cut into his profit.

Cancelli told us our only option was to accept his absurd proposal, that we get the mattress repaired, period end of story. Now it's falling apart. That's right, we payed him over $2100 for a brand new Sealy latex mattress that showed up with a hole in it and he insisted we get it repaired.  He actually told us that the hole in the mattress won't affect the comfort and that the $2100 we paid him was for the "comfort". So now it's falling apart.  I'm sorry, was that the agreement ? I pay you over $2100 for a brand new matress and I get one that needs to be repaired and falling apart. Can anyone imagine the new car you ordered arriving damaged and the salesman telling you don't worry about all the damage, you're paying for "ride".  Also, not sure why my occupation is an excuse for this RIPOFF ARTIST to weasel out of his

guarantee.

 ALERT: We learned  credit cards will not cover purchases outside of your home state.

guarantee.

 ALERT: We learned  credit cards will not cover purchases outside of your home state.

We also caught Cancelli in a number of lies before while he was refusing to replace his defective mattress. Recall that in his initial response above he told us the defect "was a first time situation". In the later e-mail a few days later he says it's a common occurrence.  See below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Peter Cancelli

Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 2:27:47 PM

Subject: RE: Defective Stitching on Beachside

 

The money you spent was for the comfort and quality of the latex inside. A MISSED SECTION OF TAPE EDGE IS NOT UNCOMMON.

So release the chargeback, get the new mattress and chill....

"A missed section of tape is not uncommon."

I would say it had better be dang uncommon for $2100.

I would say always check out a merchant with the BBB BEFORE you do business with him. Any guy who seriously tries to convince you that a new $2000 mattress with a hole is fine because you're paying for "the comfort" and tries to weasel out of making good on a defective item probably has a number of complaints lodged against him.