I need to buy a twin firm or extra firm innerspring mattress set.
I could always go to a local retail chain like Sleepys.  Serta,
Sealy, etc., are usually a safe bet.

Here's the problem.  I know a guy who manages four local
furniture outlets.  I deal with smart, highly educated people
all the time.  My profession is electrical engineering.
Understanding highly technical information is normal for me.
This furniture store manager could write books on the design
and construction of mattresses.  He's very smart!

I looked at these two Englander mattress sets:

http://www.diamondfurniture.com/store/millennium.html
http://www.diamondfurniture.com/store/black-ice.html

My business partner found some awful reviews about a few
Englander mattresses and Diamond Furniture.  I found
some very postive comments about different Englander
models.

The furniture store manager tells me that Englander is a
huge company and they manufacture thousands of different
models.  He also says that the two models listed above are as
good or better than the more famous brands, and they cost
less.  He's been a terrific salesperson over the years.  I've
never felt the slightest pressure to buy anything from him.

I can't find any customer reviews of the Black Ice or Millennium
mattress sets.  I'd feel a lot better about buying one of these
sets if I could find some positive customer comments.

What should I do?  Buy from a multi-billion dollar chain like
Sleepys, or take a chance with a small business that's managed
by a very knowledgeable guy?


 

What's the return/exchange policy?

From what I have seen firsthand with the Englander mattresses, they seem to last over 10 years on average.  My parents have had 2 Englander mattresses which both lasted about 15 years.  The most recent one they are sleeping on is about 15 years old and they are looking for a replacement.  There is no sagging, but it is a bit more "springy" than any other mattress I have every laid on.  It doesnt feel worn in at all though when you lay on it after 15 years of 2 people sleeping on it.  It is a plain mattress, no extra cushioning.

Thank you weewillywinky and petes67bird.

Sometimes I think I should pay someone to create clever usernames for me.
I've joined hundreds of forums.  All my usernames stink.  Just once, I'd like to
think of a username that would make people smile or laugh.

Anyway, I've purchased furniture (not mattress sets) from Diamond over
the years.  I really don't know what their return and/or exchange policy is.
You know what the problem is.  They can promise anything, but are you
willing to pay a lawyer if they don't honor their contract with you?  The
answer is always no, unless many thousands of dollars are lost.

I like plain mattresses very much.  Memory foam (a NASA invention, I believe)
is great for a lot of people.  If I want extra padding I'll purchase a high quality
topper from a reliable source like www.thefoamfactory.com.

I'm very glad to hear that your parents had no problems with two Englander
mattresses, petes67bird.  I didn't know anything about Englander until I
visited Diamond a few days ago.

Bostoner wrote:

Well, Bostoner, sure, you may have trouble with some companies backing out of their return/exchange policy, but not with a reputable company. Also, you're certainly better off if the company at least says they have an exchange/return policy than with one that doesn't have one at all. Then you'd be back to trying to argue a general warranty of merchantability, which might fly in eggregious cases (in small claims court, for example), but would be a much harder case to make due to the "caveat emptor" ("buyer beware") principle that also could be applied. So I would say the only way a return/exhange policy wouldn't matter if you're absolutely sure you want what you're buying and that you will get what you expected. These are not inexpensive purchases, after all. A return/exhange policy gives you an additional layer of comfort and additional options, perhaps equivalent to the cushiest of comfort layers. Since you say you're dealing wtih a very nice and knowledgeable salesman but a very small store, you should have some room for negotiation and they should be able and willing to work with you. It would be "nice" if they would confirm they have an exchange policy, at least, and what the terms are.