need scientific objective test method
Jul 29, 2012 4:27 PM
Joined: Jul 29, 2012
Points: 4
I'm in a dispute with a mattress store. I was sold an inferior quality mattress the was described as a Sealy Posturpedic Firm Eurotop and the the same without the Eurotop. Both are equally bad and offer no support for a back that needs support. My credit card company tells me my only recourse now is to find an independent or 3rd party who can test the mattress to prove that it does not meet the requirements to be labeled as "firm". I do not want an exchange because everything I tried in the store was uncomfortable. I agreed to settle on the Sealy because the salespeople told me I should sleep on it for at least several weeks or more to really evaluate it. After two night might back was so damaged I have to go for therapy. I know this mattress is not at all supportive, but I have to prove it to get my money back. How can I get it tested for firmness or support? I'm not concerned at this point with a test for long term durability, just an objective test to show that it is not as advertised.
Re: need scientific objective test method
Reply #5 Jul 30, 2012 10:24 AM
Joined: Jun 16, 2011
Points: 171
Recently a friend of mine hired a cleaning company for a home she was renting out. She said they did a terrible job and wanted to cancel the credit card charge. The CC company told her - as you were told - to get an impartial person to check out the home and give an opinion. I did this and wrote a letter for the CC company saying I agreed with my that the job was totally unacceptable. She got the charge cancelled.

If this is what YOUR CC company wants, then I would try the same thing and ask a friend or co-worker to come test out the bed and write a note detailing obvious defects such as premature sagging, etc. It's certainly worth a try and might work since as has been mentioned, there are no experts or scientific tests to prove what you say. The CC company doesn't care that much. They just need something in their records to cover their a$$es.

Re: need scientific objective test method
Reply #6 Jul 30, 2012 1:39 PM
Joined: Jan 24, 2012
Points: 70
Do you have your receipt..?  you need to look at Store policy to see if you even have a leg to stand on because even though you used Credit.. if you signed that paper you agreed to their terms.. plus didn't you have a time limit for a comfort return?  well you probably did but there was nothing to choose from, which was what I ran into..so you might just well be up a creek with NO paddle..  There was no place on my papers that if I didn't like it I could get a refund.. just a replacement of lesser or higher value.. and no money exchanged if I chose a lesser priced mattress.. just me paying higher to them.. however I was  pretty much at the max in price on my mattress so finding a replacement was really hard.  I was already on a returned mattress after 1 and a half years, so my stores policy was they gave you a 30 day comfort exchange.. and even though I bought a Serta that had a 120 day return policy, it was void through this store..and the reason I was at that store in the first place was I had to return to the store I purchased the defective mattress at to begin with.. so Serta didn't stand for anything regarding their mattress.. I called and talked to 3 different reps.. and they all told me I had to deal with the store....I was dead in the water at that time..they got me good...
Re: need scientific objective test method
Reply #7 Jul 31, 2012 1:26 AM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
DIYJoel wrote:

ILD/IDF do measure compression, mainly in latex and memory foam matresses. But the problem you are going to run into is that there is no standard for what is soft/medium/firm, so you are really fighting a losing battle. If it makes you feel any better I have a Sealy Posturpedic Plush Euro Pillowtop and I have never gotten a good nights sleep out of it without a layer of memory foam on top.


Precisely what I am trying to say.  ILD gives us one way to measure 'firmness' in essence and assign a numerical value.  But what we label as soft/medium/firm is based on subjectivity. Science can tell you one bed is firmer than another, but not what the cut of point should be. If we left it based on this it would be like saying a 19 ILD Foam is soft, but a 20 is medium...in reality there is a barely discernable difference.

Re: need scientific objective test method
Reply #8 Aug 13, 2012 2:48 PM
Joined: Aug 31, 2009
Points: 69
The mattress offers no support for YOUR back. That is not to say it doesn't offer support for ANY back. If the mattress sags past the 1.5" point it is defective and you can sue if the company refuses to honor the warranty. If the retailer offers a comfort exchange, you should use it. If they refuse to honor it and you were given it in writing, you can sue. If they do not offer an exchange or refund policy, with all respect and sensitivity, you selected the wrong retailer to purchase from.

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