Question about faulty Mattress

rms1

We purchased a new pocket sprung mattress and base from Dreams for £1200. We took a long time choosing the bed as my wife and myself both have back problems so it has to be right. We were very pleased with it at first but after about 15 months, we started to find the bed uncomfortable and on inspection we found deep indentations on each side where we lie.

We contacted Dreams and at first they were not very helpful as we hadn't taken out their 10 year extended warranty. We argued that a bed costing £1200 should last longer than 15 months, extended warranty or not was irrelevant. They told us that we would need to get an independent report done and if the bed was found to be faulty, they would exchange it. They recommended a company and we paid £45 for the report which showed that the bed had a manufacturing fault and should be replaced.

We then went back to the store but the staff were unable to help even though they were very sympathetic. We had to contact customer services which we did, They tried to fob us off saying that, for goodwill sake, they would allow us an exchange to the value of a second hand mattress. We of course refused and to cut a long story short, after contacting the CEO of the company, they did agree to exchange the mattress.

Unfortunately, they no longer stocked the mattress which we originally purchased so we were back to square one and had to go through the process of finding another mattress that suited us both. We decided on a foam and gel mattress but had to pay another £300. We contacted the CEO again asking if he thought it was right that we should have to pay more money because they couldn't provide a like for like replacement. In the end, he agreed to refund us £150 which we accepted.

We have had the new mattress for 3 weeks now and although, I am OK with it, my wife is finding very uncomfortable and has in fact spent the last 2 nights sleeping on the sofa.

We are now at our wits end and feel that non of this is our fault as they cannot replace the mattress we has originally purchased and now feel like asking for a full refund so we can go somewhere else. I am wondering if we would be within out rights to expect this.

Any advice much appreciated.

daytona0

Wow...


A few points which come to mind:

1. Why did they initially refuse to complete a SOGA return with a fault report present? And why was it subsequently called a "goodwill gesture"? Are you actually sure that your report shown an inherent fault? It just doesn't add up on this occasion.....

2. You went back to decide on a mattress which suited you both. Did you have the opportunity to test this mattress out before deciding?

3. Why did you change from a pocket sprung one to a foam and gel one without testing it first to make sure that it could meet your needs?

4. Why did you choose a mattress which is 300 pound more expensive, as opposed to a similar one of similar or less value?

5. Why are you surprised that they do not have a like for like replacement? Stock sells out! Also, if you link to point 3 (where you change the type of mattress) then you may not have been that bothered about a like for like replacement in the first place!!!

6. Why has it taken you 3 weeks to raise the issue of the bed not being comfortable?

At the end of the day I think something is missing here, and it seems to me that Dreams are looking at this as a goodwill gesture (and not a SOGA return). In such a case you weren't entitled to ANY reimbursement of that 300 pound excess (you most likely aren't entitled under SOGA either by the way) and that is the company going WAY WAY above and beyond in my eyes.


You have to remember that your contract is for a 15+ month old bed, and you cannot expect to have a full refund even if you have a brand new mattress right at this moment in time! If you end up getting a full refund then you've effectively had a free mattress for 15+ months, and that isn't how business works.... I kinda get the impression that you've been trying their patience a bit and there is something more to the story. The best bet is to check whether you have cancellation rights (which I doubt as your contract is 15+ months old, and you have probably tried the product in store etc) or failing that whether you have SOGA rights with the replacement which has been sent out. I fear that anything else is going to be a goodwill gesture, and you might have pushed it a bit too far. Good luck though! One possibility is to consider whether selling it privately may recoup most of the value, especially when you factor in that you can sell it for 150 pounds cheaper than retail price and recoup your whole balance.

rms1

Hi there,
Thank you for taking the trouble to respond.

The report reads: One inspection, I found dips to both sides of 50mm. There is a ridge formed through the centre of the mattress. The top foam in areas where the customers sleep has lost 60% of it's density. No fix is available and the customer is waiting for further insructions.

We did have a opportunity to test the mattress in the store but this does in no way replicate sleeping on it for a night.

We take an annual holiday to Austria where this type of mattress is used. We always found them to be extremely comfortable which is why we decided to change.

We didn't want to pay an extra £300 but we couldn't find another mattress for a similar price to the original one, as I said, we took a long time to find it.

I know that stock sells out but when we bought it, the sales person said that this was one of their most popular mattresses and had been for some years. If that is the case, why would they drop the line without replacing it for something close.

We waited 3 weeks as it can take a few weeks to get used to a new mattress in fact, Dreams have a policy that they will exchange a mattress if the customer finds it unsuitable but they insist that the customers waits for 30 days to get used to it.

FYI, I have been in business for over 40 years myself and fully understand the rules of retailing and how business works. We were happy with our purchase but it became faulty which was proven by the professional report. I don't particularly want a refund, I would prefer it if Dreams could provide something suitable and similar to what we purchased in the first place.

NotRichAtAll

I have been in business for over 40 years myself and fully understand the rules of retailing and how business works

then surely you should know that using a mattress for 15mth then expecting an exchange is not how buisness works. For all we know you could be a couple of swingers who have humped the life out of the mattress. Also dreams may not have dropped the line the manufacturer could have stopped producing it for any number of reasons. Why can i not buy a new capri? oh yeah ford stopped making them.

rms1

What a totally pointless and offensive response.

So you would be quite happy to spend £1200 on a mattress that only lasted for 15 months and according to a professional report was not fit for purpose. It is not surprising that as your name suggests you are NotRichAtAll

tomtontom

Dreams sell countless pocket sprung mattresses. Surely there was one very close to the original specification?

rms1

tomtontom wrote: »

Dreams sell countless pocket sprung mattresses. Surely there was one very close to the original specification?

Sadly not according to the showroom staff.

When you have back problems, it is very difficult to find a mattress that suits which is why we were so disappointed after taking so long to find the right one and paying a top price for it.

tomtontom

rms1 wrote: »

Sadly not according to the showroom staff.

When you have back problems, it is very difficult to find a mattress that suits which is why we were so disappointed after taking so long to find the right one and paying a top price for it.

What was the original mattress?

On the information given, the best you are going to get is another replacement, and you might even struggle to get that. The new mattress is fit for purpose, it just doesn't work for you.

rms1

tomtontom wrote: »

What was the original mattress?

On the information given, the best you are going to get is another replacement, and you might even struggle to get that. The new mattress is fit for purpose, it just doesn't work for you.

Hi

The original was Rejuvenate SK

We would be happy to get another replacement, we haven't asked yet but we were trying to get some information here so we are armed should we get a negative response.

By the way I meant the original was not fit for purpose not this one.

tomtontom

That has a 2400 spring count, they do have two similar beds but they are more expensive (Hypnos brand). The old model is available on ebay for £550 if you did want the same.

Whatever you get from Dreams is going to be a goodwill gesture. Let us know how you get on.

daytona0

rms1 wrote: »

Hi there,
Thank you for taking the trouble to respond.

The report reads: One inspection, I found dips to both sides of 50mm. There is a ridge formed through the centre of the mattress. The top foam in areas where the customers sleep has lost 60% of it's density. No fix is available and the customer is waiting for further insructions.

Yea, I can see why Dreams didn't accept a SOGA return with this report. There is no mention of the CAUSE, it simply states the problem.

Example, I could take a hammer to my television and claim that it was faulty.... I could then have a report done which states that 'the screen has lost its integrity (interchange with "density") and that it has a great big dip to both sides of 50mm. It is not fixable.' - Do you see how my scenario runs pretty much similar to yours, except that there was no mention of the hammer being used? You need a reason which shows that it is more likely to be a manufacturer fault than wear and tear, and you don't have that right now on your report from what I can see. Correct me if I'm wrong though, peeps!

Your fault report is very likely to be useless in regards to a SOGA return, so all of this is turning into a goodwill gesture from Dreams and it does seem like you've had a fair share of goodwill already! From their perspective (you mentioned being in business for 40 years...) just imagine how frustrating it might be dealing with you. First the SOGA report isn't quite right, then the price isn't quite right and now the brand new bed isn't quite right! They can't really win!! They should just draw a line under the issue to be honest and either give you a partial refund or tell you that, under SOGA, they feel that they have met their obligations (and exceeded them) and tell you to jog on (in a nice way)! Leave you to consider small claims should you be that way inclined. That is what Dreams should do in my opinion. I wish you good luck though. Alternatively, just flog the thing on gumtree or something! "Mattress for sale as not the right product for me - 3 weeks old, excellent condition, [specs], used price: 1350 (price new is 1500)" - That way you end up walking away absolutely even when you factor in the 150 discount given, and you would have had 15 + months use of a mattress!