TOPIC:

Hi, I purchased a Symbol gel mattress that was terrible and was given a Sterns & Foster Springbrook Estate luxury plush mattress as a replacement on a 90 day "comfort exchange". It's a really long story, but I say given because I picked out another Symbol mattress, but I was told I could accept the Sterns & Foster or nothing, so much for my "comfort exchange". The Sterns & Foster was a floor model that the owner of the store bought somewhere else, I don't know where he got it. After they delivered it when we were making the bed I could smell a very strong urine smell. I sniffed around and the smell was coming from the foot of the bed and the head of the bed near the cording for the pillow top and also along each side in places. I tried to let it air out, but it didn't. I sprayed Fabreeze on it and that seemed to help, but when it gets humid out you can start to smell it again. My question is is there anything (foam or latex or something) that could smell like urine? I tried to see if anything shows up using a black light, but I didn't see any stains. There is also a stain at the foot of the bed (middle) on the sidewall looks like a dark/black water stain. I fear this was a return because I we also hammock on each side, although I've read that this model does have a problem with that it doesn't usually happen right away. The owner was pretty slick, he dragged his feet for over 4 months before replacing it with this piece of junk so I don't know that the credit card company is going to be able to do a charge back. Any info/suggestions are welcome.
Thanks

Hi cownox,

I think about all I could say is that I certainly wouldn't want to keep a mattress that smelled like urine or for that matter a mattress that someone didn't know where it came from or whether it was used or that had strong evidence that it was used (unless of course your original mattress was purchased from a liquidator and sold without warranty coverage in which case you would probably be limited to an exchange for another mattress they happen to carry).

Hopefully it's not too late to either ask them to replace it with a brand new mattress with a warranty (unless this isn't possible because they don't have any in which case you may be able to exchange for a mattress in better condition or perhaps not as "used") or to call your credit card company to see if you can do a chargeback.

Based on your description I wouldn't be comfortable keeping it.

Are they a factory authorized dealer for Symbol ... or for any other brand and was your original mattress sold with a warranty or are they a liquidator that only sells mattresses without any warranty coverage (except their own exchange guarantee)?

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
Below is the long story I mentioned in my post, this is what I filed with the BBB.

Complaint Category: Failure to honor promised refunds, exchanges, or credit

Complaint: I was given a 90 day "comfort guarantee" which has not been honored. This has been going on for over 4 months now. One story after another!
I am hoping that you can help me. On 8/21/12 I purchased a ****** Response Gel 11" mattress set (King size) from Bed Land in Port Richey, Florida. I was given a "90 day comfort guarantee, 60 day refund if needed". Two months later the bed was causing me such pain in my hips that I called ****** at Bed Land to tell him, (when I was purchasing the set he only mentioned the 90 day guarantee and I didn't notice on the receipt he only wrote 90 day comfort guarantee and below that wrote 60 day refundable if needed otherwise I would just have requested a refund). On 11/08/12 I went into the store and picked out another ****** mattress to replace the Response Gel. I chose a king Chateau Pillow Top set (I have a receipt noting the comfort exchange). Since that time I have gotten one story after another. First it was that it would take a couple of weeks, OK. I received no call and have had to be the one to check on the status, either calls or stopping into the store in person. After that I was told that they (******) sent the right mattress, but the wrong size (queen not a king as ordered). Supposedly the order was put in again, this time they (******) sent not only the wrong size, but wrong model mattress (he hadn't even ordered that model mattress, but received it anyway). Then the story was that business was slow and he didn't have enough orders to put in an order. Then it was the factory was closed for the holidays for 2 weeks. Then he placed an order for 57 pieces, (supposedly my order was one of those) that he rented a truck and drove to (Orlando?) to pick up. When he got there they (******) only had 12 pieces ready for him to pick up, unfortunately mine was not one of the orders that was picked up. This made him mad and as he told me "they had words". I was told on 2/25/13 to give him 2 weeks to see if he could get my order and if he couldn't he would give me my money back. I was told to call him on 3/11/13 which I did. He didn't answer and I had to leave a voice message, he never returned my call so on 3/13/13 I went in to see him at the store, he wasn't there so I spoke to his son and left my name and number asking him to call me, he didn't. On Monday 3/18/13 I again returned to the store and spoke to his wife*****, she went in the back room to talk to ****** and came out and said my bed was in and could they deliver it on Wednesday 3/20/13 between 6 & 7pm, I said great. Wednesday night comes and no delivery, no call or anything. No call Thursday or Friday either. I have been more that patient and am tired of getting jerked around over this. I would like to ask that you intervene in whatever way that you can to resolve this matter. It's been over 4 months and I am tired of sleeping in the guest room! I have receipts for the original purchase and the exchange order.

At the time I asked for the comfort exchange they were still carrying Symbol, but then he stopped carrying it due to all the problems he was having with them. I don't know if any of it is true or not, I have tried to speak with someone at Symbol, but they never returned any of my voice messages. The original mattress came with a warranty, but it didn't have depressions big enough, it would just bottom out to the point it was like sleeping on the floor. I purchased the Symbol sight unseen, he had the model below and above the one I bought, and assured me the middle one would be perfect for me and even if it wasn't the right mattress I had the 90 day comfort exchange. I needed a bed and I did what I said I would never do, purchase a mattress without trying it first. I talked to my credit card company, and told them the whole story, but it seems like he (mattress store) was pretty slick, he kept putting it off and it sounds like it's now too late for a charge back. So basically I'm stuck with this POS mattress and out my $1,337. They screen their calls and don't pick up. I used so much energy just getting this far with them I don't know if I can continue to fight with them. Have you ever heard of a urine smell just around the border, it seems weird and the black light didn't pick up any hidden stains.
Thanks for your response.

Hi again Phoenix,
I met with the shop owner again today to discuss the mattress situation. He is now carrying Solstice mattresses and wants to give me a Solstice Nantucket mattress to replace the Stearns & Foster Estate Springbrook. I can't find much info on Solstice, they do have a website, but it doesn't have much info about the make up of their mattresses. At this point I just want the Stearns & Foster gone and I don't care what he replaces it with. He did say the smell could be caused by condensation (inside the plastic bag), but he thought that smell was more like a bad sweat smell. It will be another 2 week wait to see if he is really going to replace it or not. He brought up the BBB report that I filed, and I went through all that transpired to get me to that point. I asked him what he would have thought, so I think he agreed that I had a right to be upset. Do you know anything about Solstice? I can't find any reviews.
Thanks again

Hi cownox,

The only way to know the quality or value of any mattress is by knowing what is inside it.

Solstice Sleep Products (aka Associated Bedding Co) is a Columbus based wholesale manufacturer (with a factory in Florida as well) but as you mentioned their website doesn't provide any information about the quality of the materials. The materials inside a mattress is always more important than the name on a label.

Unless you have no other options ... I would want to know the details of all the layers of a mattress I was considering so you can make some kind of meaningful assessment of its quality and value and durability.

There are some specs which indicate that at least this mattresses is using low quality/density 3.2 lb memory foam which I would tend to avoid and most retailers would consider the Solstice mattresses to be their lower end or "promotional" mattresses.

It seems like you are somewhat "trapped" in making exchanges with what sounds like a liquidator who has a somewhat "random" selection of mattresses and who doesn't seem to know where their mattresses come from, what is in them, or who may have used them but this is just part of the risk of working with a liquidator in exchange for "cheap" prices.

Since their mattresses may be used, returns, floor models, or comfort exchanges ... post #2 here may be helpful for things you may want to check for (at least the parts that you can because you may not be able to check inside) before buying any of their mattresses.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
The mattress store is a regular store not a liquidator, it Is privately owned, not a franchise. I am going to try to get more info from Solstice directly to see if they can tell me what their Nantucket mattress is made of. Hopefully I can get more info from them.
Thanks

Hi cownox,

The mattress store is a regular store not a liquidator,

That's re-assuring and it's at least a step in the right direction if they're are selling new mattresses ... from your description of the Stearns and Foster and the run around they were giving you and some other signs they certainly sounded like one.

In any case ... when you check with Solstice about the mattress specs (and I hope they provide them but it would be unusual if they provided foam density information which is the most important spec) I would check with Solstice to see if they are an authorized dealer just to make sure (and I would do the same for any other mattress you are considering there).

I would also check the law tags to see when the mattresses were made.

The Nantucket is a Eurotop which probably has thick layers of lower density polyfoam in the comfort layers and this is one of the most "risky" mattress constructions as far as foam softening and impressions unless the polyfoam is very high quality which is unlikely. I would be very cautious with this.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
It sounds like they are an authorized dealer, that is the majority of what they are selling now. If they aren't an authorized dealer does that affect the warranty, or are there other reasons that would matter? When speaking with the shop owner, I mentioned that the Stearns & Foster didn't have a tag, and he said that he removed it. Why would he remove it, do they mark on the tag if it's a return, etc? I thought that was strange. He had a queen in the model right below the Nantucket at the store, but it felt too firm even though it was a pillow top, would a pillow top be any better than a euro top, depressions etc?
Thanks Cownox

Hi cownox,

If they aren't an authorized dealer or if the law tag is missing then it may be a strong indication that their mattresses are defective, returns, comfort or warranty exchanges, used, or floor models. none of these are covered by most manufacturer's warranties.

A missing law tag would be of particular concern to me because it's against the law in most states to sell a mattress without one and I would never buy a mattress that didn't have one.

It's also against the law in most states to sell a mattress that is used or reconditioned as being new and there are separate law tags (usually red or yellow) that indicate that a mattress has been either sanitized for re-sale or includes used materials and is rebuilt.

In most cases ... a pillowtop would be just as "risky" as a eurotop because they usually also contain thicker layers of lower quality polyfoam. Once again though ... it depends entirely on knowing the specifics of the materials in the pillowtop or eurotop or for that matter in the upper layers of any mattress regardless of the style.

Even "regular" tight top mattresses that have thick layers of polyfoam in the comfort layers can have the same issues. Some tight tops may have more polyfoam in them than a pillowtop because a pillowtop is just a construction method used to attach the top layers or "pillow" to the mattress and some mattresses may have the same amount and type of materials inside the cover.

Phoenix