Sleep Haven Bedding, Inc.

Review: A mattress purchased from the company was deceptively advertised to us as being made from natural materials - latex, wool and cotton

On June 30 we visited Sleep Haven store in San Mateo and told a sales person that we are looking for a mattress made from natural materials, describing our previous bad experience with mattresses made from polyurethane and other petroleum-based materials. The salesman pointed to "St. Helens Luxury Firm Queen" mattress made by "Englander", describing it as being made from natural materials telling us this is what we are looking for and pushing us to buy it. On top of the mattress was prominently placed a wooden box displaying materials of which the mattress was allegedly made - latex, wool and cotton (we took a photo of this product presentation). We naively succumbed to the salesman's pitch and purchased the mattress. When we received the mattress a week later the mattress emitted horrible suffocating chemical odor. We tried to sleep on it for about a week, hoping the odor would dissipate (it reduced a little, still stinks a lot), but the sleeping was impossible as the mattress was acting as a heat trap. We got suspicions and checked mattress' label - it described the mattress as made from: "viscoellastic polyurethane foam - 38%, Urethane foam - 35%, Polyester fiber pad- 25%. Nothing about latex, wool and cotton. We contacted mattress manufacturer - Englander, and they faxed us a description of the mattress, confirming the label. We went back to the store with the photos and other materials and accusing them of deception. The salesman told us "I only tell you what the mattress manufacturer said to us - I cannot get inside the mattress to check what it is made from" (this conversation was recorded by us with a voice recorder). In our opinion the salesman is the one who should know what he is selling, how are we as customers should know? We asked the store to take the mattress back and return our money, but it turns out they have "No Refund/No Exchange" policy (which we foolishly overlooked when we purchased the mattress) and so they refused to take the mattress back. We are stuck with the mattress in our bedroom which we cannot even enter due to the horrible chemical odor, causing asthmatic symptoms. Desired Settlement: We want Sleep Haven Bedding, Inc. to take the mattress back and refund the money in full.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

The respected customers came to our store 3 times prior to making a decision to purchase the St. Helen mattress set, and signed the "NO REFUND / NO EXCHANGE" term on the invoice (Inv# [redacted] attached).

2 months later for an unknown situation (maybe going back to their native country) they wanted to return the set, and their reason was that the set was not manufactured according to the specs. We contacted the manufacturing co. (ENGLANDER) and brought the issue to their attention, they contacted the customer by letter and phone and convinced them that the set which was sold to them meets all the specification and standards of Englander Co.

Englander letter dated 8/29/2013 is attached.

At this point customer disputed the charge through their respected credit card company, and $1498.23 was withdrawn from our account as charge back (disputed).

10 days after that, the amount was deposited back to our account, since their respected credit card company, after being presented by all the facts and documents, were convinced that the charge was made rightfully so.

Considering all the facts mentioned above, and that the disputed charge has been reversed and reimbursed to us, our position with this case is fulfilled and closed.

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My name is [redacted] and I am Northern California's Englanders representative.

I'm writing on a problem brought to my attention about a mattress name St. Helens for a customer [redacted] sold by Sleep Haven Bedding made by Englander. This mattress has been in our Englander production for almost 2 yrs.

This particular model St. Helens is our top model in our Englander Tension Ease 660 Encased Pocketed coil line. The St. Helen's mattress has Latex in the top layers and cotton in quilt area and cotton covers.

Sleep Haven displays St. Helens bed with a specs sheet and price correctly. Mrs. [redacted] was mailed a factory spec sheet that the lingo used would be unable to understand. I emailed Ms. [redacted] the spec sheet that I give my retailers that clearly states that there is Latex in this mattress. Englander and other vendors do not list every ingredient on its law tag. The law tag is for a manufacture date made for that model with size and given a serial#. The law tag may say Visco only because Visco is the main ingredient with also Latex.

Sleep Haven Bedding has been with Englander for over 10yrs with several stores and Englander has never received a complaint.

When I spoke to Mrs. [redacted] what I gathered was a buyer's remorse this was not a factory warranty. I tried to explain myself to Mrs. [redacted] and she still didn't understand I explained that she had this mattress almost 2 months nothing is wrong she just wanted to return it. I told her that was up to Sleep Haven Bedding on what their policy was.

Mrs. [redacted] has called me and the factory repeatedly at least 10 times or more. I have replied this is not a warranty issue.

Review: Bought a bet on 9/12/12 & let him know bed springs you feel when you sleep. Have back proublems & he said this would be a great bed fr the proublem.

Went back within 30dys to let him know the proublem & he said it need to be brokein & he also sold me the wrong size frame for the bed & he stated that I opened it & to sell it on creagslist. His employees onened the plastic from the boxsprings, mattress & opened everything for the warrentie to be intact. He only had an inspector mesaure the bed, but you have to lay on the bed to feel the springs. He is not honering the money back or the guarentee. I paid 1204.99 plus tax & would like a refund or a new corrected bed & frame.Desired Settlement: Te inspector who looked at te bed stated that this store should be closed because of complints they have. The inspectors name is [redacted]. Please let me know what will happen or what I should do. Thank You.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

On 8-18-2012 Mr. [redacted] start a layaway purchase on a Englander East King size Mekenna Pillow top set and made a deposit of $700.00. The mattress has a 10 year NPR warranty, the warranty cover factory defect such as sagging and spring popping out and few other items.

At the time of the purchase they told me that they just got a new mattress from another store and within a short time the mattress was lumpy and they took it back, and I told them our mattress come with warranty and the factory will cover any defect, also I told the mattress that has softer top will show some body imprison but not sagging or get lumpy. On the 8-29-2012 made $300.00 and on 8-31-2012 $200.00 and also add a hook on rails and on the 9-12-2012 made the last payment of $93.85 and we delivered for them on 9-13-2012.

Mr. [redacted] have got a bed from someone that want it to use it with the new mattress but he did not have a rails so he told me that he has a King size bed and later we found out that he had a California king and the mattress is east King that is why the frame did not work, I have sold the rail base on the information that I got from him and I only got the cost for the rails because when the customer purchase the mattress from us we do the cost + tax on all of the accessories and we have NO REFUND OR EXCHANGE POLICY on any open boxes and also on the east king mattress set because they are special order and we have the invoice stamped for that.

When the Mr. [redacted] came in and told me that he feels the mattress has a defect I called Englander and had them send the inspection tech to see what is wrong with mattress and the result was that it is a normal and they did not find anything wrong with mattress.

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

No one has done anything to look at this bed. He called me on 9/5/2013 at called me on at 9:54AM & said he dose not deal with that Mattress anymore & will not honor the 10yr Warrenty. I want a refund since he is not honoring his contrat.

Business' Final Response

Based on the last response from Mr. [redacted], now the mattress is not soft enough. The mattress size that was purchased did not come with the comfort exchange as I had mentioned before.

The first time Mr. [redacted] had a complain on the mattress he told me that mattress is sagging and lumpy just like the mattress they returned to the last store. So, we had the inspection tech to go and see what is wrong with the mattress and the result was that the mattress did not have any factory defect.

We do not have any money back guarantee/refund and no comfort exchange on the east king mattress. But all our mattress comes with factory warranty. That is our position.