How to sell a mattress/box springs set used only two nights?
November 12, 2010 1:30 PM Subscribe
My husband bought a new Tempur-pedic mattress/box springs set hoping to ease some back pain he's been experiencing. After only two nights, he concluded that the mattress is too soft for him to sleep comfortably, and that it only worsened his back pain. I put the set on Craigslist for about 1/5 less than we paid, but we---predictably, maybe---had no takers. It is, of course, too big for selling/shipping on e-bay. I think most people hesitate about buying used mattresses, however light the use. We could just donate the set to a thrift store, but I'd rather try to recoup some of the nearly $700 that he paid.
Has anyone had a successful experience selling a mattress? If so, how did you do it?
Many thanks in advance.
Response by poster: P.S. He got the set on sale and cannot return it.
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:31 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:31 PM on November 12, 2010
Why can't he return it or exchange it? 2 days doesn't seem like, say, 2 years. Is it custom or something?
posted by ShadePlant at 1:31 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ShadePlant at 1:31 PM on November 12, 2010
D'oh. The Sale bit posted when I posted.
posted by ShadePlant at 1:32 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ShadePlant at 1:32 PM on November 12, 2010
Response by poster: Yes, Discover. Any help there?
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:34 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:34 PM on November 12, 2010
This is a guess, but: if you take this problem to some serious back pain forums or message boards, you might get a better response than on Craigslist.
[You might also get some static noise about how you need to get used to Tempur-pedic mattresses, but it might still be worth trying.]
posted by Namlit at 1:43 PM on November 12, 2010
[You might also get some static noise about how you need to get used to Tempur-pedic mattresses, but it might still be worth trying.]
posted by Namlit at 1:43 PM on November 12, 2010
Response by poster: No, it's not custom. Unfortunately he bought it a week or so before we left on a lengthy trip, so it's been awhile since the time of purchase.
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:43 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ragtimepiano at 1:43 PM on November 12, 2010
Did you tell the whole story in your Craigslist posting?
Also, you can absolutely list items for local pickup only on eBay. Again, tell the whole story--it is unusual enough that people might make an exception to their "no used mattresses" policies. (On the other hand, two nights is enough for bedbugs.)
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:46 PM on November 12, 2010
Also, you can absolutely list items for local pickup only on eBay. Again, tell the whole story--it is unusual enough that people might make an exception to their "no used mattresses" policies. (On the other hand, two nights is enough for bedbugs.)
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:46 PM on November 12, 2010
I hated the Tempurpedic the first nights. I also thought it was soft, and it made my back hurt the next day. But now I love it. (It was a gift from someone upgrading to a larger mattress.) So maybe there is a chance that your husband could get used to it ?
posted by chelseagirl at 1:49 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by chelseagirl at 1:49 PM on November 12, 2010
Sale or no sale it should have a guarantee. That's the whole schpeal on their commercials. Try calling the company, not the place you bought it from.
posted by stormpooper at 1:56 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by stormpooper at 1:56 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you were my Facebook friend and were shopping that around for 1/5th of the price, I would start thinking about my guest room. Have you asked around in your circle of friends to see if anybody is looking for a mattress?
posted by kmennie at 1:59 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kmennie at 1:59 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Try selling it for $100 or less on Craigslist, and make it very clear that it's only 2 nights of use...maybe even scan the receipt and the tags on the bed if they're still there. It might be completely different where I live (a large city) and the demand for used mattresses might have decreased since the bedbug scare, but when I tried to buy a used mattress off Craigslist a few months ago, I had a difficult time because all the sellers had multiple buyers. That being said, I would absolutely not pay more than $100 for a used mattress because I can get something new (albeit lesser quality) for not that much more money, plus I would have warranties, return policies, guaranteed quality, and possibly free delivery. Anyone buying a mattress off Craigslist probably wants it for really cheap, so consider lowering the price to below $100 (and maybe offering the option of delivery-- that would've been a really big plus for me). However, for that little money, I'm not sure if it's even worth the trouble.
posted by lacedcoffee at 2:01 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by lacedcoffee at 2:01 PM on November 12, 2010
Oh I read it wrong...I thought you said you posted it for 1/5 of the price you paid. 1/5 less than you paid? Meaning it's still a $400 USED mattress? Absolutely not. Keep trying Craigslist at lower and lower prices... this is why people don't buy expensive things without the option of return :(
posted by lacedcoffee at 2:03 PM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by lacedcoffee at 2:03 PM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, drop the price! 1/5th off is really not much of a break for Craigslist goods, especially for used bedding. If this was paid by credit card you can try playing hardball and dispute with the credit card company as something "not as advertised"... the results might range anywhere from nothing with a crap credit card to a full refund with a genuine American Express. Other than that, discount it and re-list it as "slept on once" -- I'd post the sales receipt with appropriate areas blacked out, to show it's almost like new, and would post some quality photos.
posted by crapmatic at 2:27 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by crapmatic at 2:27 PM on November 12, 2010
I sold my mattress and box spring in Austin. If you're in New York or another bed-bug city, you probably won't have any luck selling to strangers.
The title was "Sealy Posturepedic Queen Mattress & Boxspring, with warranty"
And I just said in a very conversational tone that I'm selling this mattress, I've only had it for a year and it was wonderful. I then said that "I'm a totally normal and clean girl, don't smoke, don't have pets, etc." I said I had the receipt and all the paperwork and tags and whatever. I included a link to the specs of the mattress online, and I included the commercial photo of the mattress as well as a picture of the undressed mattress in my normal, clean room.
I only sold it for $300, though, even though I'd bought it for $800. Only a few people wanted to know why I was underpricing it, and I told the truth, that I was moving to New York to live with my parents and I didn't need it or want to ship it, and I just wanted to get rid of it. In Austin, with lots of students and young people moving in and out, I think my story was pretty normal and believable.
Stress that you're normal and clean, acknowledges that you know it's usually a little sketchy to buy a used mattress, but honestly it was only two nights, and you'd return straight to the store except it was on sale. Scan up a photo of the receipt if it proves that, too.
posted by thebazilist at 2:41 PM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
The title was "Sealy Posturepedic Queen Mattress & Boxspring, with warranty"
And I just said in a very conversational tone that I'm selling this mattress, I've only had it for a year and it was wonderful. I then said that "I'm a totally normal and clean girl, don't smoke, don't have pets, etc." I said I had the receipt and all the paperwork and tags and whatever. I included a link to the specs of the mattress online, and I included the commercial photo of the mattress as well as a picture of the undressed mattress in my normal, clean room.
I only sold it for $300, though, even though I'd bought it for $800. Only a few people wanted to know why I was underpricing it, and I told the truth, that I was moving to New York to live with my parents and I didn't need it or want to ship it, and I just wanted to get rid of it. In Austin, with lots of students and young people moving in and out, I think my story was pretty normal and believable.
Stress that you're normal and clean, acknowledges that you know it's usually a little sketchy to buy a used mattress, but honestly it was only two nights, and you'd return straight to the store except it was on sale. Scan up a photo of the receipt if it proves that, too.
posted by thebazilist at 2:41 PM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Yes, laced coffee, my husband has learned that lesson. :-)
posted by ragtimepiano at 2:42 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ragtimepiano at 2:42 PM on November 12, 2010
I'm with chelseagirl. I was deeply ambivalent about our new Tempurpedic mattress the first week we owned it, but love it now. Give it more than 2 nights, perhaps?
posted by onepot at 2:49 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by onepot at 2:49 PM on November 12, 2010
Oh, I was also misreading and also assumed you were trying to sell it for 20% of what you paid, not 80% of what you paid. I agree with lacedcoffee that nobody's going to pay $400 for a used mattress. Start lower and keep going lower until you find a buyer. I think you'll be lucky to get half of what you paid.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:11 PM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:11 PM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
I also regretted buying a memory foam mattress but it was about 4? 5? days before I had the best night's sleep I'd had in years and 3 years down the line I absolutely adore it.
It might be worth trying it for another week?
posted by ceri richard at 3:14 PM on November 12, 2010
It might be worth trying it for another week?
posted by ceri richard at 3:14 PM on November 12, 2010
I should have added that I would get back pain severe enough to have to crawl to the bathroom, almost passing out with the effort. No more!
posted by ceri richard at 3:16 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by ceri richard at 3:16 PM on November 12, 2010
FYI for everyone suggesting return based upon advertisements etc, a friend of mine bought one of these, for him it wasn't the way it slept but rather all the fumes off of it -- apparently these things exude a lot of gunk for sensitive people at the first. He not only couldn't sleep on it, he couldn't even have it in his condo.
So he called the people he bought it from, who had told him "Oh, yeah, absolutely, 30 days" blah blah blah, but all the sudden they weren't saying that anymore, they were telling him it's his, they were telling him to go away, don't call us we'll call you, etc and etc. He got his money back only because he is a very obstinate man, and determined to get the $ back; he had to call EVERYONE in that company, and all of them telling him to buzz off; took him about a month of steady fighting, keeping records of calls, etc.
Just one persons exp, maybe other people have had better, but ...
posted by dancestoblue at 4:27 PM on November 12, 2010
So he called the people he bought it from, who had told him "Oh, yeah, absolutely, 30 days" blah blah blah, but all the sudden they weren't saying that anymore, they were telling him it's his, they were telling him to go away, don't call us we'll call you, etc and etc. He got his money back only because he is a very obstinate man, and determined to get the $ back; he had to call EVERYONE in that company, and all of them telling him to buzz off; took him about a month of steady fighting, keeping records of calls, etc.
Just one persons exp, maybe other people have had better, but ...
posted by dancestoblue at 4:27 PM on November 12, 2010
Nthing that you need to give it a longer chance before declaring it unusable.
The standard return period is 60 days for a reason- I know you don't have it, but it's well over a week because that's how long it take to break in (at least!). You wouldn't return a new pair of shoes for giving you a blister the first two days, would you?
posted by sunshinesky at 4:31 PM on November 12, 2010
The standard return period is 60 days for a reason- I know you don't have it, but it's well over a week because that's how long it take to break in (at least!). You wouldn't return a new pair of shoes for giving you a blister the first two days, would you?
posted by sunshinesky at 4:31 PM on November 12, 2010
(and to actually answer your question... 50% and no higher is what you want to charge. Then you'll see it move!)
posted by sunshinesky at 4:34 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by sunshinesky at 4:34 PM on November 12, 2010
The problem will selling used stuff on ebay/craigslist is that everyone will say that the item is barely used even if they have owned it for decades. You would have more credibility if you can back that up with a receipt showing this was a recent purchase. Say that in your ad.
posted by special-k at 4:57 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by special-k at 4:57 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh! Also misread and somehow thought it was 1/5th of the price, not 1/5th off. 1/5th of purchase price is unrealistic for almost everything on the second-hand market, nowhere near a reasonable asking price for a used mattress. Once something is out of the shop a good rule of thumb is to anticipate that it is worth 50% less, and to start discounting from that point for flaws -- which in this case = "mattress, used." Agree with offering to provide the receipts -- also with giving it a longer trial run first, though.
posted by kmennie at 5:38 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kmennie at 5:38 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
My husband and I had a king size Tempurpedic Classic mattress and foundation that was 4 years old that he did not like. I put the set on our local swap shop on the radio for 2 weeks and had one call and that is the person who bought it for half of what we gave for it new. I simply told the truth and that it had 16 years remaining on the limited warranty and I did have to come down $100 off the price. If you advertise locally the buyer can come pick it up. So, advertise it locally in the paper or radio.
posted by sandyp at 5:53 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by sandyp at 5:53 PM on November 12, 2010
what is the newspaper classifieds/free weekly/shopper like in your area? sometimes craigslist is information overload and you might get a better response from a print ad ... i know they cost a few bucks but might be worth it if you can closer to the price you want.
there may also be some non-craigslist classified sites, like 'zzstar' in your area?
another thought: furniture consignment store. good luck!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 7:18 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
there may also be some non-craigslist classified sites, like 'zzstar' in your area?
another thought: furniture consignment store. good luck!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 7:18 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
$100 or less? Have you tried to buy a Tempur-Pedic mattress? They are really, really expensive. Sure, discount the mattress a little more. But not down to $100. These typically cost over $1000 new.
Try $499 on craigslist for a few weeks, and stress that it is in like-new condition, slept on twice.
posted by reeddavid at 12:13 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Try $499 on craigslist for a few weeks, and stress that it is in like-new condition, slept on twice.
posted by reeddavid at 12:13 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
My Tempurpedic Classic king size mattress and foundation cost $2399 4 years ago. Like I said in above post I took 1/2 what I gave for it (had to lower it $100 so buyer felt like they were getting a better deal), so I got $1100 for it. Advertise in your local market.
posted by sandyp at 5:01 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by sandyp at 5:01 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Let a former mattress salesperson (try to) help.
I used to sell Temper-pedic beds. That funky smell? It dissipates with time, sort of like new car smell. Give it a few days to air out.
Bed uncomfortable? Part of the problem is that your body needs time to adjust. By its very nature, a body adjusts to where it sleeps - think about sleeping on the floor, then switching to a nice soft pillowtop. Anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months is potentially possible for a full 'switch' from old bed to new bed. When I would sell a Temper-pedic, I specifically told people to give it a fair shake. That wasn't just for my commission, by the way - too often people give up on a product before they've given it a fair shake.
The 'on-sale' bit is BS - inform them you'll be calling the State Attorney General, the Consumerist, and the owner / manager of the company. The store can't (legally) resell that mattress - we specifically told people that once it's out of the plastic, their return options got a lot more limited. Still in sealed plastic, we could take it back (legally selling it as 'slightly used' or 'returned')
posted by chrisinseoul at 9:58 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I used to sell Temper-pedic beds. That funky smell? It dissipates with time, sort of like new car smell. Give it a few days to air out.
Bed uncomfortable? Part of the problem is that your body needs time to adjust. By its very nature, a body adjusts to where it sleeps - think about sleeping on the floor, then switching to a nice soft pillowtop. Anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months is potentially possible for a full 'switch' from old bed to new bed. When I would sell a Temper-pedic, I specifically told people to give it a fair shake. That wasn't just for my commission, by the way - too often people give up on a product before they've given it a fair shake.
The 'on-sale' bit is BS - inform them you'll be calling the State Attorney General, the Consumerist, and the owner / manager of the company. The store can't (legally) resell that mattress - we specifically told people that once it's out of the plastic, their return options got a lot more limited. Still in sealed plastic, we could take it back (legally selling it as 'slightly used' or 'returned')
posted by chrisinseoul at 9:58 AM on November 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. I will have my husband try it out for at least another week. If he still dislikes it, we will use some of your excellent suggestions.
posted by ragtimepiano at 3:45 PM on November 13, 2010
posted by ragtimepiano at 3:45 PM on November 13, 2010
I have a bad back, and thought the temperpedic would help. It didn't. I passed the return period, and put it on ebay. Listed it at $500, sold it for ~$600 (originally $1000). Had a couple people bid on it. And I listed it as "for pickup". Guy came from nearby (CT?), tied it to his roof & drove off.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:48 AM on November 15, 2010
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:48 AM on November 15, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ish__ at 1:31 PM on November 12, 2010