MattressFirm - Yes or No?
August 3, 2018 5:07 PM Subscribe
I told the salesman at a MattressFirm store that I had $10 (for example) to spend and he proposed a set that was $9.50. However, I feel that had my limit been $5, he would have proposed the exact same bed for $4.50. Am I mistaken? A different mattress chain wouldn't budge on pricing so I'm not sure of the most sensible option. What has been your experience with MattressFirm?
I found the mattress we wanted at a Sears Outlet for $x. Mattress Firm had it for $x*3. I just showed them a picture of the tag saying $x, and they gave me a brand new one for $x. So yes, you will get what you ask for, supplemental documentation makes it easier.
posted by BeeDo at 6:00 PM on August 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by BeeDo at 6:00 PM on August 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
Ikea mattresses are good, and come at clear prices that you can see, with no haggling.
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:11 PM on August 3, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:11 PM on August 3, 2018 [9 favorites]
Your scenario is plausible, but not certain.
Consider Zinus?
posted by aramaic at 6:19 PM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Consider Zinus?
posted by aramaic at 6:19 PM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Well, based on some quick research I gather that Sleepy's (in our area) got bought out by MattressFirm. I can tell you that a few years ago my wife and I stopped in at two Sleepy's stores in our area. The one about 5 miles away in the slightly nicer town wanted like $3500 for a mattress, and I tried to politely tell them I thought they were crazy. The one only 1 mile away in our town only wanted $1500. We decided to buy one from a department store instead for less money but still good quality.
posted by forthright at 6:37 PM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by forthright at 6:37 PM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
I knew a person who once said they had a perfect record of going to mattress stores, choosing one, and offering them half price in cash, and them accepting that. He said that he did no haggling, only saying that that he could just as easily go to the next store down the street.
posted by rhizome at 7:51 PM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 7:51 PM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
I did my research and bought a mattress from a brick and mortar MatressFirm store in May on Memorial Day weekend a few years ago. This has the combo punch of stores making room for the new lines that typically come out in June as well as the holiday shopping weekend sale.
I wanted to be able to test my mattress out so I knew I needed to shop in a store, and I was coming off of a horrible ikea mattress so that was out as a store option. I got a clearance deal on one of their most popular models (the kind that rarely goes on sale since they always sell well) and when the guy tried to upsell me on things I basically hemmed and hawed and he threw them in as a combo with the boxspring, so I got a bedbug cover for that (there was a scourge of them in my area at the time) and a bed frame included. I didn't really haggle or anything, just went in and said "I can only spend four hundred dollars on a queen sized bed, what can you do me for" and I came out with a bed that apparently ran more than triple that when not on sale. No clue if I could have done something similar when not buying on Memorial Day.
If you can't wait until the end of May you could try Labor Day for mattress shopping, which is another time when they do big sales. Although I have to say that the next mattress I'm getting (for a guest bedroom) will be one of those kinds that get shipped to you in a box and expand when you open them, and those are always a standard price that is often much lower than you'd expect. I have a lot of friends who have gotten one or another of them and been very happy.
posted by Mizu at 8:46 PM on August 3, 2018
I wanted to be able to test my mattress out so I knew I needed to shop in a store, and I was coming off of a horrible ikea mattress so that was out as a store option. I got a clearance deal on one of their most popular models (the kind that rarely goes on sale since they always sell well) and when the guy tried to upsell me on things I basically hemmed and hawed and he threw them in as a combo with the boxspring, so I got a bedbug cover for that (there was a scourge of them in my area at the time) and a bed frame included. I didn't really haggle or anything, just went in and said "I can only spend four hundred dollars on a queen sized bed, what can you do me for" and I came out with a bed that apparently ran more than triple that when not on sale. No clue if I could have done something similar when not buying on Memorial Day.
If you can't wait until the end of May you could try Labor Day for mattress shopping, which is another time when they do big sales. Although I have to say that the next mattress I'm getting (for a guest bedroom) will be one of those kinds that get shipped to you in a box and expand when you open them, and those are always a standard price that is often much lower than you'd expect. I have a lot of friends who have gotten one or another of them and been very happy.
posted by Mizu at 8:46 PM on August 3, 2018
I bought my Mattress Firm mattress for around half the price they had listed. I did that by first going to a different store and seeing what they had and their price range, and then going to Mattress Firm and doing the same. Mattress Firm had what I actually wanted, but it was so high priced that I just couldn't commit, and I gave them a price I was willing to spend and they said they couldn't meet it so after stewing over it for a while I eventually told them I was going to go back to the other store (my plan was to go back and see by how much I preferred the Mattress Firm option and if it was by a high margin I probably would have returned and paid their outrageous price in the end). They were like, fine, go, but when they saw I was really serious and was leaving they ended up offering me a fair bit less than I'd said I would pay, which was weird but I didn't argue and instead accepted.
As to your specific example, no, I don't think that's very typical, as they have price sheets and tags and stuff around. I think if you said you had $10 they'd try to sell you a bed listed at $10 and if you said $5 they'd try to sell you a cheaper bed listed at $5. And both would incorporate a very healthy margin for them. But I don't think they are putting different signage on the same bed.
posted by vegartanipla at 9:06 PM on August 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
As to your specific example, no, I don't think that's very typical, as they have price sheets and tags and stuff around. I think if you said you had $10 they'd try to sell you a bed listed at $10 and if you said $5 they'd try to sell you a cheaper bed listed at $5. And both would incorporate a very healthy margin for them. But I don't think they are putting different signage on the same bed.
posted by vegartanipla at 9:06 PM on August 3, 2018 [2 favorites]
I recently (2 months ago) shopped for and purchased a new mattress. It is one of those foam ones from Keetsa. I LOVE it. Anywho, they did not negotiate on price, but they threw in two even more amazing than the mattress pillows and free delivery, and a bunch of other add ons.
However, before I purchased this particular mattress, I shopped for a more traditional mattress with springs at big chain stores. I found it to be like buying a car. There are list prices. There is room to negotiate. I found a combination of two strategies to be effective for both car buying and mattress buying. One, do your research and know which one you want before you go into the store to actually negotiate. If there are not a lot of stores in your area, go to the ones you can and tell them upfront that you are researching and will not be buying today, but hope to be back next week to make a deal. Also know what your top price is you are willing to pay. Mentally steel yourself that you will not pay one dollar more than the number you have decided on before you go in. Two, as noted above, be willing to walk out after coming to an impasse in the negotiation.
If you stick to a price and actually walk out the door when they say they cannot do it, 9 times out of 10 they will either stop you or call you with some line about the manager just approved and can you come back today to sign the deal. The one caveat is that you have to propose a reasonable deal. Can't bid them $400 for a $1,000 item. But you can bid them at the low end of a good sale percentage say 40% off.
If you are not confident in your determination to walk out, start low on your bid and work up to your top price. If you end up going higher than what was your top price going in, then you did not do an honest job with yourself in making the top price in your head.Remember, you can always leave and come back and pay higher later. So you leave and come back the next day saying something along the lines that my spouse agreed to adjust our budget up by $xx so I will accept the offer you made yesterday. The salesman will gladly take you money then.
What also worked for me with a truck was to walk in to a dealer that I had researched their inventory and knew how long they had been financing it, what all the features were, etc. and tell the first salesman who walked up to me that I had 30 minutes to make a deal. I knew the vin number on the truck I wanted. All he had to do was work out a price. I gave him an option. Either he give me a take it or leave it offer or I would give him a take it or leave it bid. No haggling. Just our best prices up front and either a yes or a no.
He chose for me to make my bid. I did. He said it was too low. I said ok and started to pack up my things to leave. He asked if he could consult with his manager. I said yes, but I was not budging on the price and I now only had 12 minutes before I had to leave for another appointment. His manager came over after hearing from my salesman and wanted to haggle. I said, "Seriously?" and started to put my coat and hat on. I had literally gotten all the way to my car when he came running out and said we had a deal. He actually wanted to raise the price by $250 because they had put a bedliner into the bed. I told him to take it out before delivery.
I came back the next day, signed and drove off with my brand new F150 that now has 155,000 miles and going strong. He left the bedliner in too.
I would go into the store, tell them you want a specific mattress with a specific box (if you want that too) and that you are prepared to buy it on the spot if he can sell it to you for your top price of $xxxx. When he says he cannot do that price but can do better than list, tell him you very much appreciate his willing to come down on price, but unless it is your price, you are ordering it online.
posted by AugustWest at 11:00 PM on August 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
However, before I purchased this particular mattress, I shopped for a more traditional mattress with springs at big chain stores. I found it to be like buying a car. There are list prices. There is room to negotiate. I found a combination of two strategies to be effective for both car buying and mattress buying. One, do your research and know which one you want before you go into the store to actually negotiate. If there are not a lot of stores in your area, go to the ones you can and tell them upfront that you are researching and will not be buying today, but hope to be back next week to make a deal. Also know what your top price is you are willing to pay. Mentally steel yourself that you will not pay one dollar more than the number you have decided on before you go in. Two, as noted above, be willing to walk out after coming to an impasse in the negotiation.
If you stick to a price and actually walk out the door when they say they cannot do it, 9 times out of 10 they will either stop you or call you with some line about the manager just approved and can you come back today to sign the deal. The one caveat is that you have to propose a reasonable deal. Can't bid them $400 for a $1,000 item. But you can bid them at the low end of a good sale percentage say 40% off.
If you are not confident in your determination to walk out, start low on your bid and work up to your top price. If you end up going higher than what was your top price going in, then you did not do an honest job with yourself in making the top price in your head.Remember, you can always leave and come back and pay higher later. So you leave and come back the next day saying something along the lines that my spouse agreed to adjust our budget up by $xx so I will accept the offer you made yesterday. The salesman will gladly take you money then.
What also worked for me with a truck was to walk in to a dealer that I had researched their inventory and knew how long they had been financing it, what all the features were, etc. and tell the first salesman who walked up to me that I had 30 minutes to make a deal. I knew the vin number on the truck I wanted. All he had to do was work out a price. I gave him an option. Either he give me a take it or leave it offer or I would give him a take it or leave it bid. No haggling. Just our best prices up front and either a yes or a no.
He chose for me to make my bid. I did. He said it was too low. I said ok and started to pack up my things to leave. He asked if he could consult with his manager. I said yes, but I was not budging on the price and I now only had 12 minutes before I had to leave for another appointment. His manager came over after hearing from my salesman and wanted to haggle. I said, "Seriously?" and started to put my coat and hat on. I had literally gotten all the way to my car when he came running out and said we had a deal. He actually wanted to raise the price by $250 because they had put a bedliner into the bed. I told him to take it out before delivery.
I came back the next day, signed and drove off with my brand new F150 that now has 155,000 miles and going strong. He left the bedliner in too.
I would go into the store, tell them you want a specific mattress with a specific box (if you want that too) and that you are prepared to buy it on the spot if he can sell it to you for your top price of $xxxx. When he says he cannot do that price but can do better than list, tell him you very much appreciate his willing to come down on price, but unless it is your price, you are ordering it online.
posted by AugustWest at 11:00 PM on August 3, 2018 [6 favorites]
Best answer: I like being able to try a mattress before buying (and dread the idea of arranging a return if I were to order online) so the three times I've purchased mattresses as an adult I've just decided what I felt like spending, walked into the store and told them my top price was about $100 less, and seen what they offer (so if inclined I can "splurge" on the "upsell" that matches my original limit). I've been happy with each of the mattresses and what I've paid this way.
posted by TwoStride at 3:25 PM on August 4, 2018
posted by TwoStride at 3:25 PM on August 4, 2018
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I'm not sure of the most sensible option
Don't go to a mattress store; buy your mattress online. I suggest Purple.
posted by saeculorum at 5:21 PM on August 3, 2018 [4 favorites]