Have you heard mattress retailers make some of the following claims?
"We will beat anybody’s price on the same product, or your mattress is free!"
"Our Price Guarantee…if you find the same mattress at another store for less, we will match the price and give you an additional 10% discount!"
So on and so on. Almost every major mattress retailer makes these kinds of claims. How can they do this, well it’s pretty simple. No one else has the exact model with the same cover or the same label that they have. It may be identical to models offered at other competitors stores with the exception of those two things. This enables them to make these types of claims. Consumers will vary rarely ever be able to decipher that the Medallion from xyz brand is the same as the Monarch from xyz brand, because most mattress manufacturers today to not disclose internal specification information that would allow consumers to figure that out.
As long-time veteran of this industry this still sticks in my craw. I can think of one retailer on the west coast that has built there whole marketing message on these types of claims. In my opinion, these types of claims play on consumer’s stupidity. I really makes me wonder if I in fact fall prey to these types of claims when I am purchasing an item, I know little about. However, it a tried-and-true method that seems to work. I personally think that it should be offensive to the basic intelligence of consumers. I would steer clear of retailers that make these types of claims, however in the mattress retail business it appears that almost all retailers are making these types of claims. As a matter of fact, in the market in which I live I have identified at least 10 different mattress retailers that make these claims. I ask you; how can they all say this unless there is some sort of “out” for them to never have to live up what they are saying? The answer is very simple as I have explained before, they may have the exact same mattress as 10 other retailers down the street with the exception of the name and color of the fabric on it. In conclusion this is done simply to allow them to make the claim in the first place and confuse you, the consumer. My recommendation is to find a retailer out there who is willing to disclose this practice and is honest enough to admit this practice goes on and them helps you, the consumer sort it all out.
