I just spent the last hour on the phone with JCP customer service - 4 ladies, 2 of them supervisors. Basically, I'm being told to pound sand.

Here's the quick story - I'm wondering how you all would handle this:

My daughter picked out a Serta mattress in July at our local store, & they had to order it in from Serta - about a 4 week wait. We paid for it in full plus the delivery fee. I paid with a check.

Mattress gets delivered on 9/5 finally, & it's REALLY firm - the one in the store was a "plush" - very nice & soft. So it's not even close to what she wanted - why do we all go test out a bunch of mattresses at stores in the fist place? To pick out the one that feels the best to us right? So we went back to our same store & told them what was going on & checked out the floor model again - world of difference (the one at the store WAAAAAY softer). They said we would have to pay the $85.00 delivery fee again, plus a 15% re-stocking fee, then we would get the balance of the refund, & could re-order & pay up-front again.

In talking with corp. customer service, they are upholding this policy - no bending. My thinking is someone somewhere messed-up, & we just want the CORRECT mattress & I shouldn't have to pay a dime. The final lady we talked with at corp was a supervisor. She said "I can't test out the mattress to see if it's firm compared to the one in the store." I then suggested I'll load the mattress in my pickup & take it to the store & let them verify that - she said "you can't do that." (so we're basically living in a virtual reality world now).

Anyway, I know what I'm thinking for the next step here - just want to see how y'all would handle this. I think this runaround I'm getting from JCP is absolutely unacceptable.

We had a similar experience at a big mattress store. Tried a bed it was soft. Ordered. came in hard. Said we had to break it in. We ordered another softer . It was hard. Finally got our money back but it was a hassle and cost us money. Ordered on from an online company and it was great and 1/3 the price with a one year satisfaction or your money back. Mattress stores are a rip off.

Not much help now but I would never buy a mattress from a store like JCP. We have a local furniture store that also sells mattresses from most major suppliers. They are NOT the cheapest store for sure but a good selection and excellent customer service. We just bought a mattress from them last year........120 night guarantee...no questions asked.....including delivery.

I'm guessing that they have some sort of model number on them somewhere. So try showing them that number compared to what should be on your receipt. If that doesn't work then I guess you could try what ever state agency applies to file a complaint. And document any and all communications with them, it might help in the end.It's at least a start.

One thing I've noticed about mattress-only stores: go in at any random time, and I'll bet you're the only customer in the store. The markup has to be huge just to keep the lights on. Most people probably buy cars more often than mattresses.

It doesn't help you now, but always buy this kind of thing on a credit card. Always. You get in a dispute, you call your credit card company, file a dispute and they will credit your card back the money while they investigate. Makes the retailer come to the plate and play ball.

JC Penney is broke and filed bankruptcy, do you really expect to get anything out of them? Do you really think they really care about customer service when they probably won't be around after the 1st of the year? Might want to get as much back from them as you can, then go to a furniture store and buy your mattress, preferably one that has been around for a while, and will still be around for a while. One with a 120 day no questions asked return policy (often you pay a little extra for hat as well). Pay for delivery and pay with a credit card.

You may stand a fighting chance from Serta, especially if the mattress is not the one you ordered, but probably not. Good luck, your going to need it. Gene

Unfortunately, you got a mattress and they got your money. Thats about it, stinks.

I've noticed the same thing. Only ones in the store. Really they charge you $500 and up for a mattress. I'm thinking they have about $50 in parts plus labor in most of them. Anyone remember going to their grandma's house and they had the same mattress for 30 years? Now they tell us they need to be replaced every 5 years. I don't even replace my cars 2X that often.

And that's what I see too. My plan is to file suit in small claims & take them to task. IF they send a representative, we will rake them over the coals & we will get the judgement. All I got from them was the receipt, & it said no details about re-stocking or any return policy. Then collecting may be another story. A judge will slap them down - I have full confidence. They have NO case. I will take great pleasure in this.

Now I gotta find a reputable place to buy a mattress from. Never thought I'd see the day something like this would happen from JCP. I guess it's just desperate out there anymore - every man for themself.

Business insider says...

Cost to make a mattress: Anywhere from $75 to $150

Price you pay: $200 to $4,000, depending on the brand

Materials for manufacturing mattresses are cheap, and the cost to make a mattress is usually around $100 no matter the price you pay. There are also just a few companies (e.g. Serta, Simmons, and Tempur-Pedic) that have a monopoly on the industry, making it hard to comparison-shop.

I took my mother to Raymore and Flannagan a few months ago for hers and it was a very pleasant experience. Hope it works out ok for you

So, how do you explain mattress-only stores being right across the street from each other? Or so many being in one general area? I don't mean competitors I mean the same company.

I went to a mattress only store when I purchased my mattress in 2019. Two sales people in the store, one doing a crossword, the other watching something on their phone. They almost seemed surprised by me walking in. They actually were quite helpful, and with their help, I made my decision. Of course, they didn't have it in stock, but they checked to see if another store had it. The 'other' store was literally just across the intersection, I could see it from the showroom I was standing in.

In my case though, I've been happy with my purchase.

"JC Penney is broke and filed bankruptcy, do you really expect to get anything out of them? Do you really think they really care about customer service when they probably won't be around after the 1st of the year?"

I gotta agree with poorboy on this. Our local JCPenny is circling the drain now. A lot of stuff is marked down 50% or more.

Other thing I've noticed around here for many years is how mattress stores go OOB ALWAYS - sometimes they are lucky enough to stay open for a few years, then they go away.

In 1968 I was in 8th grade. One teacher (can't recall the subject anymore) spit out the factoid (as well as some other info about James Cash Penny) that you had a 25% chance of working for Penny's (as it was known then) at some point in your life. By 1974 I was working there, my wife to be had already done a stint there and a friend from school I hadn't seen in 8 years was there. My nephew and his wife both work / worked for the one in Las Cruces. We've tried to get her to leave to do something else because we know it's a dead end, but there's not too many jobs in Las Cruces. In the early / mid 1990's JCP moved their corporate headquarters to Plano, Texas. I spent several months working on a bid for the steel for the project, massive building. We did not get the project.

REMEMBER the JCP lifetime warranty car battery?

I’m wondering if it’s toooo late to get an exchange or refund now ?

Just asking fur a friend...

One reason I have been sleeping in a waterbed since 1978! I had a full motion when I bought if and hadn't changed it out until 1989 when we went to dual mattresses and heaters plus a pillow top that unzips to get to the water mattresses. They both are semi-motionless and very comfortable. We tried a Select Comfort (now called Sleep Number) in the late 90's but couldn't stand how hard it was no matter how much air you put in it and took it back before the 30 day trial period. I still can't believe how much mattresses sell for and how often they recommend you to change them out!

Firestone. Dad is still getting them. 1970 Catalina Convertible, original owner. $45.00 + 6.25% sales tax when they came out. We had many, associates (employees) got a 15% discount.

Me too Rhino - been on waterbeds since about 1976. Early on it was the unbaffled bouncy ones, fun with your girlfriend . Now they are more refined, as am I. Comfortable beds in my opinion.

When I buy a mattress, it's try it out, cash and carry, throw it in the truck, no disappointments, only wish I could find furniture/appliance stores that I could cash/carry out, I hate having sh1t I didn't order show up....