Synopsis: Nearly every consumer has returned a purchased mattress for an exchange, refund, or store credit at least once. Usually, the experience is quite normal, although sometimes mattress returns don’t always go the way we’d like them to. But while mattress retailers aren’t required to accept returns (unless there’s a defect, in which case it will be covered by the warranty), certain laws establish the disclosure of return and refund policies in the U.S.
Refunds and Returns: U.S. Federal Law
While state laws primarily address the issue of returned mattresses, there’s no federal law that requires a mattress retailer to refund money. Per most state laws, refunds are subject to the established mattress store refund policy at the time of purchase, unless the purchased mattress is found to be useless for the purpose of which it was intended. A customer changing his/her mind after making a mattress purchase, such as deciding they want a bed with coils (rather than foam), is not the fault of the retailer and the latter cannot be held responsible.
In broad terms, most mattress stores do offer refunds. It’s usually pursuant to a bed store policy which explicitly that returns are to be extended, in order to strengthen its brand in the community; but this is simply a mattress store policy – not a federal law.
Deceptive Claims and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Federal law does provide some, limited protections to mattress buyers through the FTC, which enforces federal consumer protection laws that are meant to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, or unfair business practices such as false advertising. Such agencies will sue mattress retailers that make deceptive claims about their products or services. When the FTC settles a case, it tries to obtain refunds for buyers who lost money, if that’s possible, but these refunds are based on unfair or deceptive business practice regulations, not state refunds laws, i.e. mattress refunds are a state law contract issue.
Mattress Return Fraud
There are numerous ways buyers can defraud a mattress retailer through the usual return process, but not all legitimate returns are distinguishable from return fraud.
Returned mattresses are either marked down, thrown away (recycled), or donated to a local church or charity organization and often incur significant costs associated with being restocked.
Refunds and Returns: U.S. State Law
Many states in the U.S. have general laws governing mattress refunds, although not all of them offer guidance on how such laws should apply to their residents who buy beds-in-a-box from out-of-state retailers online. Below are a few examples of U.S. state laws addressing mattress refunds:
- Mattress retailers in California are required to clearly post online their refund policy unless they offer a full cash refund, store credit, or exchange within 7 days of the purchase date. Failing this requirement, buyers may return the mattress for a full refund within 30 days of the purchase.
- Mattress retailers in Florida that don’t offer refunds must post online this fact so that customers can see it. Failing this requirement, buyers may return the mattress for a full refund within 20 days of the purchase.
- In the state of Illinois, residents may cancel mattress transactions (and get a full refund) within 3 business days for door-to-door sales, gym memberships, and campground memberships.
In most cases, regardless of how a mattress retailer establishes its own return policy, the conditions of such a policy must be prominently displayed at the place of purchase and respective websites for it to be considered valid.
Mattress retailers may charge a re-stocking fee for returned mattresses, which covers the cost of replacing the packaging in order to sell it as new. However, state laws determine whether or not buyers must be notified about these fees prior to purchase. For example, in the state of NY, mattress retailers are required to prominently display their re-stocking fee policies prior to the point of sale; while in the state of New Hampshire, such notification is not required.
Other fees, such as restocking fees, normally must be made clear in the retailer’s policy language. Regardless of whether each U.S. state requires disclosure of return policies, you should ask any mattress retailer for their particular policy before making a purchase. Additionally, states may or may not explicitly apply their laws to online sales.
Below are summaries of state laws governing refunds of mattress retail sales items:
- In the state of California, mattress retailers are required to clearly post their refund policy unless they offer a full cash refund, store credit, or exchange within 7 days of the purchase date. Mattress retailers failing this specific requirement are required to accept full refunds within 30 days of purchase.
- In the states of Connecticut and Hawaii, each mattress retailer may set its own refund policy, which must be clearly disclosed at the time of sale. If the policy isn’t properly disclosed, or if the mattress retailer doesn’t have a refund policy, the buyer may return the purchased mattress for a refund.
- In the state of Florida, mattress retailers that don’t offer refunds must clearly display this fact at the place of sale. Failing this specific requirement, buyers may return the mattress(es) for a full refund within 20 days of purchase.
- In the state of Maryland, mattress retailers must post their return policies on the wall, on the merchandise, or on the receipt. If such a policy isn’t posted, the mattress retailer must accept the returned mattress within a reasonable time.
- In the state of Massachusetts, a mattress retailer’s return, refund, or cancellation policy must be disclosed to the buyer clearly before the transaction is completed. This is usually done by means of a sign at the point of purchase. Mattresses may be returned within a reasonable period of time if no return policy was disclosed to the buyer.
- In the state of Minnesota, a mattress retailer must clearly display written notice of its policy in boldface type with a minimum size of 14 points. If the seller fails this specific requirement, cash refunds are required for mattresses that are acceptable for return.
- In the state of New Jersey, mattress retailers must clearly post their refund policies. Businesses with no posted refund policies are liable to the buyer, for up to 20 days from purchase, for a cash refund or a credit.
- In the state of New York, a mattress store is legally required to post its refund policy. If such a store doesn’t post any return policy, it will have to accept returns within 30 days of purchase.
- In the state of Ohio, a mattress retailer isn’t required to have a specific refund policy, but if it does have a refund policy, the policy must be clearly posted. If not, the buyer is entitled to a full refund.
- In the state of Rhode Island, unless a buyer has been clearly informed by a poster or other appropriate notice placed at the point of display or at the cash register, or at the mattress store entrance that all sales are final and that mattresses aren’t returnable, a customer who has paid for it can return such mattress within 10 business days from the date of purchase.
- In the state of Utah, if the mattress retailer has a non-refund, exchange, or credit policy, such policy must be clearly indicated by a sign posted at the point-of-display, the point-of-sale, or the store entrance. If such a seller fails this specific requirement, the buyer is entitled to a mattress return.
- In the state of Virginia, the mattress retailer must notify its customers of its return policy by means of a sign attached to the mattress or placed in a public area of the merchant’s premises. The mattress retailer is exempt from this specific requirement if it provides a credit refund (or cash) within 20 days of the purchase.
- Finally, in the remaining states (i.e. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), there’s no right to cancel purchase or contracts agreements. Whether you can receive a refund is dependent on the mattress retailer’s refund and return policies.
Can i return a Bed even though i pay almost $1,600. Don’t want refund. Just want to return the bed and frame. I live in washington state. This store offer me and my wife a Bed for $1,999.99. But the Finance company they use Snap Finance. Charge $3,500. We are charge every 2 weeks for $149.99 for 12 Months Financing. But paying $3,600 Total than this Store offered us. It’s really ridiculous. $1,600 interest charge…
Mark, Snap Finance is with BBB.org – you can settle your dispute, here: https://www.bbb.org/us/ut/salt-lake-cty/profile/loans/snap-finance-llc-1166-22337208 Then, select their exact location. Their BBB rating is A+. Good luck.
I don’t understand. My husband purchased a steel bed frame at Mattress Firm yesterday … ( we live in SC – and it was purchased in the store – not something that had to be ordered). When I got home from work, I looked at the frame (still in the box) and told him it was not going to work because the feet were too skinny to sit up on the risers (we need to raise the frame – which is why we purchased a new one – because we purchased a mattress from another retailer).
My husband said that Mattress Firm made him sign a paper about not being able to return the item – because it was the law – so – of course – my husband signed it. Now we have spent over $100 on a frame that’s never been out of the box (albeit we opened the box to look at the feet) that we CAN NOT use. This is robbery. It’s not a mattress, it’s not a box spring, it was an in-store stock item … and they use “the law” as an excuse not to make returns – coercing purchasers to sign a paper on “no-returns” before they leave the store. I am really upset.
Linda, I suggest you file a complaint with https://www.bbb.org/ for the specific store in SC where the steel bed frame was bought. As your last resort, you can try to recoup (partially) what you’ve paid for by selling it on eBay. In SC, whether you can receive a refund is dependent on the mattress retailer’s refund and return policies (unfortunately).
We have purchased a Stearns and Foster mattress from Matthis Brothers in Irvine, California. They are stating we can’t return because we did not purchase their comfort guarantee plan. They did not make it clear that if we did not buy a Pillow and mattress pad from them that we would have no recourse to return the mattress The mattress is not working for us, me specifically, it is too soft and is hurting my back. I can’t sleep in it. They are saying we have not followed the guidelines of waiting until after 30 days. So if we wait, which is one more week, they will still tell us we did not buy the pillow or the pad from them and so we can’t return. Is there anything we can do.
Susan, I am not a lawyer. However, you can tell them that in California, mattress retailers are required to clearly post online their refund policy unless they offer full cash refund, store credit or exchange within 7 days of the purchase date. Failing this requirement, buyers may return the mattress for a full refund within 30 days of the purchase. If you don’t reach an agreement with Matthis Brothers, you can always try BBB.ORG
I purchased an Irize mattress on February 7, 2020. They have a 365 day return policy. On April 18, 2020, I called IRIZE at (1-888-404-7493)to return their mattress and bed frame because it was uncomfortable. I was told because of COVID they are not picking up mattresses at this time. I told them I understood but I wanted a refund as I was calling within their 365 return policy and no longer wanted the mattress and needed my refund. They replied that they could not issue a refund because the mattress was not in their possession. I do not believe that their policy is fair since I am not the reason they do not want to pick up the mattress. The mattress is ready and available for pick up. Again, on June 11, 2020, I called IRIZE at (1-888-404-7493) and spoke to Edner. I advised him again that I wanted to return the mattress. They advised that they are still not picking up mattresses because of COVID. The Federal government has allowed businesses to open now and as long as social distancing is in place, they can operate. I do not understand why they still refuse to pick up the mattress or refund my money. If they do not want to pick up the mattress right now they can issue my refund and whenever they are ready to pick up the mattress, they can do so. I eventually requested a charge back with my credit card company. I rize disputed the charge back. Now again, in September 2020, I am asking them to pick up the bed, they refuse to pick up the bed and refuse to refund me.
Regine, I suggest you file a complaint, here: https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/doral/profile/mattress/irize-mattress-inc-0633-90587616
Hi There, We purchased a mattress from Living Spaces and they sent a company to inspect and report stated mattresswas faulty. We were iussed a store credit, went back to Living Spaces in good faith and upgraded to a memory form matress. We upgraded to 800.00. I know it does not sound like much but it was for our budget. After having it delivered I slept on it, it is in our guest bedroom. I’ve slept on it two different weekends and the next day I could just about get out of bed my back was hurting so much. It has been less than 30 days, they say they will send another Inspector. We feel like we wasted our money. We would appreciate your insight. Kind thanks.
James, have you already tried this link at BBB.ORG? It’s very easy to submit there a formal complaint! You’ll have to select your state and city…
Mattress warehouse let me take home a mattress and I was not approved by finance company . I ha e had the mattress for six months with no paperwork and no payments Can they come back and take the mattress and do I have to pay for it.
If “they come back and take the mattress”, it can’t be resold… it can only be donated!
If a used mattress( within trial period) is returned to a local store, how can a consumer know they didn’t get a used mattress passing as new?
A returned mattress is either donated to charity, or recycled. It is NEVER returned to the local store (obviously).
Hi all,
I purchased my first mattress for the total amount of $1390.99 from Mattress Warehouse on 5/15/2021.The mattress was delivered to me on 5/21/2021. Immediately upon receiving the mattress I noticed a problem with the mattress – a strong chemical odor that didn’t go away even in a month after that mattress was in my house. There were also some other issues with the mattress such as sagging and spring popping up as well as poor quality of manufacturing the mattress such as loose threads. I requested an inspection of the mattress by a third party. The mattress was inspected by an inspector from Bed Check, LLC. According to the inspection, the mattress was defective which was admitted my Mattress Warehouse (MW) on 06/05/2021. They sent me a confirmation of the defective mattress including the inspection details. Although I had all the right to request the full refund for the first defective mattress, I decided to give another chance to Mattress Warehouse and purchase a little more expensive mattress from this store. I had to pay extra $583.16 for the second mattress The exchange for the second mattress took place on 07/02/2021. However, once I received the second mattress that day, I immediately noticed that the mattress had a defect – a significant bulging right in the middle of the mattress. After a month of my attempts of sleeping on that mattress, the bulging never went away. I called for an inspection of the second mattress on 08/04/2021. The inspection by Bed Check, LLC took place on 8/10/2021 and the second mattress was confirmed to be defective which was admitted by Mattress Warehouse. Since it was the second defective mattress from Mattress Warehouse, I requested a full refund for my purchase by email and by calling twice to Mattress Warehouse. However, Mattress Warehouse refused to issue me the full refund. They sent me a letter via email stating that my only option is to do another exchange according to their warranty. However, their warranty doesn’t say a word about defective mattresses. All it says is that in the case when a customer is not satisfied with a level of comfort, he/she can exchange the mattress. But this situation is not about the level of comfort. It is about the defective mattress. By the consumer protection law, they must issue the full refund for the defective mattress which they refuse to do and they don’t accept the return of the mattress for the full refund. Since Mattress Warehouse refused to give me a refund, I contacted my credit card company (that I used to purchase the mattress) with the dispute of that charge. What are my chances of getting the refund through the credit card (Chase)? Are there any other options to get the full refund from Mattress Warehouse?
You can request a refund to Chase AND cancel your existing credit card. Then, they’ll issue a new one to you.
Hi Igor, My name is Xiou and have read your complaint and am experiencing a practically identical situation with Mattress Warehouse. I think something needs to be done to mitigate their ongoing unfair practices with the consumer. If you are willing, please email me so that we may discuss this situation. I hope to hear from you!
I bought a sleep country mattress I Tempur-pedic, this mattress has tortured me since March, I know I am be on the return allowance,But this mattress has been returned once they will not tell me why it was returned, but it has put me in physiotherapy , chiropractor therapy, massage. I recently replace the mattress, and instantly is taking majority of my pain away, I can’t prove there’s something wrong with the mattress, but my mistake buying something that was already returned, I will never do that again and I probably lost a good five grand dealing with sleep country, The staff was polite and I understand where they’re coming from, but I totally feel like I’ve been ripped off.
The Tempur-pedic mattress is compressed at the factory floor into a cardboard box for delivery. Surely if you didn’t receive it in a box, it’s because you got it from a charity organization. When it’s returned by the customer, it’s either recycled or picked up by charity.
Mattress Firm sold me a $4500 Tempurpedic set that I noticed the mattress was frozen solid after I signed off after setup. It was stored without heat in a warehouse and I wasn’t told about that. I called the company right away for help and was put off with bs about Tempurpedic quirks and and they weren’t responsible for environmental problems. I feel it’s defective since I can’t use it. I have slept in a chair waiting for it to thaw. I am asking for a refund and have put a dispute on the charge to my credit card. I’m confused about my rights and if this is considered defective.
According to Tempur-Pedic’s website, their products may freeze if they sit in cold weather (below 50°F) folded, and they should not be forced to lay flat as the material could crack or split.
They recommend letting the product warm and soften to its true feel in a few hours, depending on the room temperature and size of the product.
You may have a valid claim for a refund if the mattress was delivered frozen without prior notice or consent,
and if it does not return to its normal shape and function after warming up.
You should contact Tempur-Pedic’s customer service directly to explain the situation and request a resolution.
You should also keep any documentation or evidence of your purchase and delivery, such as receipts, invoices, photos, etc.
Try recording a short video illustrating your bad experience with the mattress.
You may also want to check your credit card company’s policies on disputing charges and what evidence they need to provide.
Hope it helps.