Dreams mattress buying a nightmare!

[Tups]

We spent 2 pleasant hours in Dreams, choosing a mattress. We ended up ordering an expensive one, paid the money up front, including 10 year insurance (suckers that we are!) and awaited its arrival. It arrived today. So began the nightmare! They brought us a double-size when we had asked for a king-size. Unfortunately, we hadn't noticed on the original order the salesman had written the wrong size down. The delivery men refused to take it away and gave us a number to ring. The lady at the call centre told us it was our own fault and nothing could be done about it!! So here we are, stuck with a double mattress and nowhere to put it.

Can a large business treat us this way? It's questionable whether or not it's 'our fault'; we didn't sign the order form to confirm it was right. Even if we had indeed asked for the wrong size mattress (which we hadn't; we know the size of our bed, which we've had for 12 years!) a decent company would simply swap them over and charge the extra for the larger mattress??

Any suggestions?

[Ethel]

As far as they are concerned they have fulfilled their side of the contract - supplied the mattress on the order form on the right date.
No doubt you have a copy of the order form.
You would have to prove the salesman wrote the order wrongly and he will deny it. Had you paid for a kingsize that would be a different matter.

There is nothing you can do about it in law, but you can go to the store and appeal to their better nature.

[craft1948]

Which size did you pay for?

[EmEd1984]

whilst i agree it will be a bit tricky because of what the order form says (they'll just say you signed it and still have a copy and blah blah blah), their policy is still this:

"At Dreams we like to go on the extra mile. We offer customers a free 40 night comfort guarantee to make sure they're really comfy"

so I guess just as you'd have to prove the salesman had written the wrong size down, they'd have to prove you weren't comfy... ;)

[EmEd1984]

here's some disclaimers:

"The unique Dreams Comfort Guarantee is only available on certain Goods purchased direct from one of Dreams Plc's 180 plus nationwide Branches. It does not apply to any Goods purchased online."

and

"Delivery will be deemed to have taken place when the Goods have been delivered to the agreed address (Dreams Plc do not need to satisfy themselves that the person accepting delivery at the agreed address is authorised by the Buyer to accept the Goods)"

as well as...

"CANCELLATION PERIOD
Stock Items (Delivery 7 � 14 days)
Any time up to seven working days following the delivery of the goods."

there's some other stuff too, have a read:
http://www.dreams.co.uk/en-gb/Info/Help/Terms- And-Conditions/

[Ethel]

Hurrah!

You purchased it in a shop. Sleep on it for a week - a double mattress will sit on a kingsize base, and reject it as uncomfortable

[Tups]

Thanks for that. I've just seen on another forum that the comfort guarantee doesn't count on discounted beds. It was in a sale and they gave us a 'free' mattress cover, which apparently effectively discounts the bed!! Other firms would take goods back, even if it WAS the customer's fault! Anyone need a double 'capri' mattress? �543?

(Yes, we did pay the double price, unfortunately. Had hadn't realised this; many of the beds were the same price for both sizes.

[Tups]

Also, with the 30 day guarantee, that's just changing it for another of the same size.

[Ice.Maiden]

Unfortunately, this company was featured on TV not so long ago, because of complaints. I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

[craft1948]

Oh dear - is it looking like ebay looming

[Tups]

Will have to try to get them on TV again. I've emailed Watchdog. Seems they're big enough not to be hurt by bad publicity, which soon blows over.

[Tups]

Funny you should say that, Craft! Just looked on ebay! Not sure I'd get anywhere by putting a reserve price of 500 quid!