Thank you you are so right that there should be tougher legislation that protects the consumer so we don't need to go to court. I have a print out that promises they will supply a bed that gives postural support and a report from a Back therapist to show this mattress does not support my spine adequately, so if I do go to court I have no doubt I will win but as you say, can I expend the energy to do so? If I had taken my best guess at a mattress then I would be totally stuck now. I spoke to a guy that used to work for a leading bed manufacturer. He said places like Dreams and Bensons do deals with manufactures to make similar models to their usual but using cheaper materials. That's why you won't see the models they sell anywhere else. It also means they don't have to do any price matching. The above is obviously second hand info and not proven,but it would explain why there are so many complaints via these company's for what we recognise as respectable manufacturers. Also would exlain why Dream have started to make "their own mattresses" that are very much like Rest Assured. I can only guess that maybe the these company's are realising their reputations are taking a nose dive and not putting their name to them. It really is time these practiced were exposed.

Hi All, I too have been duped by Bensons. I bought a Sleep to Live mattress for £700. It was such a big decision as I really do not have that kind of money, but as the wise say, spend money on a good mattress, and I thought I was. They have a diagnostic bed so they can recommend you a mattress that "Promises proper postural support". This puts you into a firmness category. The amazing diagnostic machine takes 18 different measurements of your body. Millions of £s has been spent on the new technology etc etc. Now I suspect all its doing is weighing you. It somehow missed I have a large bottom I was told by the machine i needed the softest. I have a print out that shows the one I was recommended. So strong is the recommendation that you get a 40 night sleep guarantee if you buy the one recommended. "Whats that?" I asked the sales lady. "If you really cant get on with it, then let us know anytime in the first 40 nights and we will change it, no quibble, for a different one." The Tan model I tried felt lovely, like floating on a cloud. I queried if it would be firm enough to support me. I was told yes, that it would feel very different to anything I had slept on because most people are using mattresses that dont suit them...blah blah blah. I felt safe, with the guarantee etc to spend my money on this. I did also say I was very anti foam and checked there was no memory foam in it. I was told there wasnt. But not told it was actually 65% foam. When it arrived I couldnt wait to get to bed that night as my old mattress had really had its day. I got on it, yes it was like a cloud, a very soft one. After a few minutes I felt by bottom sinking into it more than it should. By the time I woke up a couple of hours later, I was stuck in a hole that I had to roll out off. After tossing and turning all night, I went straight back to the shop the next morning. The friendly sales staff had suffered a personality transformation. Got were the smiles, instead a steel wall went up. There was nothing they could do, I would have to ring customer services Monday morning. I persisted and was told I couldnt know after one night it wasnt suitable. I explained I was tired and ached and there was no getting used to that. My body was totally out of line on the mattress. They tried saying it was just my body adjusting. I pointed out that I am a quallified massage therapist with a level 3 dip in anatomy so more qualified than them to say if my spine is out of line. I was told nothing could be done until I had had it for 40 nights. Customer services were even more unhelpful. They kept going on about the warrantee, wouldn't acknowledge my legal right as a consumer. I wrote to them on the advice of the consumer advise line, rejecting the goods as unfit for purpose made known at time of sale and that I am not going to use the mattress. They sent out a independent inspector that admitted it was the softest mattress he had ever seen other that one type of all foam one meant for an adjustable bed which therefore needs to bend. His inspection consisted of measuring the width and length, taking some photos and lying on it for 15 secs each side. Hmm a jedi Matress inspector. No other equipment to measure the firmness, or not. He said he would not be able to say it was faulty. Each time I have rung customer services i met with downright rudeness. They must employ especially hormonal women with a grudge against the rest of humanity. No human kindness there at all. The only one with a shred of warmth is a young guy. He still spouts the party line but when I asked him if he felt it was right that I am sleeping on my lounge floor on my old mattress while their unfit mattress is laying on my new bedstead upstairs, he said the only person in the whole world able to refund me is the area manager of the store. So i rang the store. the only person that can authorize a meeting with God, I mean the area manager, is the manage,r and he told me flat out that there was no way he would refer this to him as I was over the top and it was "Just a comfort issue." I told him it was a support issue and it was not fit for the purpose. He said as far as support there were no parameters for that. As for fit for purpose, "Of course its fit for purpose. Its a mattress. You can lie on it!" What a genius that man must think he is. Back to customer services, I was told i didnt have to choose that one, i should have chosen a different one. What about the millions in research etc? They still say they will do nothing for for 40 nights. They wont even discuss options until the 30th night. This is just so they can claim against the manufacturer. they dont give two hoots about me or any of their customers i doubt. So Customer services wont let me speak to a manager despite my requests for one to contact me. The store manager wont let me speak to the area manager. I have now written two letters to head office, both have been ignored. Trading Standards are going to write to them but as Bensons are well aware, they have no power here as it is a civila matter not a criminal one. I am trying to get a refund via my credit card, but as its Barclaycard and they have a track record for wiggling out of this kind of thing, I dont hold out much hope. So Its small claims court, but what do I do with this pile of cheap foam in the meantime? they say I have it store it flat and I have nowhere other than my bed to to that. I have a dog so I darent put it in the lounge in place of where i am sleeping. What a nightmare this all is. I now suspect they sell cheap substandard goods for huge profits, knowing a high percentage of their customers are going to complain at some point so spend all their staff resources on baboozling the complaining customer knowing most will give up at some point. its worth them swallowing the odd claim in the courts. Bensons and Dreams have such a monopoly these days that they dont care that no one will repeat buy from them. Any other ideas from anybody would be welcome. Sorry for the long post/rant