In case you aren’t familiar with tempur pedic, it’s a company that makes beds out of a shocking new space age material that allows you to jump up and down wildly on one side while a glass of red wine rests gently on the other, unperturbed.
You see, everyone needs to jump up and down wildly on their bed while a glass of red wine rests on the other side. This is a very common occurrence in many homes across the country.
I requested a free sample of the foamy goodness that is tempur pedic. They sent it without delay, and I think it even came with a video touting the merits of the space age foam, but I never bothered to watch it. If I had owned a pet hamster, the sample would have made a lovely temper pedic mattress, but since I have no pet, I didn’t have any use for it. After squeezing it a few times to see how resiliant it was, and resting my head gently on it to see how it felt, I threw it away.
Then the mail started coming. And coming, and coming and coming. It hasn’t stopped in over two years. They have sent me so many advertisements that I believe it would be more cost effective for them to have simply given me one of their $3,500 beds. I even moved, thinking that would throw them off my trail. The ads keep coming.
The flier says things like, “Dan Hersam – A better bed awaits you…” that makes me a bit nervous. Are they saying it’s waiting for me right now? Is it hiding somewhere in my bedroom? When I go upstairs to sleep, is it going to leap out from behind the curtains?
I’ve also noticed that their ads always refer to me by my full name. This is a little silly, because no one talks to people in normal conversation using full names. No one except tempur pedic I guess.
“Dan Hersam, you don’t have to take our word for it…You can try it before you buy it, at OUR RISK!”
They put a lot of emphasis on the fact that I can try it before I buy it, then shout that it’s at their risk (underlined of course), but I fail to see what they’re risking. Perhaps the risk is that they have spent so much money sending me advertisements that their entire company will fail if they can’t sell me one of their foamy beds.
Other attempts at selling me on their product include telling me about the competition. This is what they have to say.
THEIRS: Fancy on the outside.
OURS: Miracle on the inside.
So the competition is fancy on the outside. Got it. But tempur pedic has a miracle on the inside? I remind you that I received a sample foam bed (albeit mouse-sized). I examined it quite closely in fact, and I feel safe in saying that there were no miracles to behold.
Let’s move on.
“These lab images prove Tempur-Pedic is the best bed you can buy!”
The images look like a wireframe of the rocky mountains and do nothing to prove anything to me, except that the foams seems to have fewer glorious snow-capped peaks than a conventional mattress.
Another effort to win me over was a strange move; certainly not what I expected. They named their beds. You may think this perfectly normal, until you see the names.
GrandBed. CelebrityBed. EuroBed. RhapsodyBed. DeluxeBed. ClassicBed. OriginalBed.
Rhapsody bed? Euro bed? Celebrity bed? And what’s with the use of camel caps?
The marketing folks are trying their darndest to sell these things, but in my opinion, if you have to work so hard to sell something, there’s probably a reason for it.
A co-worker told me he tried a TempurPedic bed but felt like he sunk in so far it was going to envelope him and it was hard to turn over. He’s a large man so maybe that was an issue. But it still makes you think, “do I want a bed that conforms to me this much?” I would to try a TempurPedic myself if I get the chance just because I’m curious what it feels like.
I agree, if I had occasion to try one out, I’d do it. I’m just not willing to go through the hassle of having them deliver it to use for 30 days. I wonder how hard it is to cancel it and have them take it back (or if you have to pay for shipping).
I actually just bought a Rhapsody model. If you want to feel what they’re like, just go to a store and try it out for as long as you like. The sample block is pretty interesting because at first I, too, scoffed at these memory foam beds. I declared “I have played with open cell foam for years! It’s cheap, soft, and doesn’t hold up well! Why would I want to buy an expensive bed of this stuff?”
The tempur stuff is actually significantly different than regular open cell foam, and that little sample can show you the difference in both feeling and shock absorbing ability.
I agree that their marketing department tries too hard… I wonder how much the bed would be if they had less marketing. *sigh* They also market as if everyone’s an idiot (which they are, usually) but I really would appreciate some marketing from them that’s at my level. Most people who can afford their beds have an IQ greater than 90….
If you hate product advertising mail, be sure to never order from the company that makes VitaMix blenders. I got one for cheap from an estate sale, and it’s a great blender (and wheat grinder, even), but after I ordered a couple of parts for it I started getting a ton of mail from them touting dubious health benefits of the VitaMix.
I certainly won’t be ordering anything from them again, though I’d buy a used VitaMix if my current one broke, which doesn’t seem likely considering how it’s built!
I’ll remember that. I don’t mind an ad here and there, but when it becomes a regular occurrence over the span of years, I begin to get annoyed. Since I haven’t purchased anything from them in over 2 years, you would think they would see that the likelihood of my purchasing anything in the future would be slim to none.
Then again, they must make such a huge profit from one sale so they’re willing to invest a lot of money just in case I caved in.
Oh, also avoid the guys who sell the Sleep Number beds. Mel and I got a demo in a store in a mall once while we were waiting for a comedy show to start. For some reason, we filled out some forms with the assurance we wouldn’t be added to a mailing list. Of course, we get mail from them every month or so now.
My wife and I purchased a temperpedic back wrencher about 3 and a half years ago. If anyone would like to try it out you are welcome to drive to Nebraska and try ours. You are also welcome to purchase the bed much cheaper than any place you can find. Maybe it is just us. We loved the mattress for about the first year. Now, not so much. I am up at 6a.m. promptly every morning not because I want to be but because my back hurts so bad I wake up. If anyone wants to purchase this mattress cheap just email me, I’ll deliver. [email protected]
I bought the over priced temperpedic pillow top $1,500.00 bed last year. Hate it hate it. I am buying the Isleep king bed tomorrow and it will arrive 3-4 weeks. My doctor recommends it and I know I will like it. My back didn’t start hurting until after the temperpedic trial time ended! Go figure
http://www.isleep.com/showroom/beds.asp
We purchased our Tempurpedic two months ago. We got the newer Rhapsody. I wasn’t sure for the first 2 days, but now my wife and I absolutely love it. We wake up so refreshed. It has even helped my bad shoulder while sleeping. I used to move all night long. I would definately recommend looking into it. Also a friend of mine helped me get a good deal from a small store. If you call Mattress America they can give you extras like free shipping and pillows. Also out of state you save the sales tax so it’s even better to buy this way. We did this and they were very helpful. Ask for the manager Keith. Their number is 1-888-375-3379. Also I wouldn’t suggest the new Original Tempurpedic bed. My cousin got this one and it’s very hard. He exchanged it for the Deluxed Tempurpedic and now he loves it.
Yes, we just got the Rhapsody as well by mail and I would never give it up. It’s awesome. My hips after surgery kept me up all night, but this bed actually works. I didn’t believe at fist, but now you couldn’t take it away from me.
We bought a tempurpedic about two years ago and it was fantastic. What a sleep every night. Then, about three months ago it all changed. Now it is the pits. It is so bad that we can’t sleep in the bed together. And the soreness and stiffness. What a rip-off.
Tempur has a twenty year warranty. I’d have them exchange it if all the sudden it doesn’t feel good. Anyway how could it change so quick?
DWIGHT SAYS:
“We bought a tempurpedic about two years ago and it was fantastic. What a sleep every night. Then, about three months ago it all changed. Now it is the pits. It is so bad that we can’t sleep in the bed together. And the soreness and stiffness. What a rip-off.”
COME ON DWIGHT. The thing has a 10 year REPLACEMENT WARRANTY and 10 year PRORATED WARRANTY. You have had it, what? FOURTEEN MONTHS! So utilize the WARRANTY! The only ‘rip-off’ I see here is your so-called ‘feedback’. Admit it, YOU don’t even own one — or , if you do, you have no idea how a warranty works! You so rich you can dump the cash down the ‘key-rapper’?
I just purchased the tempurpedic Rhapsody, I LOVED it in the store. I have had it for 3 nights now and it is very hard to sleep on yet. It is so firm it is like sleeping on a brick wall, is there any way to soften it up a but, I have severe Fibromyalgia and need to lay in bed a lot, any help would be appreciated!