If you are in the market for a new matress, now is the time to do your shopping and negotiating. It is the time that the matress stores are changing out their floor models for new ones. At least it was at the Sleepy's by us. Here is the story of how we got an expensive mattress set for dirt cheap.
Last year, this time, we were in the market for a new matress set. We had around $500 and didn't want to go higher than that. We set off to see what we could find.
First we went to Matress Giant to get a feel for prices, bed quality, and negotiating opportunities. We know that to get the best deals you need to then go to another store. The two stores start slashing prices, trying to win your business. (However, you need to be willing to negotiate and to walk away).
The next stop was Sleepy's. This particular store was new, and wasn't doing well. We knew that (in fact both stores weren't doing well). We told him our price range $500. He started showing us bottom tier matresses trying to make them look great. I started asking about quality and how they were made. (Info I learned from Matress Giant.)
It didn't take long for him to know we also wanted quality. He offered to show us the high end beds, hoping that we would buy these. We agreed to LOOK. (There is no harm in looking.) We liked the beds much better, but they were way too expensive $2,400 for the set.
After about 20 minutes of us humming and hawing, we said that we needed to keep looking around. This was his breaking point. The following conversation ensued:
guy: "Are you in a hurry to get these?"
us: "No, we can wait."
guy: "The new model season is coming in two weeks and we need to clear out our floor models. Our store hasn't had much business so these beds have hardly been laid on."
us: "What price could you give us for this bed?"
guy: "$1,000, plus delivery and old bed removal. So about $1,300 total."
us: "Mattress Giant offered delivery and old be removal for free."
guy: "We can match that."
us: "What about the price."
guy: "$1,000 is as low as we can go."
us: "We can't pay that."
guy: "Okay, let me work the numbers. (Goes to his desk and comes back) $860."
us: "Well we have to think about it, we will get back to you. (get up to leave and take written quote with us.)"
guy: "Hey, where are you going? I am in the business of selling mattresses, not just giving quotes. If you want that price you need to buy it today."
us: "Oh, okay, let us take a minute to talk it over and test out the bed again."
We go over lay on it. Decide we want it. I say to DH, "Let's offer $800. We are willing to pay the $860, but it doesn't hurt to try for something lower." We go back over to the guy.
us: "We will buy it right now for $800 including tax."
guy: "I don't know if I can do that. I would have to ask."
us: "Okay, we can wait."
At this point the guy starts telling his boss how we had been to the other store, we had other quotes (however for lower quality mattresses - he didn't add that info), and that they could justify giving us this low price because of their company price beat policy.
End of story. We got a $2,400 mattress pre-tax, pre-delivery, pre-old bed removal, for $800 including tax, delivery, and old bed removed.
The mattress guy even told us that he was amazed at the price we got. It was actually lower than even the outlet prices.
Bottom line: Timing and negotiating are key to getting HUGE deals!
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