Select Comfort Company - Doug (manager) ripoff Mattresses slide off Foundation, Company refuses to exchange covers, This is UNACCEPTABLE for them to make a product that has the potential for injury then refuse any liability in the matter! Minneapolis, Minnesota and Fort Wayne, Indiana

In February 2003, my husband and I purchased a king mattress and foundation (4000 series)through the Select Comfort website. It was set up as instructed and our large, heavy cedar chest was placed at the foot of the bed where it has always been.

We noticed slight movement (top to bottom and side to side) but it was not, at that time, problematic for us. We purchased a twin set (3000 series) for my 74 year old mother as a gift a few weeks later.

We moved the cedar chest in the fall and were shocked that the mattress actually slid across the foundation! When we questioned Mother, she stated that she had lots of problems with hers doing it but didn't want to complain because we gave it to her as a gift. She said that she had a slight fall when she placed her hand on the bed to steady herself and it moved.

On 12/9/03, I emailed Select Comfort and Jeff Anderson replied, "Since our mattress is so lightweight, sometimes it moves fairly easily on the foundation. We suggest that you purchase some Rug Grip or Rubbermaid Shelf Liner and place that between the mattress and foundation. This will help keep it in place and it's very inexpensive."

We replied that we visited a Select Comfort Store and NONE of their mattresses moved at all regardless of how hard we tried to push them! "Melanie" (Melody?) at the Fort Wayne store stated that we must have gotten an "old or refurbished set" since years ago this was a really big problem for Select Comfort but they changed their material and now it wasn't. She stated that she had this problem and Select Comfort exchanged her set for one that now doesn't slide. She told us she would talk to her manager "Doug" and he would get back with us.

I e-mailed Jeff with this new information and his reply was, "This can be a normal condition of use. Our records confirm that you did receive a new product. Is the coverlet placed on your foundation?"

I replied that the "bed was put together exactly as instructions gave...also that this is unsafisfactory since the single bed belongs to a 74 yaer old woman and presents a dangerous situation." I also requested that a factory representative come to our homes to see for his/herself firsthand and evaluate the situation.

Jeff replied that I should "call the company". After many, many attempts to reach Select Comfort at their "800" number, and spending up to 30 minutes at a time on "HOLD", I gave up.

I wrote my concerns to an online Community website and it wsa noted that some people had the same problem that we did; and yes, some did not. But they did not specifiy when they purchased their mattress/foundations sets or what Series they were. It proved to me that Select Comfort has a problem.

Due to that posting, on 12/15/03, Mary MacDuffie, the Select Comfort Email/Correspondence Supervisor wrote that she learned that I had posted my complaint on the website and stated that, "an extremely small percentage of customers have this concern and the recommended Rubbermaid Shelf Liner or Rug Grip has always worked well."

I stated that this was not acceptable as an answer and we should not be forced to go buy other products to make the Select Comfort beds safe. I also told her that none of the instore bed sets moved at all and asked why is it that only some of the beds move.

MacDuffie replied that the beds were redesigned and introduced on 1/28/04 before the purchase of our beds and it is RARE to happen. She put $50 in my Discover Card account to cover the cost of the Rubbermaid products and recommended a suggestion to sew Velcro on the set to hold the mattress in place. She also clarified Select Comfort's position on liability by stating, "Select Comfort accepts no liability if you choose a solution that ultimately causes any injury to yourself or any other person."

This is UNACCEPTABLE for them to make a product that has the potential for injury then refuse any liability in the matter!

On 12/16/03, I informed MacDuffie of this and that I was not interested in "monetary compensation" but only to have the problem resolved. I also notified the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

On 12/19/03, I wrote MacDuffie that the suggestion to use Rubbermaid products did not work since the mattresses still slid. I recommended that if the covers were replaced, same as with the Fort Wayne Select Comfort Store Salesperson, it may take care of the problem. MacDuffie never replied.

On 12/26/03, my husband and I went to the Fort Wayne Indiana Select Comfort Store at Glendale Mall to see the manager identified as "Doug" stated that he was not aware of the problem AT ALL, that he was shocked since he has never heard of any of the Select Comfort sets having mattresses moving on the foundation problems. He was apologetic and stated he would call the company on Monday morning and get it taken care of.

He never contacted us but when we called in mid January, Melanie answered and she stated that she DID speak with him about it previously. He was not at the store but left a message on our answering machine that he was not responsible for assisting us since we did not purchase our beds from him.

We have contacted the local consumer advocate but to date, we have not heard anything from Select Comfort.

Why didn't Doug, manager of the Fort Wayne Select Comfort Store just tell us the truth - that he didn't want to/wasn't able to or just didn't care about our problem and was not going to help us in the first place? Why lie???

Then again, why not - seems Select Comfort has a product that has been reported a potential safety hazard and doesn't really care to take care of it either.

Thomas & Rae Ann
Peru, Indiana
U.S.A.