Julia Ross of Berkeley tried everything she could think of to make her new mattress more comfortable.
A salesperson suggested she place a one-inch board under it to make the mattress firmer. A few months later she replaced it with a half inch board. That didn't work, so she put a futon on top of her mattress and that didn't work either.
"What it feels like is there's nothing in the curve of your back. There's nothing that supports you," said Ross.
Out of options, Julia abandoned her bed and decided to sleep on her sofa. She said the mattress she bought wasn't always this way. But it turned soft on her after buying it.
She finally called the McRoskey Mattress Company in San Francisco to ask for an exchange.
"I mean I didn't go and spend $3,000 on a new bed to have it give me a back problem," said Ross.
But they told her it was too late to return it because more than 30 days had past. She contacted 7 On Your Side for help and we got the attention of the company's president.
"So when anybody does have a concern we try to listen to that and address it," said McRoskey Mattress President Robin Azevedo.
The family run mattress company was founded in 1899 in San Francisco by Robin Azevedo's grandfather.
Today, it is the only store in San Francisco which manufactures its own mattresses. Each mattress is stuffed with a cotton blend, sewn together by machine and if necessary by hand and then extra care is taken so the stuffing is compact and doesn't shift.
Azevedo arranged for an exchange, and now Julia has a new firmer mattress.
"The company has an exchange policy. So if you purchase a mattress and or box spring, you can make an exchange within 30 days of delivery," said Azevedo.
Azevedo made an exception in Julia's case, something she didn't have to do.
"She's been wonderful about it. And I would never have known about her if I hadn't called 7 On Your Side," said Ross.
The bottom line, be clear on a company's return and exchange policy before making your purchase. Most consumers won't be as fortunate as Julia.
