I Purchased a sleep number bed with a 30 trial. I Wrote a $200.00 personal check for down payment and financed the rest using the store's finance company. The bed was shipped to us. We could tell immediately it wasn't for us. The two chambers are not condusive for married couples who don't want to sink into the center of the bed.
I called the company to let them know we would be returning the bed. They hassled us into trying a "chamber lift" to solve the problem we were having. They even offered to extend the trial period if they could send it. They shipped us a piece of foam. We were still unhappy with the bed and still within our first 30 day trial.
I called again to make arrangements to return the bed. I had to provide a credit card over the phone and pay for shipping it back utilizing the shipping labels and the original boxes the bed came in (glad I saved the boxes).
I repacked the bed; made photocopies of each shipping label. Marked each box: one of five, two of five, etc. And called to have it picked up.
Meahwhile, I started receiving bills for the purchase. The bills come with the select comfort logo on each page of the bill. I assumed it was their finance company. When I called Select Comfort's customer service, they said they didn't have anything to do with the finance company. I asked them why their logo is on the bill. No answer. No offer to help.
I called directly to the finance company to explain the situation. I told them I was not going to pay for a bed I didn't have in my home. They charged a service charge to the full amount anyway. I called again and again, both to Select Comfort and their Finance Company.
Finally, after months, the charge for the purchase price was removed from the "Select Comfort Bill." However, they charged late fees on top of the service charges over and over until the finance company had racked up over $300.00 in bogus charges.
I made it very clear to them I wasn't giving them another dime. I had already lost my deposit that they did not return. I had already lost the cost of shipping the bed back. Now they have sold the account to a collection agency and have marred my credit history. My damages are far greater than just the $500.00 they ripped me off for.
Every six months or so, a creditor calls about the account and I gather information to explain what happened. (I have a nice sized file). This has been going now for five years and I have had to deal with creditor after creditor on this matter. With each new collection agency comes a NEW blot on my credit report. It has cost me in increased interest rates on other purchases because of its affect on my credit score.
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