My 84 year old disabled mother in law recently had a major operation and on return from hospital we found that her mattress was so soft she sunk into it and could not get out! Even trying too caused her considerable pain. We only had one choice, a new mattress for her electric bed.

We looked around most of the usual high street stores and found a suitable mattress in Sleepright in Watford made by 'Comfilux'. The Manager was helpful and we explained the problem and asked if the order could be delivered as soon as possible. The delivery time was 2~3 weeks. A request was put on the order that stated "Please treat as an urgent order for a disabled client" we paid and left, that was the 30th March.

I returned to the store the end of following week (Friday) around 10 days later and asked if there was a delivery date, the Manager phoned Comfilux whille I was there and they confirmed a delivery date of the following Tuesday. I said I would collect it then and later made arrangements for the time off. On the following Tuesday I phoned Sleepright and was advised the mattress had not been delivered. I asked why and apparently Comfilux staff did not know that they would be closed for the week at Easter!

I contacted Comfilux on the Tuesday and asked why the mattress had not been delivered, the reply was that they had been closed for a week. I asked why then did they confirm a delivery date they had no way of honouring, they could only reply that I shoud take this up with Sleepright as my 'Contract' was with Sleepright and not them so they could not help me! I might add that this was the Customer Service department I was contacting. Somehow I do not think they appreciate what the word 'Service' actually means.

I then had to make further arrangements to take today off, Thursday the 30th April, I asked the store if they would compensate us for failure of the promised delivery, the store Manager said he would ask his Area Manager as Comfilux had failed to deliver as they promised. (A verbal contract?)
The small print of Sleepright states "As the processing of your order begins as soon as it is entered onto our computer system and we incur increasing costs as your order progresses we may make a charge to cover some or all of these costs if you are in breach of contract" Although this section is headed Cancellations and Refunds, I think it shows the way they see their customers, the small print is full of phrases like 'Legally binding contract' 'Delivery Contract' etc.

I had a verbal contract that the mattress would be delivered on a specific date that in my opinion was a verbal contract of delivery. Sleepright failed to have the mattress available on that date.

The store Manager put forward my request to his Area Manage who apparently replied "Sleepright do not offer compensation" It is fair for them to immediatly put additional costs onto the customer due to breach of contract but not to compensate teh customer if they fail to deliver as promised.

Instead of 2~3 weeks it took 4, Comfilux could see the order was urgent and for a disabled person but this seemingly cut no ice with them.

Comfilux staff maybe did not realise they were closed for a week. How lucky they are to have jobs good enough to be able to take a week off and to ignore the urgency of the order.

As for the Sleepright Area Manager, perhaps he or she should go on a re-training course.