Picked up the keys to the new place yesterday. The joy of getting a new place has been somewhat tempered the realization I actually have to move. Packing, selling stuff, cleaning both places, change of address forms - it’s a lotta stuff.
I also went to Sit-N-Sleep in Culver City and bought a bed. Unfortunately, Larry wasn’t there, but some guy actually did roll in there and ask for Larry, acting like he knew him personally. Their corporate office used to be in Culver City, but now they moved to Carson, so Larry is hardly around anymore. Even though that guy said he had lunch with Larry a few weeks ago, I guess he didn’t know him all that well.
Buying a bed is totally jeetered. Nobody has the same model of bed. Each retailer takes a manufacturer’s basic frame, customize it slightly, and calls it something unique. So, unless you’re willing to accept a different retailer’s “equivalent” version of the same bed, you can pretty much rule out any price shopping on the Internet, because you can’t really find the exact same version of the same bed, unlike, say, buying a car by researching the invoice price and using it as leverage at a brick-and-mortar dealership.
It also makes a price guarantee virtually worthless, since no advertiser will offer the exact same bed, and discouraging to savvier shoppers. A Sit-N-Sleep rep explained that if you found a bed a) that you think is similar and b) is advertised, you can give them the ad and they’ll research it and determine whether it’s actually a similar bed. And if it is, they’ll match it. That seems like a lot of research to do for a small return.
In the end, I just picked a bed I liked and asked the salesman to work with me on the price. It probably wasn’t the best deal, but Sit-N-Sleep advertises on Howard Stern, so I have to support them for that.
I also asked the salesman whether Sit-N-Sleep actually was unable to beat an advertised price, and the mattress was FREEEEEE!!!! The answer is, nope. It’s just a marketing gimmick that Larry invented back in the day when somebody tried to price shop. As expected, they just end up beating whatever price.
So anyway, the new bed rules, it will be delivered to the new pad soon, and I can cross it off on my list of things to do. Bust.
General
