Tod Marks, senior editor at Consumer Reports, says: "It is absolutely Russian roulette to buy a bed or mattress sight-unseen through the Internet or an 800 number. You have to try before you buy."
A retail-shopping expert, Marks recently investigated the mattress industry. He calls it "the single most difficult consumer product to buy." Why? Comparables -- nearly identical mattresses sold at different stores under unique names.
"The problem is, you can't comparison-shop" when the same or a similar product is identified differently, says Marks, confirming that, nonetheless, it is common practice in retail.
Mary Engle, director of the Federal Trade Commission's Advertising Practices Division, won't comment on this specific case, but says the FTC defines deceptive advertising as advertising that's misleading to a consumer acting reasonably under the circumstances. "I think consumers would reasonably understand a custom order as one made to their particular specifications," she says. "If that is not the fact, the advertiser needs to clarify what he means by custom order."
Jim Hood, president and editor in chief at the Fairfax-based consumer advocacy site ConsumerAffairs.com, doesn't recommend buying furniture online. "This is the kind of thing that happens," he says of Levin and Stolls's case. "The consumer might be right, but I don't see any remedy for them."
WHERE TO TURN
For information on deceptive advertising or to file a complaint, visit www.ftc.gov or call 877-FTC-HELP.
The online subscription version of Consumer Reports, at www.consumerreports.org, offers free advice and articles.
ConsumerAffairs.com, at www.consumeraffairs.com, is an advocacy Web site that offers advice, alerts and news.
Got questions? A consumer complaint? A helpful tip? E-mail details to oldenburgd@washpost.comor write Don Oldenburg, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
