When I asked the gentleman at "Relax Your Back" about custom sizing, he said that was something I would have to accomplish after my initial purchase from the factory and could run me an additional cost of $1,000 or more. That was quite a different scenario than the earlier phone conversation with Tempurpedic - which suggested that by purchasing a Queen size mattress, I would pay an additional $300 to cut it down to the size I needed. I quickly left and again called our friends on the 1.800 Tempurpedic line. Now a new story emerged, "No sir, we do not do custom sizes". So depending on who picks up the phone on any given day, there lies your overpriced fate.

Remembering a distinctly familiar ad in the Los Angeles Times, I opened the newspaper and there it was as my mind had remembered it: AXEL BLOOM. Immediately, I called their store located minutes from home and found the angelic voice of one lovely woman named Cara. To all my questions, Cara spoke the words of a consumer's dream: "yes, yes, yes, yes," and "of course."

Putting down the phone with that all too infrequent feeling of "WOW, I just spoke to a wonderfully knowledgeable professional!!," my fiance and I popped over to the store and were greeted by Cara. She expertly guided us on a full tour of their product line and again reiterated that at AXEL BLOOM, anything was possible. We thanked Cara kindly and said we would mull over our options.

Just as we were about to leave, this super enigmatic character blew through the door:"Good afternoon, my name is Yong." Introducing himself as the owner of this fine establishment, we raved to him about his product and how wonderful Cara was. Next, Yong personally guided us through his product line. This would mark the beginning of what would become a wonderful, and now a yearlong friendship with Yong and his family.

Eric Swerdloff aka Mr. e (Part Two)
Beverly Hills, CA