Casper is a high-quality all-foam mattress that is ideal for all sleeper types weighing less than 230 pounds, particularly combo sleepers. It also has a pleasant, neutral-foam texture that most people seem to prefer.
Despite its reputation, a Casper mattress lawsuit took place in 2016. The Casper firm has sued three popular mattress review websites. Why did it occur, and what was the result? Let’s keep reading for detailed information!
Overview Of Casper Mattress Lawsuit
Casper was one of the first mattress firms to pioneer the “bed in a box” concept. After reinventing the bedding market, the company created an atmosphere where users could order a wonderful mattress online and deliver it to their homes.
Casper mattresses, like any products from other firms, did not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, in today’s e-commerce environment, voicing your thoughts and ideas about a business might get you in a lot of trouble.
Hence, the feud between the bedding business Casper and the mattress review website Sleepopolis began. This story is about how free expression in the reviews industry may have devastating consequences.
Some Main Points Of The Lawsuit
Casper, a mattress startup, sued three popular mattress review sites in April 2016, alleging that they steered business to Casper’s competitors without disclosing properly that these firms paid sales fees to the sites.
Casper considered the schemes misleading advertising and deceptive practices since the sites promoted their reviews as unbiased while failing to disclose their relationships with the specific mattress manufacturers they were suggesting.
These review sites have amassed enormous power in the thriving field of online mattress sales. They frequently appear high in Google search results for broad queries like “mattress reviews” or brand-specific inquiries like “Casper reviews.” Because few showrooms allow customers to check these mattresses, online reviews held even more weight.
Read more: Zinus Mattress Review 2023: An In-depth Analysis
The Details Of The Lawsuit
Derek Hales and his wife began reviewing mattresses and tried many before settling on a Casper. They used referral and affiliate links to monetize their website and YouTube channel.
In 2015, Hales abandoned his day job to devote his full attention to Sleepopolis, which he grew into the most-visited web destination for anyone looking for mattress information.
He wrote an article about the Casper mattress firm. For a time, the two parties’ connection was fantastic. But, the relationship soured after Derek revised his assessment of Casper 18 months after the initial piece was published.
The amended review explained how Derek Hales no longer suggested Casper mattresses to customers as a quality choice. Customers might look for alternate mattress brands by clicking on an eye-catching yellow box at the top of the page.
Casper was dissatisfied with the decision and filed a lawsuit against the mattress review firm of Hales.
Hales’s review of Casper shifted after the mattress company refused to renew its affiliate connections with many niche bloggers. Thus, other bloggers’ reviews on Casper have shifted.
Casper quickly filed litigation against many review sites, including Mattress Nerd and Sleep Sherpa. Although the issues of other review sites were successfully resolved, Sleepopolis maintained that they were entitled to their opinion.
This is when knowing the return policy regulations comes in handy, just in case you bought something due to a bogus review.
Read more: Does Casper mattress have fiberglass
What Happened After The Casper Mattress Lawsuit?
Everyone will curious about what happened after the Casper lawsuit. Check out the action of two sides, Casper and Sleepopolis.
To Casper
Casper said that the actions cost it millions in potential sales.
Finally, Sleepopolis settled with Casper. Nevertheless, following the settlement with Sleepopolis, Casper offered a loan to another mattress review company for them to acquire the site from its prior owners.
According to a Casper spokesman, Sleepopolis is run separately from Casper as a business and an editorial organization. It is now owned by JAKK Media, which specializes in search engine optimization, and runs other review sites such as SlumberSage and MattressClarity.
To Sleepopolis
By 2017, there had been a twist in the operation of Sleepopolis. In detail, Hales was no longer active since Dan Scalo was filling his shoes. Furthermore, Derek Hales announced that he was no longer employed at Sleepopolis.
What else has altered? The yellow box that advised alternatives to Casper mattresses no longer included coupon codes and had a direct link to the Casper website.
Lessons From Casper Mattress Lawsuit
The online mattress business is becoming increasingly popular these days, and users are looking for ways to choose the finest options by reading other people’s reviews.
Shoppers also want to learn more about a mattress before choosing the most suitable choices. When purchasing a product, customers heavily rely on review sites. This reliance strengthens the position of review sites.
Yet, seeing a company like Casper go to great lengths to protect its brand reputation from the hazards that exist in the review industry. Bloggers may be more cautious while posting reviews. Companies may also profit from understanding how to buy reviews and how this might increase sales.
Keep in mind that unfavorable evaluations might have a detrimental impact on a business. So, try not to obtain too many of those.
Conclusion
This article has helped you to discover and have an overall look at the Casper mattress lawsuit. As mentioned, online reviews have a significant power to affect other buying decisions.
However, we cannot completely control them. The only thing you can do is be an intelligent buyer by exploring all features and considering all aspects of the product!