SCAM:   “Regular sheets won’t fit our beds, these sheets are guaranteed to fit”

This is sales pitch’s goal is to inspire fear to get you the consumer to make a purchase you don’t have to. The company and the Universities that have the audacity to send ‘fear’ letters to incoming freshmen homes in an attempt to obtain purchases shall remain nameless, but the crime of their play on words and scare tactics will be made known.

Whether you want to purchase sheets from Dormbuys.com, Target, Bed Bath or any other reputable retailer that should be your choice. What shouldn’t happen is that you feel scared or pressured into buying sheets (bedding) from a company that tries to make you feel as if only their sheets will work on your college’s beds.  This company’s (with your University’s help) tactic is a play on words meant to create fear and uncertainty, that is masked in a way that looks like they are trying to help, when in fact they are just trying to help their bottom line and create sales by scaring you, the consumer.

The Truth:
College dorm beds can at first seem confusing, but when broken down in simple terms its really not. You have 3 bed sizes, with Twin XL being the most popular by far. Below is the breakdown.
Twin: 39″ x 75″
Twin XL: 39″ x 80″
Twin XXL: 39″ x 84″
Some university beds are only 36″ inches in width, but if you buy sheets that are 39″ in width by whatever size length you need you’ll be all set. Instead of worrying about twin, twin xl etc, look at the dimensions. Most University websites will list the bed dimensions or if you call the residence life office at your college they can tell you. Once you find out its 39 x 80 (or 36 x 80) you know you’ll need Twin XL and you can shop wherever you find that size.  This goes for whatever size (dimensions) you discover your bed to be, I just used twin xl as an example because its the most popular.

The Scam:
To make parents and students unsure. If your college sends you an official looking letter that talks about ’students were left literally “short-sheeted” and unable to properly make their beds’ would you listen? Well, the retail company and your university thinks you will. Their goal, together (your university & this company) is to make you believe that if you buy sheets from anywhere else that you’ll screw it up, that your poor kid won’t have sheets on day 1 of college. They get me scared and I don’t even have kids yet! The use of such terms as ’special arrangement’, ‘custom fitted’, ‘hard to find’, and ‘eliminated time consuming search’ are all part of the scam letter sent to you the consumer. What’s more sickening is the university’s underlined statement, ‘these are the only linens that we guarantee will fit’. Don’t be fooled by all this powerfully fearful language that comes from an unsuspecting source (your University in conjunction with a retailer). Scams come from everywhere, even sources that try to act as if they are helping you, when in fact they are trying to scare you into a purchase you can make elsewhere.

What to do:
Well, if you get this letter from your University you can do a lot of things. I prefer lists, so here you go:
1.) Tell others, you read this article and are now aware, but your friends may have no clue
2.) Use these letters as a paper airplane, scrap paper to jot a grocery list on, or to start a summer camp fire
3.) Call the university, tell them you think this is crap and not the way to do business
4.) Become educated get the bed dimensions of your dorm and shop where you want
5.) Even if you like the bedding from this company don’t shop with them out of principles alone, … sending a message that dishonest sales tactics don’t work is a great way to get them to stop what they are doing.
6.) Enjoy what’s left of the summer and don’t get to worried about college and the preparation involved!!!

BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF THE ACTUAL LETTER: