Ikea -The Consumers Complaint List-In the Public Domain

Quote from my letter to IKEA:

"I am writing to express my extreme disappointment in the quality of service I have experienced in purchasing a Kitchen from you.

I ordered a kitchen in July. It was not delivered on time. There were damaged and missing items. The units were not supplied with the correct fixings. I have spent most of the last 6 weeks trying to organise for these extra items to be sent to me but I have failed. The wrong parts have been sent - I have been to go and buy parts form Homebase (!), my calls have not been returned and deliveries have never arrived. I have set aside weekend upon weekend to build my kitchen based upon promised deliveries only to be left disappointed and unable to get on.

I have now given up and intend to purchase compatible fittings elsewhere to finish my kitchen in time. I can wait no longer. I have also unpacked further items only to find more damaged products.

I have attempted to write down a summary of what I have had to go through, but I would point out that it is only a summary – I have not recorded every communication. This is attached for your reference.

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All in all, the communications between your various departments (none of whom are able to call each other – I am told you only operate on an internal e-mail system) is far from satisfactory. I have had to call IKEA about 20-30 times, and each time I speak to someone different. I cannot speak to the same person consistently. I cannot speak to anyone in the store. The call centre will not put me through to the store, the delivery department, and the store doesn’t call me back for 3 days to answer my queries. Even when I think something is sorted out, the next time I call I go back to square one. This has directly resulted in a lot of stress, and wasted time on my behalf.

If you are keen to live up to the standards of convenience and simplicity that you promote through your advertising, then I hope that this feed back will be useful in enabling you to improve your level of service.

I am an Architect with a leading international firm, and I have specified kitchens – including IKEA kitchens for my projects. I have dealt extensively with various kitchen, bathroom and building suppliers, and have never before come across such an inadequate system. I am also an IKEA cardholder, and have used the store regularly, however this whole experience has seriously damaged my opinion of the store.

I will have great hesitation in advising my friends and colleagues to attempt to use your company, and I will definitely think very carefully before I put my future clients at risk but specifying IKEA kitchens.

In addition to refunding the cost of the items that were not delivered, I would expect the highest level of compensation are you able to offer to compensate for the stress, wasted time, overall delay of my kitchen. But more importantly, I expect a gesture of good will that may encourage me to continue to use the store in the future."

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Link to other IKEA Complaints

Editorial Comments

update on 23 May 2003:
Email from IKEA UK's PR Manager (see Right of Reply column above right).

I think it desparately sad that IKEA takes this attitude. It wouldn't be unfair to suggest that most customers posting on clik2complaints.co.uk have lost any confidence in what is going on 'internally' at IKEA to resolve their complaints.

It wouldn't hurt IKEA to be seen to be responding to Customer grievances - the lack of which has brought most to the this website. IKEA should borrow a leaf from other companies that appear to be open in addressing and responding to Consumer greivances raised on clik2complaints.co.uk.

Jonathan T-Wright, Editor

Hi I bought a kitchen from IKEA for a flat we'd bought for my student son in Nov 98 and had to wait for the sink unit which was exclusive to the VARDE base at the time. It did not arrive on the promised delivery date when our builder had a slot to fit it. I then asked for their builders to do it. They came in eventually 6 weeks later and firstly fitted flooring which I'd also purchased from IKEA, so badly it had to be thrown out as we could not save it... Read on Dolores Mulkerrins... 31 August 2003
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I bought a dresser at Ikea and there was a part missing (the second time in a row I've bought something with a park missing). So I took the manual, circled the part I needed and had to take public transit back to Ikea a few days later. It took an hour to get there in the sweltering heat of summer. The customer service people were confused and disorganized, but after about 15 minutes I was given the part. I went home (another hour by bus and subway) and found that it was the WRONG part. Back to Ikea. Another hour in the heat.

Complained and this time got the RIGHT part. Another hour back home--that's four hours travel time altogether. I finished putting the dresser together, but the one drawer wasn't aligned. So after all that it wasn't even a good quality product. I wrote to the store manager and the president of Ikea Canada to complain. I included photographs. They never replied. I'll never shop at Ikea again. David B. .. 29 September 2003 (Toronto)
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I am having a frustrating time with the Ikea .ca customer service comment page. I have tried submitting a complaint about 2 things. One the phone system needs to allow a person to callan extension directly to leave a message instead of listening to advertising and other stuff that I could noty care less about.

Secondly, when i have finally gotten through I was promised a phone call back either Tuesday night or Wedsnesday. Surprise. No phone call. I called again this morning at 9 and as the store does not open till 10 I could not leave a voice mail for the after sales service person, even though I was given the extension. It is frustrating enough to not get called back but when you can't get through to them by phone or through their own web site (which is obviously not working right) You wonder if there is any customer service at all. As I have already had to pay for my desks it would be nice to be able to use them. I am getting to the point of getting a refund as they have my money so who cares if I get my product.

PS: If I could have submitted a complaint directly to Ikea I would have. But that as mentioned above is not working right.
Steve Hodgson, Ottawa,Ontario, Canada ... 24 October 2003
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I visited Ikea last week and wanted to buy a coffee table. The one I wanted to buy was not in the location it should have been, after asking a emplyoyee who was not very helpful, I was told they had sold out of the coffee table, and they would be getting a delivery during the night. I told them I lived many many miles from Ikea and I told them it was not possible to return the next day. I looked again in the shop and found many of the tabled I wanted on display, and asked them it I could buy one of these, but was told NO.

I asked why, but they just said it was company policy. I was told I should have checked the website and called them prior to travelling to the shop to check it the items were in stock, but I only saw the table once I was at IKEA. I had no idea of the table I wanted to buy until I saw it !, I thought that was what was shopping was about, browsing seeing something you like and them buying it. I was not allowed to buy the coffee tables, and I feel I wasted my day making the trip to IKEA. I will never go to IKEA again, and the way they talked to made me realise that they only make money because they sell in bulk, and not because of their customer service. IKEA are a waste of time, litterally.
Mark Jull ... 12 November 2003
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Ikea have caused my partner and I many problems since July 2003! It started off when we ordered some bedroom furniture from their Brent Park store. It got delivered two weeks later, and guess what it was the wrong size. We were then told that we had to go back to the store to re-order, and guess what they still have our money from the first order! Since then we have had many, many more problems with them. The customer services department leaves alot to be desired!! The other day my partner managed to speak with a someone, who advised him that they were not putting the phone down on him, just terminating his call! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that the same thing?? It is also amazing how that do not seem to received your complaints in the post - even if they are sent recorded delivery!
Siobhan Morrissey ... 24 November 2003
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I have just had a "Customer Services Manager" (Arun from Croydon) hang up on me! And this is after they made an error resulting in my not having the right frame for my table.Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to go from here? If Customer Service is hanging up, where do I go next?
Nick Jefferson ... 25 November 2003
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Mr Filskow, Ikea does not know how to spell the words good will, let alone competence and organisation! (Read my correspondence with them on this site.)

I am preparing to take them to court and am in the process of sending off all the files to any member of the media (Swedish one included) willing to listen.

That is where it will hurt them the most and will hopefully result in them getting their act together. Feel free to contact me if you want to jump on the bandwagon. click2complaints has my email address.
Francesco... 3 November 2002
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Best advice yet, Francesco. I fought with IKEA for nearly a year on a defective sofa. They refused to inspect it or give me a refund, even though I couldn't even sit on the sofa, it was so badly falling apart. So, I sued them after months of useless phone calls. Guess what, I won! It's the only thing I could do to get any resolution on this. They forced me to it and over a lousy $600 sofa. I am all for hate campaigns against IKEA. You want results, you have to sue them. CD... 18 January 2003
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Stat white paint flaking off at an alarming speed, do not buy a kichen form IKEA. Linda Wall...16 Februay 2003
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Not surprised at all... at the laid back and woefully inadequate approach. Purchased 2 & 3 str sofa over 12 years ago from Brent Park (Croydon not open). The service was abysmal, arrived after 8 weeks (6 stated), the 2 str was damaged. Not until we to a 3rd replacement was it of merchantable quality. No change from all those years ago... ho hum still inot in tune with your customers needs - what a surprise. The 'take the money and worry later' mentality still applies. Despite many years in business in the UK what has Ikea learned ??? NOTHING !!! So Mr PR Manager UK... stick that in your pipe and smoke it !!!!!!
Tony McDevitt... 19 July 2003
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