ikea - customer service is a disgrace

keithboy40

i bought a discounted bed from ikea today and had it delivered tonight only to find it was 1" to big for my bed room. i telephoned customer services who informed me to take the bed back to the store as i bought it from the bed department and not the bargain corner.

i travelled 15 miles to the store only to be told by a snotty jumped up robot of a manager that the bed was infact a bargain corner bed, therefor he would not reund my money.

i was willing to buy a new full price bed however he refused to allow me a refund.

my argument was that i did not know the bed was a bargain corner discount as it was in the store and not bargain corner warehouse. the salesman di not tell me the bed was a bargain corner bed and that i could not return it.

i am now left with a bed that does not fit my bed room. i know i should have measured the bed, however it was a kingsize and i wanted to replace a kingsize.

the manager was a nightmare. stone face unsociable and unwilling to budge. he kept quoting company policy and that i should be aware of his company policy when i enter the store.

anyway this is the last time i will be shopping at ikea ( Gateshead) as they have lost my confidence in their customer service.

wobbley

Having had past problems at Ikea I just use the place as a free source of pencils ! I used to take the paper tape measures too but they're rubbish. Maybe I should put that on the 'Freebies' forum?

RAMBLER

Is there anything wrong with the bed that will enable it to go back that way?

Becles

Is there anyway you could make the frame smaller?

I bought my son a pine framed bed which was fine in the bigger baby decorated bedroom. However when I was expecting my second baby, I wanted to move my son into a smaller bedroom which I'd decorated more boyish! The bed was just a fraction too big to fit in the gap. I sawed a small piece off each of the pine lengths that form the side of the frame, then reattached the bottom bit. It fits fine now, just the matress is a very tight fit!

Hermia

I have only been to Ikea twice in my life and that was enough for me. They don't seem to have heard of 'customer service'!

spor7y

I totally agree that Ikea's customer services sucks.
They appear to have nothing but contempt for their customers.
My friend use to work there as a supervisor and she told me a very little known fact: Any customer who has been forced to return to the store because of missing parts or faulty goods is entitled to a petrol allowance.
I can't remember what it is but they pay you per mile.
You need proof of you address.
She hasn't worked there for about two years so this may no longer be the case.
But, it's worth asking for it anyway.

ps_live

I'd fire an irate but polite email to their head office complaining of your treatment and the details of your return.

I'd imagine they'd do something about it, and you may even be given vouchers for your inconvenience.

Its worth a try for the sake of a two minute email.

keithboy40

thanks for the above. i intend taking this matter further. does anybody have details of ikea head office. the k**b of a manager i spoke to said they do not have a head office as all stores are a franchise and my complaint could go no where else but to his store.

i have thought about cutting it down to size, but wouldn't work as it would leave bear edges.

headcovers

If you go to Companies House and search their database they give the following for IKEA:

Name & Registered Office:
IKEA LIMITED
21 HOLBORN VIADUCT
LONDON
EC1A 2DY
Company No. 01986283

If this is correct the registered company number should be on your receipt.

....and boy are there a lot of unsatified IKEA customers out there, God knows how they make money if that many people hate them. Just goes to show that in this country we put up with too much and we should do a bit more complaining with our feet....to another store.

webmasterpolo

Hi

I totally appreciate your situation. I too shop @ Ikea Gateshead and I recently bought a new house and bought a lot of furniture from them.

I had lot's of problems on the day getting the goods with no assistance lifting all the stock, then massive problems at the tills getting it scanned. Took over 3 hours in all to buy a wardrobe!

Got home and found was overcharged and some items missing. Took receipt back into c/s and got the overcharge refunded and the missing items.

Wrote to their store manager (Ruth Huxley) got no response after 14 days requested in letter. Wrote to HQ with copy og letter 1 and asked them to deal with it, they replied write to the store! and sent a voucher for a free drinks and cake.

Wrote to HQ again and got a letter back offering £25 refund onto card as comp. Had to call the store to have this done, which turned into another nightmare. No on there could help, was promised several call backs that never happened. Eventually called again myself and spoke to a supervisor who I insisted refunded an extra £10 for phone calls and additional hassle. So got £35 comp in the end.

You should try writing to the store first, but only give them 7 days. Then write to the HQ with copies of the firsrt letter and mention the lack of response. This will cover you for when they say "all complaints are dealt with by the store concerned" line.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

keithboy40

well, i sent complaint letter to ikea gateshead over 2 weeks ago and they have failed to reply. not very good customer service and not suprising. i'll now try their head office and see if they will have the decency in replying to my complaint. if not then i'll contact the local press and see what they say.