£1700 Ikea Refund Nightmare

Going_Mad

OK I'm going mad:-)

We tried to purchase an Ikea kitchen on Monday 1st September.

We got to Ikea (thurrock) at 7pm with the kitchen plans that Ikea drew up and checked last time we went to Ikea.

The kid on the kitchen ordering system first told us that we couldn't purchase the kitchen as the taps were not in stock in the distribution depot (everything else was) so he couldn't place the order. After one supervisor and half an hour later we managed to establish that actually they had the taps in stock in the Ikea we were in and we suggested he remove the taps from the order and we purchased the taps direct at the store.

This took him a further half hour to do, then he said his computer was broken and he couldn't do the order and we had to take it to the till as it was.
All the time he was saying how fed up he was, that his manager was a jerk, that the staff were miserable and how we would struggle to find a member of staff in the building that cared about the company at all.

He then told us that we had a 24 hour cooling off period and we would get a call, probably tomorrow but within the next 12 days to negotiate a delivery date. He then said that although we could agree a delivery date that they reserved the right to deliver within 14 days of the agreed date.

Anyway, we made our way to the tills where we were informed by another member of staff that the kitchen designers were useless and didn't know their job, and that now they couldn't put the order through the till. After another half an hour of them calling to the kitchen designers and to other staff the till guy walked off with the order to manaully put it all through himself. He also slagged off the management and the company saying it was all a joke.

At 9pm he came back, said it was all converted to an order, billed us £1700 plus £85 for the taps.

Then he said we had a 24hr cooling off period and pointed to where we had to go and collect the taps. The taps were in stock but not on the shelves so we had to give our receipt in and queue.

At 9:45pm I politely asked if the woman could go and get my taps, which she did - we left at 10pm, 3 hours after walking in with a completed kitchen plan and our debit card.

On pondering all this overnight, we decided that due to the very loose delivery times and how Ikea had really not cared about us at all, that we would like to cancel the order, get a refund and get our kitchen elsewhere.

So we called within 24hrs and they said they would refund our money. That was last Tuesday. They said they would not refund the money without their refunds dept calling us, but they promised a call Wednesday. The call didn't happen so we chased it and they promised a call Thursday, then the same again Friday, the same again Saturday, and now it's Tuesday, we still haven't received a call, they still have our £1700 and have again promised a call today.

Does anyone know where we stand with this? Surely there is a time limit as to when a refund can be given - else they could hold the cash indefinately.

I have builders starting shortly so hopefully they come up with the money soon as I need to get a kitchen from elsewhere (we found a place that does next day delivery)

Thanks for listening to my vent - any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Going Mad!

pinkshoes

I'd phone again today, and make sure you take the name of the person you're speaking to. If they fob you off saying the refunds dept will phone you, ask to speak to a manager, or someone of higher authority.

If this amounts to nothing, then put pen to paper, and send a letter (recorded delivery) detailing the whole thing, including staff slagging each other off, chaos over the tap, difficulty paying etc... and write down the times and dates you tried to call and cancel the order, why you're cancelling etc... to show you DID cancel within 24 hours!

Send a copy to the store, and also notify them that you've sent a copy to headquarters too. (and send a copy to headquarters!).

brightonman123

start a chargeback asap- goods not delivered?

uktim29

brightonman123 wrote: »

goods not delivered?

Thats not what the problem is though, they've changed their minds.

Surely if you start a chargeback it has to be what the actual problem is otherwise the chargeback risks failing?

Going_Mad

Ok - after threatening a PR exercise tomorrow at their Thurrock store they finally gave me a refund.

As part of the process I managed to get hold of what I was told was an impossible phone number - which is the direct line to their refunds dept.

The Ikea Refunds Dept Phone Number is: 01733 293165

I hope this helps any other poor soul that needs to deal with them.

Apparently it'll take 3 days for the money to reach my account so I'll post again here if it doesn't.

I have to say I'm pleased I didn't have to stand outside their store with a placard and in my underpants.

Going Mad!

Sssssss

what's a PR exercise?

uktim29

Sssssss wrote: »

what's a PR exercise?

It's where you stand outside a shop (on some sort of protest) because you're not happy about something and everyone walking by thinks you're an idiot (but you in a deluded way convince yourself it's working wonders).

VfM4meplse

I have had a similar (ordering) problem with Thurrock. So annoying when you plan for when you can take delivery the next day, check that the parts are all in stock, get there and find they aren't!!

Having said that I have been happy with my study for years, it is just what I wanted it just took a while getting here.

BigSpender2_2

i had the same prob, makes you so cross, I cancelled the whole order and am now writing a 4 page letter of compliant

Going_Mad

Finally I got my money back :-)

I guess Ikea are fine so long as you can pick the item up and walk out with it.