Need to complain about IKEA

aerofine

I am in a bit of a dispute with IKEA about a set of drawers that we bought last December, one of the shelves collapsed. I have written to IKEA, and received a response back at the weekend - However I am not happy with this response. In the letter from IKEA the Customer Services Manager at the Warington store states that that drawers collapsed due to mistreatment. This is a outright lie and I am disgusted at this accusation. What I am wanting to know is after I speak with this Manager later today, who can I direct my complaint to? I have already sent a letter of complaint to the UK CS Manager but as I suspect the letter will simply be passed back to the store.

This is my oroginal letter of complaint

I bought a set of Malm drawers last December. One of the drawers collapsed in August, the front of the drawer fell off completely. I contacted the online customer care who told me that I would be able to take the drawers back to the store with proof of purchase (I did not have the receipt but did have the debit card statement to show the purchase) and that I would be able to get a refund or exchange as the item was faulty.

My Dad also called into the Warrington store when he was passing (we live in Wigan) and was told exactly the same piece of information.

So we took the drawers back to the store on Wednesday 24th September. We took them to customer services who told us they would have to “inspect” them by a flat pack “specialist”. We were then told that they would replace the drawer but that would be all. I asked for the Manager. A lady appeared who I believed to be the Manager of the store (I found out later that this lady, her name was *****, was the duty Customer Services Manager). She told us that the reason the drawers had collapsed was the way that we had been opening the drawer! How many ways can you open a drawer?! I stated that this was ridiculous and she then changed her excuse to “the drawer had been forced open”. This was even more farcical – the drawer had only ever held items of jewellery and no force had ever been placed upon the drawer as the drawer opened very smoothly, until it collapsed.

She point blank refused to accept that the unit was faulty and insisted that it was not. How can an item 7 months old that collapses not be faulty?

She then gave us the front of the drawer and basically told us to go away and fix it. I queried why we had been told from 2 different sources that we would be able to get a refund or exchange, when that was not the case. She refused to comment, even though it was her own customer service staff who had told my Dad this. Eventually *****, simply to get rid of us, had the new drawer fixed onto the unit and ushered off, even as we were still trying to speak to her.

Later I asked a senior advisor could I speak to the Store Manager. The girl got on the phone and spoke to the Manager, Iain Wilson. She came back to us to state that the Manager refused to come and see us (she actually told us this), that he cannot override a duty Customer Services Manager and that he was only responsible for the store and not for customers. As you can imagine I laughed at this – if a store manager is only responsible for the store, then surely the customers who enter that store are his responsibility?

I cannot believe the contempt that myself and my Dad were treated with. Both the customer service manager and store manager have no respect for their customers. In the last 18 months I have spent over £3000 in Ikea as I have moved home twice in that time. Until I receive an apology and an explanation as to why we were treated in the manner we were, why we were lied to TWICE both online and in the store and why the MANAGER of the store feels he it is above his duties to deal with customers then I will not set foot in Ikea again. I would also expect an explanation as to why an item of 7 months old that collapses is not deemed as faulty.

lynnexxxo

With respect, did you put them together properly?

I've got drawer from the Malm range and have found them to be extremely sturdy.

Also, they offered to repair the drawer, surely thats better than getting a whole new flat pack that you would have to build from scratch?

I'd send them the letter anyway, see what they say.