IKEA really are something else

maka_2

Any success stories against ikea and how it was achieved?

I'm at witts end even with senior management involved.

I'm at the point where I'm really considering employing a solicitor as myself wife and kids are drained from dealing with them

Long and short of it is we have had no kitchen or cooking facilities 6 weeks I have lost around £900 in lost earning had no choice but to live off microwave meals and takeaways for this time which cost a fortune.

All this while my wife is studying for her final uni exams

RosiPossum

I'm no expert, but I imagine people will need more details.
For example; when did you order, what timescale did they give, did you stay in on promised delivery days without them turning up, what contact have you had so far...?

maka_2

there is so much detail that people would get bored of reading it even shortened down it seems to go on but ill try.




I was told to collect my kitchen before 2nd of feb





I arrived to collect on Friday 31st January I was told that all the old stock had already been removed to make way for the new line I then had to call my kitchen fitter that they were unable to start work today due to there being no kitchen to collect.


I was then told the kitchen would be delivered on 11th feb








Arranged for the fitter to comeback Wednesday 12th of Feb to install my kitchen , the kitchen arrived on the 11th February however there was no sink. I called customer services only to be told “ sorry this sink has been discontinued after the agent went to speak to their manager she came to inform me there is one left in the country so they will order that for me and within 5-7 days I would receive this via


So I agreed to wait the extra week and then had to cancel my fitters for a second time, they were reluctant to start installing what had been delivered just in case the sink never arrived





After waiting I called again asking what was going on to be told the sink had not been ordered. A team manager then assured me that they had order it and I would receive a text message with a date of delivery.





On the 21st February had the text came informing me that delivery is set for 27/02/2014 I received another text on the 22/02/2014 again informing me of the 27th February.





I then had another text on the 25/02/2014explaining the delivery is set to go ahead as planned on the Thursday 27th between 7am 11am.





Again I booked the fitters for Thursday and Friday at this point I was informed that if I cancel again I would be charged for wasted time as they had already been cancelled twice before.





I thought nothing more about it as I had conformation my delivery was coming.





Then on the Wednesday 26/02/2014 @13.36 I had another text message informing me that my delivery was not coming until Friday 28/02/14, I thought this must be a mistake but to double check ill call customer service just to double check the agent informed me that the text message was correct and indeed the sink would not arrive until Friday 28/02/2014.





As you can understand at this point I was fuming not only have I been without a kitchen and no cooking facilities since 31st January therefore no way of cooking for my wife and 3 children except for microwavable meals and takeaways both are neither cheap nor nutritious. But I was also faced with an invoice from the kitchen for wasted time.




this is when I spoke to Teresa (operations manager ) in the Peterborough call centre she apologised but did inform me that there was no way this sink was coming to me as planned on the 27th feb as it was still in transit.
Teresa again apologised for everything and that ikea would cover the cost of fitting and there would be substantial compensation for the invoices, time wasted, loss of my earnings and the stress caused due to all the errors. she also told me she would arrange for their installer to come to me on Friday 28th to do a PIV pre install visit.


on Thursday 27th morning im at home due to cancelling work and a delivery driver is stood with my sink


so I quickly called my fitter to tell them sorry sir we are now fully booked for 10 weeks and frankly we don't want ur business anyway due to being messed around twice before. called around other companies to see how fast I could get this kitchen fitted and was looking at a minimum 8 week wait.


called ikea again to explain I had the sink but no fitters for weeks
Teresa told me not to worry as she is sorting her guys to do this PIV tomorrow.


Friday afternoon comes no show or call from this company so again off to call ikea this time I was informed Teresa the ops manager is off today infact she is away til Tuesday next week


im put through to the evening ops manager who confirms no appointment had actually been made notes on my account to say she was doing it but not actioned it.
I was then informed ikeas fitters are closed over the weekend so she will call them first thing Monday to sort the PIV.


at this point I drafted an email to Gillian drakeford express my dismay.
the following Monday I get a call telling me their fitters are over an hour away so want travelling paid for so they would have to auth a PO to get this covered this takes a further 2days to arrange so Wednesday I get a call telling me the PO had been paid and they would be out Friday 7th march to carry out this visit so again another day off work


Friday around 10.30 ikeas fitters call sorry we can make it til Monday 10th march but don't worry I wont affect anything as we would not have priced it up til Monday anyway sir soi explained to him well yes it will due to taking the day of work today and now having to take another day off work Monday to which im told to stop putting barriers in the way if I want this sorted.


so anyway they came out Monday priced it up for 2 days work at a cost of £2500 to install around 12 cabinets oven and hob.
agent from ikea called that afternoon to say we have the quote speak to you tomorrow 11th march. guess what no call.


I think that pretty much covers most of it


if there seem to be any holes in this im sorry just please ask me what u need to know.


its late im knackered but cant sleep cuz of this situation

peachyprice

Yes, Ikea have treated you poorly, but you do also have to share some of the blame.

Firstly why did you take your old kitchen out before you received everything from Ikea, secondly why did you book fitters before you received everything from Ikea?

It's the golden rule of any major project, do not remove what you already have and do not book tradesmen, until you've got everything to start the job.

Prothet_of_Doom

I feel your pain.

Why couldn't/didn't the fitters, make a start without the sink.

Personally I'd have had the fitter lined up, removed everything from kitchen apart from sink and cooker units, putting the fridge in the dinning room. If I had to We'd have lived off snadwiches not ready meals.
And once it had been delivered/or collected, agreed a date to start with the fitters.

Actually if it were me, I'd be fitting it myself, because I don't trust professionals to not bodge it.

maka_2

To much needed doing so could not leave pulling it out til last minute the whole kitchen was knocked to brick so it could have new ceiling and then be re plastered through out and when it told to collect your kitchen on a set date you would imagine that's what's going to happen.

And of course you book the trades in advance otherwise you could end up waiting so no I disagree I'm not at fault at all. The trades guys did not want to install a kitchen without everything just incase the sink never arrived I would have to send the kitchen back but if it had been put together I would not be able to send back

I'm considering putting it in myself and get a joiner for the work top.

So if I'm not happy with what ikea offer me as a good will gesture what would be my next step ?

meer53

I too don't understand why you didn't let them fit the kitchen without the sink. . You seem to have made the situation worse than it needed to be.

bod1467

meer53 wrote: »

I too don't understand why you didn't let them fit the kitchen without the sink. . You seem to have made the situation worse than it needed to be.

My reading of the OP's responses is that the FITTERS refused to fit the kitchen without the sink being there, not that the OP stopped them.

TBH - unless it was a really special, completely unique sink with totally non-standard sizes, fitting the kitchen without the sink shouldn't have been an issue. The sink cutout could have been made to published details about the sink - perhaps slightly smaller to allow for adjustment once it arrived.

Gigervamp

The plumbing for Ikea kitchens is different to the standard plumbing.
We bought our kitchen from Ikea, but installed it ourselves (I put the cabinets together and hubby fitted them to the walls. It's easy enough to do.)
Hubby got a friend to help with installing the sink as he'd never done any plumbing before. His friend said he'd never come across plumbing like it.

hollydays

Only piece of advice- go into the shop and speak to the manager- do not speak to the call centre

swingaloo

I don't think you have a leg to stand on as in the Ikea kitchen guide it does state- 'You should only dismantle your old kitchen once you are sure you have all parts and appliances for your new kitchen'.

As someone who worked for a kitchen supply and delivery company for years I have read letters from many customers in your situation. People will just not wait, they are gung ho to get started. Why book fitters before you have the goods?