IKEA REFUSING full REFUND

Dizzycow07

I had been looking for a breakfast bar for my kitchen and spotted one online from Ikea. I went to the Leeds store and ordered it to be picked up at their external warehouse. There were none in store I could see to get a proper idea of it. It was heavier than I expected but I managed to get it home and made a slit in the top of the box to remove the contents. A small box with plastic bags with screws etc was the first out. I undid these and laid them out. Next was the legs/base section. When I removed this and stood it up I realised it was going to be too tall for my small stature (just over 5ft). All screws were returned to the plastic bags and put into the small box, then back into the larger one. I couldn't get all the legs back into the main box and didn't want to damage anything trying to jam them back in. I took the breakfast bar in it's entirety back to the returns  dept and explained the problem and that all items were there and in excellent order. The 'customer' services rep asked me if I'd opened the bag of screw. I said yes. she then told me that as it was now 'not saleable' I would only be getting a refund for the table top. I explained that it was not fit for my purposes and that I had never heard of this  policy  - having shopped with Ikea for over 20 years. She said 'well it's on the website' No offer of in store credit was offered and I only recieved the price of the table top. The breakfast bar cost me £150 in the morning and by the afternoon I had and have only received £75.00 refund. I feel like they have taken £75.00 from me. They have all the goods in their possession. 
I have gone through Resolver to see if I can go any further with this and at present am not getting very far. Has anybody else had this issue with Ikea?  I've returned opened packages in the past and never had any problem.

Aylesbury_Duck

Dizzycow07 said:

I had been looking for a breakfast bar for my kitchen and spotted one online from Ikea. I went to the Leeds store and ordered it to be picked up at their external warehouse. There were none in store I could see to get a proper idea of it. It was heavier than I expected but I managed to get it home and made a slit in the top of the box to remove the contents. A small box with plastic bags with screws etc was the first out. I undid these and laid them out. Next was the legs/base section. When I removed this and stood it up I realised it was going to be too tall for my small stature (just over 5ft). All screws were returned to the plastic bags and put into the small box, then back into the larger one. I couldn't get all the legs back into the main box and didn't want to damage anything trying to jam them back in. I took the breakfast bar in it's entirety back to the returns  dept and explained the problem and that all items were there and in excellent order. The 'customer' services rep asked me if I'd opened the bag of screw. I said yes. she then told me that as it was now 'not saleable' I would only be getting a refund for the table top. I explained that it was not fit for my purposes and that I had never heard of this  policy  - having shopped with Ikea for over 20 years. She said 'well it's on the website' No offer of in store credit was offered and I only recieved the price of the table top. The breakfast bar cost me £150 in the morning and by the afternoon I had and have only received £75.00 refund. I feel like they have taken £75.00 from me. They have all the goods in their possession. 
I have gone through Resolver to see if I can go any further with this and at present am not getting very far. Has anybody else had this issue with Ikea?  I've returned opened packages in the past and never had any problem.

I don't know their policy for store returns but if this wasn't a distance sale (i.e you didn't order online) then you have no statutory right to a change of mind return. You went to the store and ordered - wasn't it clear it was too tall when you were in the store?

If it doesn't qualify as a distant sale, it's down to their policy.  If their policy allows them to take the stance they have done, them that's it.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

It sounds as if you purchased in store so there's no right to a refund for change of mind, only if the goods do not conform to the contract. 

They do have a return policy which they must abide by but this states goods must be new, etc. 

If they didn't tell you how much would be refunded you could try customer service to see if they will offer a bit more but if you were offered a part refund and accepted this I don't see anywhere else to go. 

neilmcl

This is purely down to a change of mind on your part and other than Ikea's own T&Cs with regards allowing returns you have no rights to any refund at all.

tacpot12

If Ikea are relying on their T&Cs to only provide a partial refund, you potentially have a case under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 as the term seems unfair it it allows them to decide what proportion of the cost they will refund unfairly. (What if they decided to refund you only £1?) 

A reduction of £75 seems unfair to me as the cost of a new bag of screws will be less than £5 and the work to order these and insert them into the box will be minimal, perhaps £25 - £30 would be fair. So your case is worth £50 to you. The cost of going to court will be more than this, so it would be better to just accept that it is unfair and complain about it on as many social media sites as you care to in order to alert other customers to their sharp practice.

MattMattMattUK

Dizzycow07 said:

When I removed this and stood it up I realised it was going to be too tall for my small stature (just over 5ft). 

Breakfast bars, just like residential kitchen worktops are at a standardised height (900mm, with a small variance on fitting and worktop thickness).

born_again

Not sure where "Not fit for Purpose" fits in with your stature.

As above units are a standard height 105cm & stated in the website.

Diamandis

tacpot12 said:

If Ikea are relying on their T&Cs to only provide a partial refund, you potentially have a case under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 as the term seems unfair it it allows them to decide what proportion of the cost they will refund unfairly. (What if they decided to refund you only £1?) 

A reduction of £75 seems unfair to me as the cost of a new bag of screws will be less than £5 and the work to order these and insert them into the box will be minimal, perhaps £25 - £30 would be fair. So your case is worth £50 to you. The cost of going to court will be more than this, so it would be better to just accept that it is unfair and complain about it on as many social media sites as you care to in order to alert other customers to their sharp practice.

Well they're technically entitled to £0 for a change of mind return so I'm not sure where you're getting any of this information. 

tacpot12

They are entitled more more of a refund even if changing their mind if the T&Cs allow them to return an item for a partial refund if they change their mind. T&Cs can give you rights over and above your statutory rights, but can't remove statutory rights. 

knightstyle

Surely as it was fine except for the height you could have cut down the legs to the required height and then you would not have needed to return it?

neilmcl

tacpot12 said:

They are entitled more more of a refund even if changing their mind if the T&Cs allow them to return an item for a partial refund if they change their mind. T&Cs can give you rights over and above your statutory rights, but can't remove statutory rights. 

The OP has no statutory rights to allow for any refund under a change of mind, which this is. Any refund is purely down to goodwill on the part of Ikea and determined by their own T&Cs.