IKEA Click and Collect Items Not Picked, None Left?

GSP

We ordered 8 cushions for click and collect for our garden furniture. We have been waiting months for these items to arrive to complete the set. In the morning 30 cushions were suddenly available in store and shortly after placing our order the number reduced to 22 which we assume were our cushions coming off the stock total. Our time slot to arrive was between 6pm to 10pm the next day.

We turned up at 9pm, but when giving our order number was told our order had not been picked and there were no more cushions in store. After having driven 20 miles to the store, and after waiting all this time we were not pleased.

Apparently the pickers of the order can do this at anytime. Anyone actually visiting the store can pick and take ‘your’ items away, there’s nothing reserved, nothing put to one side. What’s the point of this click and collect? You pay your money for items you believe they have in stock, but in fact they have given away the items you thought you had reserved to customers who come later, but come in store. The next delivery of these cushions is expected end September at best.

Why take your money before guaranteeing they can give you the goods you ordered? I have to wait 5-7 days for a refund. It feels like they have broken a contract of sorts.

Anyone else experienced this and did you have any joy with customer services and any compensation?

born_again

Only same as ordering a "Click & Collect" from the supermarket. If there is nothing on the shelf, they can't pick it.

End of the day if they do not have the product what can they do?

y3sitsm3

I now have a mental image of Ikea staff frantically sprinting around the store picking items every time a C&C order comes in.

jon81uk

I think that they should be reserving stock for customers who have ordered ahead, not collecting it from the display once you are already at the store. Yes supermarkets only pick on the day of delivery, but thats perishable goods.
Every other store which offers click and collect reserves the stock and keeps it to one side for you. Even supermarkets still pick the order in the morning and reserve until you collect, they don't wait for you to get to the car park and then go grab it.


But the terms do state stock levels are not guarenteed.
"We will do our best to ensure that your order is available on your chosen collection date. Please note that all products ordered are subject to availability and we may not be able to supply your order. We reserve the right to withdraw any products from sale at any time and refund you any money paid to us for products which we are no longer able to supply."
Services Terms and Conditions - IKEA

So you won't get compensation, but a nice complaint might get you a goodwill gesture of a giftcard I expect.

saker75

The IKEA model is fascinating.  They treat customers badly, and for me I can only build the courage to go to IKEA once per decade. But their stuff is well designed and tends to last. We’re about the move a whole lots of Billy bookcases for the eight time since buying them. Customers always seem an inconvenience.

GSP

Interesting responses and thanks for your posts.
If they can’t guarantee you will get the stock why do they take your money in the first place?

y3sitsm3

GSP said:

Interesting responses and thanks for your posts.
If they can’t guarantee you will get the stock why do they take your money in the first place?

They presumably don't "take" your money, they place an authorisation hold on the amount.

Brie

GSP said:

Interesting responses and thanks for your posts.
If they can’t guarantee you will get the stock why do they take your money in the first place?

Like saker75 I hate Ikea.  I hate feeling like a rat in a maze forced to go along the same trail as everyone else.  My small joy is finding reasons and ways to go in the wrong direction.  And I like the meatballs....

But the reason they take your money is that they can.  People do like their products generally and if they can pocket your ££ if only for 5 - 7 days they can use that to make a bit more profit.  It's not just your £100 or whatever, it's thousands and thousands  of others who might do the same so suddenly they might have a million available to pay their bills, invest, buy/pay FX options, whatever.

y3sitsm3

Brie said:

GSP said:

Interesting responses and thanks for your posts.
If they can’t guarantee you will get the stock why do they take your money in the first place?

Like saker75 I hate Ikea.  I hate feeling like a rat in a maze forced to go along the same trail as everyone else.  My small joy is finding reasons and ways to go in the wrong direction.  And I like the meatballs....

But the reason they take your money is that they can.  People do like their products generally and if they can pocket your ££ if only for 5 - 7 days they can use that to make a bit more profit.  It's not just your £100 or whatever, it's thousands and thousands  of others who might do the same so suddenly they might have a million available to pay their bills, invest, buy/pay FX options, whatever.

Oh God, not another one of these "they're talking tiny amounts of people's money to invest in the stock market" conspiracy theories.

They're not doing that, they're placing an authorisation hold on the funds. They don't get any access to the funds when they do this and even if they did debit the funds it'd take several days to actually get them.  It is not instantaneous, by any stretch of the imagination.

easy

y3sitsm3 said:

I now have a mental image of Ikea staff frantically sprinting around the store picking items every time a C&C order comes in.

In effect that's what happens at Dunelm.  If you order from Dunelm click and collect,  the order is ready for you 2 hours later (often the text comes more quickly than that).  So it must be that they fulfil the order as soon as it comes in. 

I agree with the OP.  If you place an order,  the stock should be reserved for that order ASAP.  If they can't do that,  they shouldn't be charging the card.  
Supermarket orders don't get charged to your card until the goods are picked and rung through.

y3sitsm3

easy said:

y3sitsm3 said:

I now have a mental image of Ikea staff frantically sprinting around the store picking items every time a C&C order comes in.

In effect that's what happens at Dunelm.  If you order from Dunelm click and collect,  the order is ready for you 2 hours later (often the text comes more quickly than that).  So it must be that they fulfil the order as soon as it comes in. 

I agree with the OP.  If you place an order,  the stock should be reserved for that order ASAP.  If they can't do that,  they shouldn't be charging the card.  
Supermarket orders don't get charged to your card until the goods are picked and rung through.

The problem generally is that the IKEA stuff is bulky/heavy and unnecessarily shifting it around seems like a bit of a waste of time.  They may not have the storage space for it in the back either.  So not charging the customer until after you've wrangled three beds, four sets of bedroom drawers and a TV stand to some holding area only to them find the card gets declined seems... a bit silly. 

I can see a certain amount of sense in not picking it until the customer turns up, although perhaps a warning that this would happen wouldn't go amiss.