Complaint Review: Ikea

Ok, IKEA furniture isn't mahogany or anything, but it's WAAAAAYYY better than that cheap Sauder crap you get at Walmart. And it's pretty reasonably priced.

Also, I see employees help put furniture in customers' vehicles all the time. Maybe it's just the one by me, but I don't see why they couldn't at least have one of those people help you get it on your cart and one to help get it in your car.

Slapping an employee in order to get some "satisfaction" is a sure way to get yourself thrown out of the store. One good thing about Ikea is that they won't tolerate customers getting abusive towards the employees and the managers and security are usually smart enough to figure out when the "witnesses" are just in on some scheme.

If you want to be waited on and have everything done for you, then Ikea is not the place for you. It is a self-serve store. If you know you are going to be making a large purchase and you know you will need help, then don't shop alone. Ikea has a system in place and it is not discriminatory simply because it doesn't suit you.

That is just bad advice! IKEA has cameras everywhere and most the LP guys are associated with the police department in some way.

If you want good customer service, don't be an jerk. Be polite. Don't yell at the employees, they don't make the rules! If some one was rude to me, I would not try to help them any further than I had to. If someone was nice and polite to me, I would go out of my way to help them the best that I could, which, in this posters case would have included picking up the phone and requesting someone from the Self Serve warehouse get the items with her and escort her to the cash lanes. From the cash lanes she would have had to push the items to the HD desk and they take it from there.

Shelley - did you get a printed out piece of paper or did you use the "shopping list" brochure? The printed paper explains it at the bottom how to purchase the items. The Brochure also explains it, but in less words. The cashiers should have been a bit better in explaining the process at that point, but I know how crazy it can be on a Saturday afternoon.

Frisco is still a newer store, try to go during the week! It's much much less crazy! I'm sorry you had a bad exprerience - really!

OK, Lets get the facts right!

Ikea DOES make cheap furniture that can be considered crap by those that want quality, BUT, they also have Quality furniture if you are willing to pay more! There is less of the quality furniture and more of the crap furniture. But, hey for the price, I think only WalMart and Target are even with Ikea quality.

As for customer service, the Frisco store is lacking. You must DEMAND service or start screaming and hollering with other customers around and do not let them speak to you in the office!. Demand service in front of other customers and that will get there attention!

Bring friends that are threatening and be ready to slap someone in face, just do not do on camera, and then deny ever hitting them! Again, bring friends as witnesses.

If all else fails, buy alot of crap, damage it and then take it back for a refund as they will give you back your money for damaged merchandise!

Another thing is anything you buy, always go back say it is missing pieces to either get your money back or at least cost them by them having to give you free product.

Oh yeah and another thing, go around the store opening packages so they have to sell in the as is for a loss!

Kick some butt until they give you service!

Its the poor mans way to getting customer satisfaction!

No major department stores in the USA have a return policy as rediculous as Ikea's. I bought an item and tried to return it with the receipt and original packaging. I was rudely told that they wont take it back because I had opened the package and plugged it in to test it. Later that day I spoke with the store manage who lied to me and said that they would indeed take it back. When I went back to the store the second time me and my wife were treated worse then the first. The manager was not there and the other customer service person went on and on that they dont take back opened merchandise when the back of their receipt states that they take back unused merchandise. Well then what type of merchandise do they take back. Must it only be unopened. What percentage of their customers actualluy do not open something when they get it home. Probabley less then 10%. So Ikea sends about 90% of their customers attempting a return packing out the door with their merchandise and no refund. It is a systematic way of dealing with returns so that they can save money. Ikea doesn't care one iota about customer service.

If you don't want to get stuck with something you can't use don;t shop at IKEA.

Pay the extra few dollars and go to a real store like Lowes, Sears, Home Depot, Expo Design and all the other great American stores that care about their customers. Don't shop at IKEA!!!

Don't get ripped off by these people who only care about their bottom line and dont care about you. Don't shop at IKEA!!!

Reading the rebuttals, it is clear that most of you did not even read what the original poster said. She was not asking them to load the items on her car (although I have had IKEA personnel in NJ help me do just this including tying down items). She was attempting to get the items delivered to her home. I wouldn't say that IKEA was discriminating against her specifically... The Frisco IKEA store is horrible in customer service in general. Regarding home delivery, there are signs ALL over IKEA stating they will help you obtain delivery. She was not out of line. Yes, they do outsource to outside delivery companies, but they clearly state that they do help you arrange delivery.

I will gladly go to the store and take pictures of these signs and send them to you. I have shopped at IKEA in New Jersey, New York, Houston, and the Frisco, TX store. The Frisco store SUCKS big time. They don't give a flying rat's butt about their customers. Not all IKEAs are this way, but the Frisco IKEA store is horrible. And the worst thing is you can't get resolution from them no matter what. Yes, IKEA has nice products and great prices, but when you leave a store feeling disgusted and pissed off because you aren't afforded even basic human courtesy, what's the point?

First off, I will tell you that IKEA stores sell merchandise at low prices. They DO NOT sell cheap crap. My kids got IKEA mesh hampers as gifts from my sister SEVEN YEARS ago. While the cheap crap mesh hampers from walmart have given out over and over...the ones from IKEA have yet to show a hole in either of them. I recently purchased three new beds at IKEA for my kids rooms. I paid less than $200 for all three and they are better quality than the $300 picket fence bed that a furniture store ripped me off for. I drove 2 hours to shop at an IKEA store and found nothing but helpful employees. My little 108 pound self and my 65 pound 12 year old didn't seem to have a problem wheeling the cart with three beds and 2 dressers on it through the checkout lane.

As for having the items delivered, I did not make use of delivery as I have a pickup truck. However, I can tell you that IKEA does not deliver their own items. Home delivery is contracted out to local delivery carriers. Additionally, you could have saved yourself the aggravation by just going online. Most all of their large furniture items are available for purchase through their website.

I am afraid that your argument holds little water. In fact, it holds no water.
If you need help getting something from the shelf ask an employee to help you. If you need help loading something in your car, ask an employee to help you. If you need something delivered to your home, take your stuff to the delivery counter.
I am sorry you assumed that Ikea was there to do everything for you, that was your mistake not Ikea's.

Thank you ,Joe in Maryland, but my point was, I was going to pay them to deliver it, not stuff it in my car or any of that. If I'm going to PAY TO HAVE STUFF DELIVERED don't you think the bums could take it off the shelf and put it in their truck? I would have even paid extra for that but was not offered any assistance while in the store, just told "NO, this is self-service" by the manager at the DELIVERY COUNTER. The only time I was told that there was supposed to be assistance on the aisles for sorry 120 lb weaklings like me was by a smart a*s customer service rep I talked to when I called to let them know how disappointed I was with them. I went and bought the furniture I wanted at Rooms to Go and while it was more expensive, it's much nicer and they delivered it and set it up. I'm glad I didn't get the cheap Ikea crap after all.

I agree that IKEA should have someone helping the customers to the door with heavy items, but loading them in or onto your car is both a liability (if they damage your car or you claim they did) and an expense.

IKEA is well known for having self-service and that's how they keep prices as low as they do. Where else you going to get a decent sofa for $249 that flat-packs into your car? Wal-Mart? Hardly so.

I dont' work for IKEA but work for another major retailer and I see peolpe all the time try to stuff oversized items into their vans, on top of their cars or hanging out of windows. Though my company will get it to the door for you, that's as far as most any company will go. IKEA provides some hefty carts for big items and anyone who's ever been there knows all about the giant warehouse at the end of your circle of walking around.

Warehouse expense is huge to provide staff, and also hard to get these days without hiring illegals...nobody wants the job. Not hiring those staffers is saving you a bundle on your merchandise. That's the IKEA way...sorry if you didn't go to their web site or ask even a friend what it's like before making grand plans to go get some big stuff. Their cashiers sound like they could have gotten some brains in them though or at least gave you the proper instructions on where to stand.


Anyway, if we packed it or even ASSISTED you, and the thing flipped off your car and smashed through someone's windshield killing them, who do you think the courts are going to make pay for that claim? Not you...after all who's got deeper pockets and is an easier target?

If you are going to buy some big stuff, like any of us, plan ahead and think outside the box that you may need some assistance with either moving that stuff or putting it into or on top of your car. Too may people have filed suit claiming damages to their cars or otherwise for people just trying to help out....welcome to the 21st rude century, I'm afraid. We'd like to do it, but we'd be sued, or you'd pay a price you'd rather not for the goods.

Gloria Steinem has set you free! We are all equal now.