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Have had two Ikea kitchens - both arrived with no bits missing and according to our independent fitters, were a dream to fit!
All furniture bought from them is still standing and has not broken.
As a long standing fan of Ikea (having spent thousands there) from the early days I've been singing their praises for years loyally defending their no frills policies and innovative designs against critics.
However, that's all changed since I contacted customer services recently regarding my discoloured (high end range, Effectiv) birch office furniture, purchased end 2006. (the same range and birch finish is still available and comes with a ten year guarantee but apparently not applicable when I purchased).
With Ikea testing examples and claims of quality in your face all over their stores and impressive long guarantees I did not expect my office units to darken to the colour of oak (oak also available in store) in patches. On the top of one unit I have a pale rectangle where my printer sat until I moved it.
After jumping through hoops involving a 40 mile round trip to the store with some of the furniture to ask if Ikea could restore my units - I was not looking for money back - and a phone call from them saying they would replace my units if I gave receipt info I had a long search for receipts to supply codes. I finally received a phone call, then confirming letter, telling me the furniture would not be replaced and that was the end of the matter.
Why, if Ikea know, as customer service staff (incidentally I found some of the CS staff to be contradictory, argumentative and opinionated with no respect for customer concerns) informed me, that the pale birch Effectiv office furniture will over time turn dark (in my case yellowed in patches), do they not mention this in any of the pre sales info? I would not have purchased a blond wood finish if I'd know it would resemble beech or oak over a short time and that it might not be even discolouration depending on light etc. Had I been given this information before my purchase I could have then made an informed choice. I may have perhaps gone for a painted finish or something else altogether. The letter I've received reiterates what customer service staff say about the colour change. I also have some less expensive Ikea Lack range birch veneer tables. They too have yellowed (they wouldn't look out of place in a heavy smokers house!) but as they were not from an expensive range with an expensive price tag I got rid only slightly irritated. The office furniture is another matter. I paid extra almost £300 for 4 small units expecting superior quality than the (what my friends refer to as) throw away range. A close friend also has a birch TV unit that has also gone so dark its more like beech now (only with a yellow tinge).
The message I have learned is that if you buy Ikea birch veneer furniture, shown beautifully photographed in all its blond glory in catalogues, you should expect it not to stay light but to gradually turn more like the beech finish in patches. I have it in writing Ikea customer service expect it to darken with age "by exposure to Light"(presumably not if you live in a cave with no light or windows). Shame they don't share that info on the info tickets!
Well Ikea, it may be with your "tolerance of such products" but it certainly is out with mine and everyone I've shown the problem furniture to.
I am sadly disappointed and will permanently part company from my long and loyal relationship with Ikea.
having struggled on my own to load onto a trolley, pay for and arrange express delivery (£50)of a sofa, it arrived with two left hand arms and could not be put together. After 40 minutes on the phone to 'customer service' I was told that they could not send another one for 5 days and that I would have to pack the one I have unwrapped ready for exchange(an impossibility).I explained that I have nothing to sit on hence the express delivery but just got a "so what" response. I was told that the manager was unavailable and would not be prepared to call me back and the head of customer service could only be reached by letter to a Rotherham office address where his secretary would respond, not him. IKEA HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED AND I HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO SHOP THERE AGAIN.
I was disappointed to find that Ikea do not deliver in Belfast. I was informed by the telephone assistant that they only deliver within the UK - UH! Belfast is in the UK, she didn't seem to know that!
I would agree with the previous comments of poor quality of goods. I was concerned to find the laminate comming of my bookcase way sooner than expected.
However on a postive note their plant section I find brilliant. I bought a giant peace lilly for about 17.00 and love it, I later saw it in a garden centre, same plant, giant version and it was priced at a jaw dropping 49.99. Alright it was near mothers day, but gees a big difference.
ho hum, another day, another 20 mins trying to get through to someone at customer services that actually tries to help me with the missing parts from my table!
johnx I bought a similarly shabby product and when I returned it I found the staff to be very patronising, and the manager even suggested that if I wanted better furniture to go elsewhere and spend more!!! I will never shop at Ikea again.
To the last post you bought a computer table at under £30 what did you expepect, oak wood ? where did the common sense go, you get what you pay for, poeple have become too reliant on consumer support and forgotten to use their brains, if its cheap its cheap for a REASON!!!! my advise use the money you saved and buy a lighter lap top!!
Disappointment... Bought it to put my laptop on... Very poor surface finish (horrible to touch, lost surface colour, peeling edges - all in 2 weeks 1-2h a day light usage), top board has a feeling that its made from cardboard, empty inside so it flexes under pressure...like paper box... Expected at least solid particleboard for table top...
Would Not recomend...
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Visitors to the site are reminded that the details contained within user comments are uncorroborated and as such should not be read as fact but as the opinion of the person who left the comment.
Comments:
All furniture bought from them is still standing and has not broken.
REcommended.
However, that's all changed since I contacted customer services recently regarding my discoloured (high end range, Effectiv) birch office furniture, purchased end 2006. (the same range and birch finish is still available and comes with a ten year guarantee but apparently not applicable when I purchased).
With Ikea testing examples and claims of quality in your face all over their stores and impressive long guarantees I did not expect my office units to darken to the colour of oak (oak also available in store) in patches. On the top of one unit I have a pale rectangle where my printer sat until I moved it.
After jumping through hoops involving a 40 mile round trip to the store with some of the furniture to ask if Ikea could restore my units - I was not looking for money back - and a phone call from them saying they would replace my units if I gave receipt info I had a long search for receipts to supply codes. I finally received a phone call, then confirming letter, telling me the furniture would not be replaced and that was the end of the matter.
Why, if Ikea know, as customer service staff (incidentally I found some of the CS staff to be contradictory, argumentative and opinionated with no respect for customer concerns) informed me, that the pale birch Effectiv office furniture will over time turn dark (in my case yellowed in patches), do they not mention this in any of the pre sales info? I would not have purchased a blond wood finish if I'd know it would resemble beech or oak over a short time and that it might not be even discolouration depending on light etc. Had I been given this information before my purchase I could have then made an informed choice. I may have perhaps gone for a painted finish or something else altogether. The letter I've received reiterates what customer service staff say about the colour change. I also have some less expensive Ikea Lack range birch veneer tables. They too have yellowed (they wouldn't look out of place in a heavy smokers house!) but as they were not from an expensive range with an expensive price tag I got rid only slightly irritated. The office furniture is another matter. I paid extra almost £300 for 4 small units expecting superior quality than the (what my friends refer to as) throw away range. A close friend also has a birch TV unit that has also gone so dark its more like beech now (only with a yellow tinge).
The message I have learned is that if you buy Ikea birch veneer furniture, shown beautifully photographed in all its blond glory in catalogues, you should expect it not to stay light but to gradually turn more like the beech finish in patches. I have it in writing Ikea customer service expect it to darken with age "by exposure to Light"(presumably not if you live in a cave with no light or windows). Shame they don't share that info on the info tickets!
Well Ikea, it may be with your "tolerance of such products" but it certainly is out with mine and everyone I've shown the problem furniture to.
I am sadly disappointed and will permanently part company from my long and loyal relationship with Ikea.
Lumc at 16th Jun 2010, 02:25PM
However on a postive note their plant section I find brilliant. I bought a giant peace lilly for about 17.00 and love it, I later saw it in a garden centre, same plant, giant version and it was priced at a jaw dropping 49.99. Alright it was near mothers day, but gees a big difference.
So thumbs down for goods, up for plants
Mikael
Computer table with castors
£29.26
Disappointment... Bought it to put my laptop on... Very poor surface finish (horrible to touch, lost surface colour, peeling edges - all in 2 weeks 1-2h a day light usage), top board has a feeling that its made from cardboard, empty inside so it flexes under pressure...like paper box... Expected at least solid particleboard for table top...
Would Not recomend...
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