Why IKEA sucks - There's A Riot Going On

[mr blur]

"Ikea treats its customers so badly, a riot is the least it might have expected, writes Susie Steiner "

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1410117,00.html

[Beaverhausen]

1. I bought a pillow at Ikea

and they gave me a duck.

[uppityperson]

6. What sort of duck? Article sums up my experience there.

If you are willing to go "cross-country" and are looking for "something particular", you might find it after searching in random places. I went once on a night when it was "practically" empty too which was "way nice". (I'm practicing my "feeper talk")

[LoZoccolo]

2. Fucking true.

It's frustrating because their furniture is so cool too.

A caster broke on my Luppio chair, and since they're selling out of those and discontinuing them, I can't get a new one. Over the phone they told me about some other caster that would fit on it, but when I got there the people there said it wouldn't work with it. That wouldn't be that big of a deal for most people, but I had to take public transit there and it was at least an hour and a half each way.

Plus they like to say you can furnish a whole room for X amount of dollars, but you'd almost never be able to get everything in one trip with all the out-of-stock stuff and no way to order it or be notified when it comes in.

And yeah, I recognize the campaign they're talking about in the article, where they explain their excuses for all these things you think suck ass about the place and that they plan to do fuck all about it thank you for asking.

[Merope215]

3. I have to share my IKEA story...

We just got one in New Haven, so everyone buys dorm furniture there. My roommate and I needed to get an extra closet, so we decided to order one online and just have them deliver it (neither of us has a car). IKEA is 4 miles from our dorm. When my roommate ordered it, they sent her an email:

Price of closet: $39.98
Cost of shipping: $248.00

(Yes, that's "two hundred and forty-eight dollars.") We could have imported something from Lesotho for that price.

[Guaranteed]

4. Insane. nt

[Shakespeare]

5. That's really not IKEA's fault.

I agree it's outrageous--but blame UPS or Fedex or the US postal service, who have limits on size and weight of items they ship. IKEA has to use a freight carrier for that item, and the cost of doing so is exhorbitant.

[Merope215]

10. It only weighed 24 pounds

but the package does look pretty big. Maybe you're right. And I have to admit that I like their glassware. It's just that the whole shopping experience is so overwhelming - like the size of 4 WalMarts, stacked on top of one another (at least ours is) and full of relentlessly cheery Scandinavian products. It makes me feel like I've landed myself somehow in Swedish hell.

[progmom]

12. except it's extraordinarily different from walmart

they have pretty good standards re: the environment, not using sweatshops, etc.

[Merope215]

17. Absolutely

You're absolutely right. I should have made that clearer. :hi:

[sbj405]

7. I bought a chair and ottoman from them

At the time, I purchased it they were out of the ottoman pad at every store, everywhere. No problem as they said "2 weeks." For the next 8 months, I called daily and was told "2 weeks." At one point, the item was available via catalog, $28 shipping for the $25 item.

I finally got the item. As I was waiting to pick it up couple was purchasing a sofa and love seat. The love seat was not going to be available for "2 weeks." I kindly informed them that "2 weeks" was Ikea-speak for "no fucking clue when it's coming in." Ottoman pad, not such a big deal, but waiting months for a big piece of furniture would suck.

[Merope215]

11. Haha, "2 weeks" is what they told us about the closet n/t

[starroute]

8. I used to go to IKEA occasionally

But I never actually managed to find any furniture I liked. I do have a juice squeezer, a little wooden thing for keeping tableware in on the counter, and two cork hotpads that I bought there. And their lunchroom was okay. But otherwise, it wasn't worth the trip.

[LynzM]

9. Hrm...

I had good experiences there when I was in Germany, but have yet to visit a U.S. store.... maybe I won't.

[progmom]

13. I've been to Ikeas in the US and Canada

...and would go again. And again.
I find the position this writer takes to be a little...out there. But maybe I have just been really lucky the 30+ times I have been there.

[RadicalMom]

14. We love it, but it's a BIG place and a long drive from here. Half

my house comes from IKEA, and I've been able to build a lot of it. Can't find the link to the Jesus/IKEA art. Does anyone else have it?

[JVS]

15. It's ok if you need a plain table or something, but not much else

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. I like IKEA. Got some good stuff there, no problem with service.

It's great for simple stuff you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for. And I like their housewares. No complaints, except it's damn big.

[Bridget Burke]

18. Ikea is what it is.

Cheap, decently designed stuff that you are expected to load in your car to take home. It sucks if you don't have a car. But I've used local delivery for a couple of items (small car!) & it wasn't unreasonable.

The layout of the store is not designed for quick access to specific items & the first visit can be disorienting. But if you check a diagram, it's pretty easy to figure stuff out.

The article was written by the editor of the Guardian's home & garden section. With her connections, she's probably used to high end establishments that offer more personal service--at a much higher price. (Think Patsy & Edina.)

Few would like to decorate their entire place from Ikea, but the store's a good source for the occasional piece. (If I spent less on books, I could afford solid wood bookcases. But then I wouldn't need so many bookcases....)

[progmom]

20. Well said, Bridget.

If it weren't for those Billy bookcases, all my books would still be in boxes in my basement.

Most of my lamps, bookcases, area rugs, picture frames, vases and kids plates & utensils come from Ikea. Interesting designs at a very affordable price. Sturdier furniture - anything upholstered - I will pay a little more money for.

[KurtNYC]

19. Whenever I need a Smoorgen Geboorgen to go next to my

Uberbringgenthenggen, I head to Ikea!

Someone decoded where they get their names.

Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, rattan furniture, bookshelves, media storage, doorknobs: Swedish placenames
Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture: Norwegian placenames
Dining tables and chairs: Finnish placenames
Bookcase ranges: Occupations
Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays

more: http://www.margaret-marks.com/Transblawg/archives/000302.html

There is also a game where you try to guess what the heck item goes with what name: http://www.iamcal.com/games/ikea/

Edit to add: I got only 1 out of 10 and Ikea told me "you should be ashamed" How's that for customer service?

[mondo joe]

21. I got no problem with Ikea

Ikea is great for its proper use - inexpensive hip looking furniture and such. Especially well suited to teens and young adults.

I wish Ikea was around when I got out of college. I didn't have any options so cool AND inexpensive.

[grace0418]

22. I love Ikea

I've been treated far worse at places like WalMart and Home Depot than I ever have at Ikea. The only people at Ikea that I've ever had a problem with are other shoppers. Give people bargains and all sense of human decency goes out the window. They'll push, shove, rip packages open, break things, toss unwanted items on the floor, scream at people, throw tantrums. It's ridiculous. Wild dogs behave better than some shoppers at Ikea.

As far as the quality, well, I pretty much know what I'm getting myself into when I pay so little for something. Sometimes it's a piece of crap that breaks. But sometimes (and for me this surprisingly happens MOST of the time) the item is perfect and lasts for years. Our armchairs are from Ikea and we get tons of compliments on them. They're comfortable and sturdy and slipcovered. We even bought a second set of slipcovers in a different color just to have them in case the item gets discontinued. We also have a complete service for 12 (dinner plates, luncheon plates, dessert plates, soup bowls) of plain white dishes that are fantastic and cost something like $125 for the whole shebang.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

23. Don't know what I'd do without Ikea

My apartment in NJ is all Ikea and most of the stuff I've had for a few years. Everything still looks good and in great shape. Design is still fresh too.

My house in NC has furniture from an actual furniture store and it shows it age (not to mention that it cost a lot more).

There should be an Ikea between D.C. and Atlanta, though... When I was in NC I had to drive 3 1/2 hours to get to the Ikea in Woodbridge, VA.