Okay, just file this under the consumer reporting division of TPM Media. You’ve been sending us your horror stories (okay, pain in the ass stories) about IKEA. And it does seem like it’s a fairly common occurrence that IKEA just forgets to process your order after you’ve made it. So it just never comes.
LM from outside Chicago says “Yep, same thing happened to us. Placed a $3000 kitchen cabinet order at the Schaumberg (Chicago) store. Called 3 weeks later to find out when the truck should be there to pick them up. Oops. Forgot to process the credit card payment! Thatâll be another 3-4 weeks, then.”
For TPM Reader JV it was even worse: “Long story short, they processed my order but forgot to charge me shipping. As Iâm sure you realize, IKEA tends to ship large things, but back then (and maybe still) they didnât really know HOW to ship large things. So after waiting a week after taking the order, my IKEA rep called back, left a message on our voicemail that said something to the effect of “Oh, we forgot shipping. Thatâll be another $700 because it has to all go freight. [click]”
At least DC found out there was a problem after three days:
I had the exact same thing happen to me a few months back with a bookshelf for my office. I ordered it online; was alerted that my order would be confirmed by an email which never came; and then when I called 3-4 days later, was told that it never processed. They obviously have something seriously wrong with their e-commerce and logistics operations.”
At the end of the day though even we’re in better shape than MT … “I have my ongoing Ikea story going on now. Perhaps you’re not interested in every detail, but it’s a chance for me to vent. (There’s a happy ending — no thanks to Ikea — so be sure to read the last part of the message.) I’m trying to get a long table for my kitchen.
First, at the store, the table was out of stock, but coming in. I found out online a couple of weeks later that they have it. (Of course, finding anything online is an adventure in itself, their website is such a mess.) It’s a bit too long to take home in my car. So:
Started to order it online. They can’t tell you shipping and tax before you hit “confirm” — they say an Ikea associate will be in touch w/you w/in 1-2 days (I think) to firm it all up. So, I decided to call and get the information before I bought.
On hold, several times, for upwards of 20 minutes. Forget it. I emailed – their autoresponse said I’d hear back in 5-10 business days.
Finally went ahead and ordered it via the net – was told, only after hitting “confirm,” that they wouldn’t charge my credit card until my ok to shipping/tax charges. However, due to high volume, that would take a while — 3-5 business days? Or maybe it was 5-10?
Meanwhile, they finally answered my original email about the shipping charges — and told me they couldn’t tell me. Told me to call their shipping department — another 800 number. (Couldn’t they have called the shipping department for me?)
Then, today, I hear about my online order — due to a technical malfunction they couldn’t complete it; would I please call. Of course, they give me the same number at which they put you on hold until you don’t need the furniture anyway, because in the meantime your kids have grown up and your puppy has died of old age.
Unbelievable.
It just gets better and better. But keep your stories coming because they ease the agony and sorrow (that strange mix of discomfort and ennui) of sitting on the floor for us. Meanwhile, we’ll get back to the political fare.
