Dave T-S

Bedroom furniture - what a con - been quoted £600 per 1m wide wardrobe from our local bedroom and kitchen shop - for melamine chipboard carcase/birch veneer doors - what a ripoff[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

So, went to IKEA at Lakeside today to see what they have......

Had to queue to get off the M25[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Had to queue to get in the IKEA car park[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

50 million people and screaming brats in the shop[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

NOBODY has any manners - they barge past you without an excuse me[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

After being forced to do 15 laps of the store [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] we found all the stuff we wanted (on display).

Queued at the information desk to check stock [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , told that some of the doors were showing as out of stock [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] but were given an assurance that they *were* actually in stock, and the guy that served us said he had reserved them and they would be downstairs for collection.
Told we would have a 45 minute wait at checkout[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Asked about handles. Told they were downstairs. Went downstairs, against 40,000 rude people forcing their way upstairs[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Did another two laps of the floor, couldn't find them anywhere[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Finally found a member of staff, who said they were upstairs[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Went back upstairs, struggling against 40,000 rude people now forcing their way downstairs[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Found handles, didn't have anything we liked[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Went downstairs again (against 40,000 rude people forcing their way upstairs.....[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] ) to warehouse to pick up the things that were for self service.

Searched round for the bays we wanted, the reference we were given for a chest was the wrong one[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Went to the information desk, long queue[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Told that the cabinet I had picked was out of stock, and about to be discontinued[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , the next stock would not be in for about 4 weeks[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] and not to buy anything else in the same range in case they did not come in[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Put back the stuff I had already got as it was in the same range that was about to be discontinued[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Went back to join Carolyn still queuing to pay[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Gives the girl on the checkout the paperwork, and told her that the five doors were showing as out of stock [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] but were really there.

Relieved of £948[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Go to collections dept. Told that the doors we were told *did* exist, didn't[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Told us their stock showed -1 [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] - what the **** - how can you have stock of minus 1??!! [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Said we had had enough of this, and would have a full refund[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Queued at desk to get a refund[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Get back to car (raining hard [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] ) to find some to$$er in a Daihatsu fourtrak sh1theap had parked so close Carolyn couldn't get in her door[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Queue to get out of carpark[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Nearly get wiped out by someone in a Focus trying to cut across me when I had right of way[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Queue to get out of Lakeside[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Get home FIVE hours after we left home, Sunday wasted[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

NEVER again[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

WTF is the matter with this organisation?[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

You can't order mail order[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

You have to go to the store, only to find out what you want is discontinued, or out of stock[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

You can have stuff delivered, but have to physically collect it from the collections dept, after queuing[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , then take it to the delivery area[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img], queuing again[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , for them to then put it back in the warehouse again to be delivered[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

You can telephone and check availability, but they won't reserve items for you[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , even if you offer to pay for it then, which you can't [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , so by the time you get to the store it is probably sold[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] , or because their stock control sucks it was probably never in stock in the first place[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

And as we left, STILL they were queing in their hundreds to get in the place....

[Edited by Dave T-S - 10/20/2002 6:22:57 PM]

el fi

i agree croyden just as bad,never again!

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Dave & Carolyn

Bit too late but NEVER EVER EVER EVER go to Ikea at Thurrock on a Sunday [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] Evenings are best as they're open till 10pm and the M25/M11 are quiet by then (usually!)

We went down to Ikea Thurrock on Wednesday evening, arriving there at 8pm, parked right by the door, strolled round in peace and quiet (too late for screaming brats to be out and about) and had a thoroughly nice time until we got to the checkout where we had to queue (so that's where all the customers had got to... ) for ages as they had very few tills open

They really need to sort a proper online or phone stock-check/reserve system out, Argos do it so why can't they?

I went there with a friend a few weeks ago (on a weekday) to pick up a kitchen drawer front that had been missed off his original order (invoiced and paid for) and to buy an extra bit of worktop. It was all going swimmingly until we got downstairs where we had to take a ticket and wait for the worktop (15-20 mins) then go to customer service, take a ticket, wait to be seen (15-20 mins) then go back to the bit we'd just come from to wait for the missing drawer front (yep you guessed...). We ate three hotdogs and drank umpteen coffees each whilst we waited. There are some things Ikea do really well but that bit where you have to queue, then queue again is not one of them in my opinion.

Sal

[Edited by scoobychick - 10/20/2002 6:40:47 PM]

Dave T-S

Sal
NOW ya tell me.....[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

DaveT-S: 42 [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]'s
Is this a record?
Alcazar:

paul w

LOL at daves angry faces,scroll down fast and it looks like faces with vapour trails behind em.

ChrisB

Does Dave still have firearms?

Tiggs

ikea...cheap gear for cheap people..stay away!

johnfelstead

hehehehehe

I dont do IKEA or any of their Ilk, never understood why people queue in their thousands to get into those places, surely seeing a masive queue to get into the car park shows it's going to be chaos when you manage to finally get in there.

Did the extra torque of the PPP help in the queue shuffling?

dnb

I wish I'd been posting on Scoobynet after my last IKEA fight. I told the "manager" that if I returned again I would bring an angle grinder to open the emergency exit from the goods out to the carpark after an accident happened and we couldn't use the exit...

Another time, they threatened to have me removed from the shop, because I lost my temper when we were tod we couldn't get our money refunded after they made a mistake with a gift voucher.

They're more of a disorganisation [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

I HATE IKEA SHOPS!!

Unfortunately, some of their products are reasonably priced, and work quite well, otherwise I wouldn't go back. (Like the new kitchen we are getting in a little while - more torture [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img])

I could go on at length about my Ikea adventures, but I don't want to be typing here all night...

wrxjoy

Count yourself lucky,
I'm so skint, I'm moonlighting tommorow.... delivering Ikea stock from the warehouse to the shops, and thats an even less well organised operation. (still get paid by the hour, so just chill);-)

NotoriousREV

Bloody hell, I live near the Warrington IKEA and that's a nightmare on a Sunday, I wouldn't dream of visiting the Thurrock one at the weekend, the population density down there must be 2 or 3 times what we have here

It's so bad here that they're planning another motorway junction to take the strain (doesn't help that they built a huge M&S superstore next door to it).

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Dave,

You sure are a sucker for punishment. I'd have given up before I even walked through the door - such places just don't deserve your custom.

I believe that they will deliver if you have a business account, although they don't necessarily advertise that fact very widely.

Andy.

mega_stream

uncle buck

Went to the Bristol Ikea once [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] what a waste of time [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] didn't even bother *trying* to get in [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Never again will I be seduced by thier slick catalogue [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

It's a shame because I *would* actually like to buy some stuff from them, but it's just too much hassle [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Carolyn T-S

OK.... here is the true story. DTS is feeling very guilty about spending loads on his PPP, wheels, tyres, driving lamps, HID headlamps - think he's up to about £4k by now

To make this up to his (long suffering!!!!) wife, who incidently has already selected a reasonably priced (alright - very costly) new kitchen and bedroom furniture (which she is paying for - noting that she has already paid for the car he is now driving), DTS decides I'll be a cheapskate and try and con the wife into saving a few quid going to IKEA.

Nice try matey - furniture is now on order elsewhere

[Edited by Carolyn T-S - 10/20/2002 8:21:55 PM]

P1Fanatic

Haha so busted Dave!

Ah the wonder of working shifts - I get to go shopping when the rest of you ******* are at work - sweet!

Luke

went in few years ago to get Sofa. Told them I was in a hurry to get it back for a job... Told the wait would be about 35 min. Ok no worries.... after an hour I asked again if I could have it. They said they where busy and it should be about another 20. mins!!
called the manager. asked him to look at the receipt.... he read it. I then told him that sofa was now my property and I would get it myself. if he wanted to stop me and a mate he could. When you pay for it it is yours.... Dont wait.After walking into the warehouse section he stopped us and told us it would be 2 ,mins!!!


PS: IKEA-N-circ is full of wicked women....

Dream Weaver

Shopped in the Leeds Ikea for 4 years now (maybe cheap but I aint overpaid like most on here - i.e. skint) - not one single problem with other customers, staff etc, and very happy. Only one fault in the furniture in that time, and they refunded our petrol money back

Dave - the rude customers bit must be a Southern thing - they are all decent up here

R.B

Yep you know where you went wrong there mate,Send your missis instead.

You should know that shopping is for the other half and you just supply the money

Marin

iTrader: (1)

Ikea - worst customer service ever! Won't bore everyone with the details but managed to get petrol money out of them for wasted journeys and after endless letters of complaint to various levels of management got vouchers for two free Swedish meatball meals!!!

I sort of lost the will to live after that and the actual furniture was built and OK.

marty_t3

Dream Weaver,

Afraid i have a differing opinion of the Leeds Ikea.

Went there to furnish our new house and to spend a considerable amount of money. We made several attemps to get assistance from staff and came across nothing but useless, untrained, lazy teenagers with no knowledge of the products they were selling.

After spending over 3 hours getting a list of everything we wanted we then spent another hour trying to find it in the warehouse section. Several items were out of stock and others weren't where they were supposed to be.

To give you an idea how difficult it was to get everything, some of the stuff we got included

2 x 2 seater sofabeds
2 small coffee tables
2 large coffee tables
4 sets of roller blinds
2 bedside cabinets
2 computer desks
1 TV unit
1 ottoman
1 chest of drawers
loads of assorted smaller items

Despite it being obvious to the staff that i was in need of some assistance to get everything to the check out, my 6 month pregnant girlfriend ended up having to literally shout at one of the assistants to get someone to help me with our purchase.

Once we got to the checkout (and waited in a queue for 15 minutes) the checkout girl complained that she couldn't see all the barcodes to scan through her till. I had to empty the trolleys (as the previous assistant had f****d off), and then rebuild them afterwards.

Again I was left to try and manouver our purchase to the car on my own. Once again my girlfriend ended up having to shout to get the attention of an assistant to 'assist' me.

The only decent service we got was the guy who helped me get the stuff to the car. I didn't catch his name as he never spoke due to the fact that he was deaf. He had the decency to wait with my girlfriend for me to bring the car round to the pick up area and then helped me load everything into the car. The guy should be made head of customer service since he seemed to be the only one with any clue as to how customers should be treated.

Needless to say, i will not be going back to that store. I'd rather pay someone else for better quality goods and a far better level of service.


[Edited by marty_t3 - 10/21/2002 1:02:26 AM]

uncle buck

Yea, but apart from that... everything was ok? (in a Basil Faulty style)

Fuzz

Top tip No.1
don't buy those lovely 8' wardrobes with the blue doors when you only have ceilings that are 7'6" high.

too good to take back tho, so I "modified" the bases.
a *** paper would now struggle to get on top of the thing

Andy

Nigel H

They're too successful for their own good.

Remember the recent ad campiagn they ran - along the lines of do you expect cheap prices AND customer service

Agree with Scoobychick - we're only 20 mins away from Lakeside and any time after 20:00 is quite reasonable. And the drive in is MUCH more enjoyable

Dave T-S

Hehehe....seems we are not alone in our thoughts

And re the 42 mad smilies ( [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] - one for luck ), I had got home and cooled down by the time I typed it - had I put the post up when I left the store it would have been 542 [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] smilies

Oh, and just at the thought of yesterday, [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

MATTeL

Dave,
Just to let you know IKEA did a study and found that Wednesday is their quietest day and they are open until 10pm. Weekends and IKEA are only for the really brave.

There is always MFI Homeworks...

Mark

scoob_babe

I thought Ikea had a new policy for stuff like wardrobes etc.
My parents went to the one in Warrington on Saturday afternoon to get some wardrobes sorted. They were out in 15 mins!
All they had to do was order the stuff in the store as usual, go to till to pay then go to home delivery area to give them the details of the order. No stupid queuing, no getting mown down by wayward overloaded trolley. Obviously hasn't caught on down here though.

scoob_babe

and still probably doesn't guarantee that all the fittings are there or that the stuff isn't damaged