Ikea Customer Service

[jqavins]

I don't do the Festivus traditions, so I'll air my grievance here.

Now, I'm not talking about Ikea's products (some good, some of poor quality, worth knowing what is which) or their stores (the opposite of fun, but tolerable); I'm talking about my recent experience with their online customer service.

I have a Pöang chair. I loved it until the right side arm/base began loosing its spring and sagging. This is after many years of use, after I had garbage picked and repaired the frame to begin with; I got more than my money's worth and have no complaint on that score. (The repair is unrelated to the sag, and has held up just fine.)

So, I hopped onto the Ikea web site and searched for the frame without a cushion to see what replacing that would cost me. I tried a few different ways of searching, and it seemed that they don't sell it that way. I used the service chat and asked if I could buy just a frame, and was told no, they don't sell that.

Next (it was weeks later) I thought of just buying the right arm/base piece as a replacement part. The assembly instructions do not indicate part numbers for the main members, so I contacted customer service again. I explained my situation and asked if it would be possible to buy that piece. Now, I was expecting either "No, we don't sell that as a replacement part" or "Yes, here is the part number, and the price is <whatever>." What some companies would do is reply "We don't sell that piece as a replacement part, but I will send you one gratis." I wasn't expecting that, but I've had such experiences with companies in the past.

What did Ikea do? NOTHING! No reply at all to my inquiry.

But wait, there's still more.

When I told all this to a friend the other day, he gave searching a try. When he used Goggle to look for the frame only, not using Ikea's own site search, there it is! Frame only, $85. This after they'd told me that they don't sell that!

I'm not buying one, and not only because I'm pissed off. Honestly, if they'd told me in the first place that I can replace it for $85, I would have thought it over and decided that, as nice a chair as it is, I really don't sit in it enough to be worth that. A close call, but not quite. And when my wife said she wouldn't mind letting go of personal ownership of her Pöang, and letting all of use use it, it's no longer a close call. This, however, does not excuse giving out false information on one question, and failing to respond at all to the other.

OK, I just needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening.

 

[SolarYellow]

I sincerely hope that's your biggest complaint about life in this time.

 

[jqavins]

It's not. And it won't be the biggest in the near future. It's just the on on my mind and bugging me at the moment.

 

[dr wogz]

as I've said in the past:

Customer service & help desks tend to be staffed by entry level / young / new employees who usually read off scripts or have to ask someone more senior. And (sadly) once these "newbies" actually gain enough knowledge & experience, they are removed from the position..

I've caught our own IT dept giving me false answers to some basic 'Wndows' queries..

 

[dhbarr]

This is the level of service I would expect from pretty much any high-volume low-margin business. I wish it were different, but I don't expect it to be.

 

[Worsaer]

Sorry, my initial gut reaction was that fixing IKEA furniture is akin to taking your kid’s goldfish to a vet.

 

[BEC]

We have two of the Poang chairs, one armchair, one rocker and have been using them happily (plus one of the footstools) for a decade now. They are sold frame and then a choice of cushions. Here's the frame on the IKEA USA web site: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/poaeng-armchair-frame-birch-veneer-81305807/

They've gone up rather significantly (like many things) since we bought one.

I expect the telephone rep did a quick web search on the site, and since the frame didn't come up on its own, said they don't sell that. I got there by picking an armchair then picking "what's included".

I very much suspect that @dr wogz is exactly right. That doesn't make it right for you, though, just explains what likely happened.

 

[jqavins]

The darker one is mine, and now at the end of its life. I'll put the cushion set away for the day that the other ones become torn or stained.

(Between them is a stool, also from Ikea if I remember right, serving as an end table. On the table is my secret santa and the Papa Elf special gifts.)

 

[John Kemker]

Having bought mine from IKEA and not having dumpster-dived for it, I could have told you the frame is sold separate.

If you want the full set, you have to buy:
The chair frame
The chair cushions
The ottoman frame
The ottoman cushion

You have options on all four pieces, as the frames come in different colors, and the cushions not only come in different colors, but different surfaces, as well.

I bought mine for my listening chair set when I found out I couldn't afford an Eames chair and ottoman.

 

[Cape Byron]

Never had a problem with IKEA Service; always good with replacement parts and usually free. However, major items, such as an entire kitchen cabinet design, can become ‘permanently unavailable’. This puts a rather large hole in your renovation makeover when a new set of doors becomes complete new cabinets.