Ikea Status Check

Times Ikea's Help line has been called: 10

Cumulative time on hold: 55 minutes

Emails sent: 4 (two from the emails to me setting up the order, 2 from customer support on the website)

Answers from Ikea on any of these contact attempts: 0

Days until I call AmEx and tell them to cancel the charge due to nondelivery of what I paid for: 1.5 1.

Days until I go to Home Depot and try to kluge what I've got into some sort of wardrobe: 4


I really am surprised at this; until now Ikea has been exemplary in their dealings. I think the critical mistake was not buying from Ikea in the first place, but in buying from Ikea Direct and having a delivery instead of picking up from a specific store. At the store, you control what you pick up and you have a specific point to complain to if there are mismarkings/problems. There literally appears to be no one at home at Ikea Direct.

ETA: I had the bright idea of checking the inventory at College Park (the local Ikea) and trying to call them to see if they will handle a switch. Their inventory does show the wardrobe I've paid for. However, when I called them, no matter what button I pressed, I was unable to speak with anyone. Calling about "questions on your order" dropped me back into the same hold hell I've been going through for the last four days.

I'm about to write a scorching letter to their Customer Service branch (in Baltimore, according to the website) and move my calling AmEx forward a day. This is simply unacceptable.

Musings

( Lit geeks should do this quiz just because the questions are so funny )

Only 76? Well, I'm not that good on poetry, actually.

Am in the middle of an internal debate - which do I want more, the damn wardrobe I thought I bought or my money back and a righteous piece ripped out of Ikea? For the first, I'd need to actually go to Ikea College Park on my way home (since I can't, oh, CALL THEM AND GET A HUMAN BEING) and ask if I can switch. For the second, I go home, call AmEx, and mail off the nastygram that I've written.

Ikea, the final chapter

Y'know, I let my hopes get up today, even through the anger. Surely Ikea would be concerned about the customer service! Surely they'd want to make it right with a customer! So I wrestled the wrong box up the stairs and into my car and out to College Park Ikea. Drove right to Refunds/Exchanges. Asked to speak to a manager.

Carolyn was really quite friendly as she told me that there wasn't a thing she could do for me because the stores are franchises and she's not responsible for anything that happens online. Wouldn't look at my paperwork. Wouldn't swap out the wrong box for the right one. Couldn't give me a number to get ahold of an actual human being, just the same one that hasn't done dick for me.

At least I got out of the store before I utterly freaked out. I've never had a store tell me to my face that they weren't going to take responsibility for a major fuckup in their name. This has thrown a lot of my future plans off - while the same sword cuts the other way (College Park isn't reponsible for the online version screwups) the fact remains that Ikea has left me twisting in the wind and another Ikea didn't do a thing about it. I'd had several things I'd intended to get at College Park this year and now I'm really rethinking if Ikea gets any of my money after this.

When I got home I blew my nose and dried off my face and waited to breathe normally again and picked up the phone. Have I ever mentioned recently how much I adore the streamlined efficiency of American Express? The automated voice tells me I'll get a person "In. Two. Minutes." and I do. Answer a few questions, leave it to them, and Ta DA! The money is credited back and I will not think about how that would buy an ipod, I will not think how that would buy an ipod, I will not and it's all in their hands. I learned back at Nolacon Worldcon that AmEx is an 800-lb gorilla, and they've come through for me ever since. When they're through in 6-to-8-weeks I'm gonna have my money firmly back or the right wardrobe in my basement, and that's that.

Also, the letter of complaint detailing every step of this (including postscript about my reception from Carolyn) is already signed, stamped, and in the door to go to Ikea main Customer Service.

Still making up my mind if I'm going to also file a complaint with the BBB or not.