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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Flat pack furniture disaster. Aibu to try and get a refund?

40 replies

LucieMay88 · 18/04/2015 10:05

I've just had a flat pack furniture nightmare and have no idea what to do. We bought a bookcase from a well known shop. It was £85 but not solid wood. It was made of particleboard which I didn't mind.

So I began to assemble it. Was nearly finished, the bookcase was standing and seemed fine. I went to get the wood sticker things to hide the screws when the whole thing toppled over and crashed to the floor.

I am now left with a few blocks of wood that I can't do anything with as the particleboard veneer has been ripped off and the screws have ripped chunks of the board out. There aren't even any holes left for the screw to fit into.

I want to cry. £85 and this has happened. I can't help but think it wasn't that sturdy to begin with, although it may be partly my fault.
Do you think I'm likely to get a refund if I phone and explain that it fell after I'd assembled it?

OP posts:

Psipsina · 18/04/2015 14:00

Look up the same product online and see what reviews are like. If they all say structurally unsound, you have a case. Some things are rubbish and unlike wood, you can't repair it. I hate chipboard (having spent whole night trying to assemble a fecking B&Q kitchen unit...predrilled holes? you're having a laugh mate)

Seriouslyffs · 18/04/2015 14:08

Take photos of the bookcase and receipt and email customer services of the shop.
Why wouldn't you try and get a refund?

Momagain1 · 18/04/2015 14:10

I have discovered in a life full of flatpack that anything other than ikea is shit.

This is true.

And somehow their wordless instructions are clearer than the english written by a non-english speaker gobbledygook that comes with other stuff.

Shesparkles · 18/04/2015 14:11

Can you say hand on heart that you followed the instructions to the letter? If so you should definitely at least phone them. £85 is a lot to write off for the sake of a phone call

SingingHinnies · 18/04/2015 14:14

Ike stuff is fab, i built 3 chests of draws on Thursday, were easy to put up and solid, were on £50 each, i built some draws from argos once and they fell apart in a few months. Ikea stuff has the brackets to attach to the wall but they are still sturdy without doing so and will definately not collapse. Did you use an electric screwdriver?

I would say take them back and tell them they are not fit for purpouse, can't see what you could say other than you built them and they fell apart

SingingHinnies · 18/04/2015 14:15

oops ignore typos, an electric screwdriver makes a difference

MissDuke · 18/04/2015 14:15

What does the term 'billy' mean in this context? I initially assumed it was the op's name when I read it in posts, but now see it isn't

Op I would ring, sure why not try? Maybe they have had other complaints about it. Worth a try!

IAmAPaleontologist · 18/04/2015 14:18

MissDuke "billy" is the name of the iconic Ikea bookcase.

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 18/04/2015 15:22

Think we need to start a fund to get MissDuke a Billy. Owning one is a rite of passage.

DH and I recently felt very grown up when we recently overlooked Billy and bought an.entire walls worth of Hemnes

IcecreamSkoda · 18/04/2015 15:29

Of course you should phone them . Explain what happened and see what they say. If it's john Lewis I bet they will be happy to take it back.

LaChatte · 18/04/2015 15:30

We should do a MN survey, I reckon 90% owns or has owned one at some point.

TeddyBee · 18/04/2015 15:49

All my billy has gone! It was a proud moment in my interior decorating career. Now I have Algot (which looks lovely and mid century) and vintage teak shelving and built in bookcases in the alcoves.

I had an ikea wardrobe collapse on me once, it was horrific. I tried to push it up from the side rather than the front when putting it together and it collapsed (not surprisingly really). If you show us a picture, we might be able to offer more advice?

Eleanora · 18/04/2015 21:09

I did exactly this recently with an £85 child's storage unit. I called the company who asked me to email photos of the damage and then they sent replacement parts. I managed to put it together second time round....

Twatfreezone · 18/04/2015 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 18/04/2015 21:56

I bought a bed from Argos about 7 years ago and then decided it was shoddy half way through assembling it. I had had to glue it together so it couldn't be taken apart. They were fine about me returning it. I was surprised they were so good as they wouldn't be able to re-sell it (and they didn't check on te quality issue before authorising the refund).

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