To feel that IKEA is just a joke?

[TeaCake5]

What is the deal with general shit service from IKEA, lets excuse the fact for a moment about the stupid layout, shit food and divorce inducing stress of a trip there.

I wanted to pick up an item today - I go on-line to check - yes listed as being in stock. Go to the showroom part, staff member gives me code as it was missing from item - checks computer showing "4 in stock". Go to collection part - none on shelf, out of stock label placed.

Approach staff member at desk - tells me there are four in stock, rolls eyes when I tell him none and shelf, asks are you checking the right place? Much muttering and sighing then takes me to place - sure enough, out of stock as I knew! When shown the website on my phone showing "in stock" (as their system did) just shrugged, walked off said "pop in another day". Could have thrown a "billy" bookcase at him the surly bastard.

Well fuck off IKEA, never again. Why to people rave about this place? If I wanted this 30 quid item delivered then it would be £35 delivery charge.

"ruddy yes that's what I would do, pick up something heavy in the storage part then trolley it back through the store for two hours ?"

Haha, I've done exactly this. Got in and grabbed the two drawer units I needed and then went for lunch, then went and got the rest of the things I needed afterwards.

Low stock, so got in early and grabbed em.

I

I love IKEA but I can't stand that place on a weekend or a bank holiday Monday!

I love ikea, I might make a pilgrimage to Sweden to visit the ikea museum in fact ... but the guy you encountered was really rude and unhelpful so YANBU in the specific circumstances.

I love Ikea. I go occasionally. Alone. Spend hours there and get a free coffee with family card. Don't buy anything. Go again after a week or two mid-week, quick in and out to get what's on my list. Not been for about a year but last time I managed to get something on my list in the clearance section. Ex display and about 5/8th of the price. Cleaned it when I got home and it is now quite grubby from daily use.

I won a storage box when I swiped my family card last week so I heart IKEA. The man next to me won one of their manky hot dogs.

I'm with ElspethFlashman ( great name, love her!) on this.
You have to treat it like an expedition into enemy territory, with a plan from which you will not divert. (Only today I purged my shed of numerous rubbish garden lights etc bought on whim in IKEA in my naiver days)
Go on Sunday morning in the window where you are browsing before they officially open, so get to checkout before all the extended families. Scrutinise the measurements & think about how you will get it home (DH & I once strapped a sofa to the roof of my company car in the days before the police also had vehicles).
IKCECA is great if you use it, rather than letting it use you.

We love Ikea The food is excellent value and the kids love jumping on the furniture :)

It's not just Ikea - pretty much anywhere that has an online stock checker is the same. THEY MEAN NOTHING! No point in them at all. They lie.

Did you know there is an Ikea Hotel? www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1016404-d1124872-Reviews-IKEA_Hotell-Almhult_Jonkoping_County.html

I am ten minutes (if that) from our local IKEA - so it's not as bad as if you've gone out of your way to go there.
I agree that before IKEA new furniture was a no-go.

I was there for several hours yesterday with 3 children. aargh!

still, put 2 of them in smaland and went to the restaurant twice with the other one. Then spent £1500.

I can't bear it. But the food is cheap, coffee is ok and furniture is fine. (actually my new kitchen is more than fine).

We went to Ikea for the first time 2 weeks ago, we went first thing on a Friday morning and had a breakfast, then browsed! Loved it!

We returned the Friday just gone in the evening, had meatballs and purchased all the nursery furniture for under £350...we did argue and bicker but that's standard

YABU it's awesome there

I think the only joke about IKEA are the prices! I went last week and there was a plastic chair there for £90 and a wooden unit that you'd get in Argos for half the price was £400, and you still had to put it together yourself, so it's a wide birth for IKEA from me.

YABtotallyU. I love IKEA and have been visiting My Kitchen for the last ten years. I like to go there in the middle of the week when it is all quiet, put my three year old in their complementary creche, and sit at the table in My Kitchen for an hour. I get quite territorial if other customers wonder in and shatter the illusion.

DH and I used to have bets on how many times we'd hear one IKEA staff member ask a fellow IKEA staff member what hours they were working that day. It was usually every single one. We now live miles away from IKEA

DD has just bought her first house... it is 4 miles from Ikea!! We 'popped in or some bits' yesterday. Waited till 3pm when we figured it would be getting quieter. We got out a 6.30

And yes, IKEA is owned by a secret consortium of divorce lawyers and cardiologists.

I bum IKEA loads.

I love IKEA but I never go on the weekend or bank holidays. Go for the food, stay for the entertainment.

Watching people play IKEA tetris is amazing.

I think the only joke about IKEA are the prices
It absolutely depends what you are looking at. They have loads of cheap and cheerful stuff that is pile it high, sell it fast. That stuff isn't the best quality but in my experience is far better quality than the shower of shite Argos sell (most of which you also have to put together yourself but the instructions are far less sensible and it all involves a bazzilion screws, bitter voice of experience.)

They also do sell some very good quality more high end stuff but it's not what most people expect. If you are only seeing the expensive stuff you aren't looking properly. Most stuff is cheap and cheerful. The expensive stuff is expensive because most of it is made from actual proper wood. Odd bits are crazy priced for reasons I can't fathom but 98% of it is a fair price for what you get.

Andrewofgg your posts have amused me greatly.
This is a bloody great thread, I love IKEA and I live five mins away from the one off junction 27 off the m62. We once shoved a chest of drawers (already built up from sale section) into the back of my old Ford fiesta. Had to leave DD14 and DS6 looking round toysrus while DP and I nipped home with it.
The restaurant is always super busy, we keep meaning to go.

Yes! I BUM IKEA too.

Love that phrase

Excuse the FAIL link but this is funny:

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4269000/Husband-documents-wife-s-ENTIRE-trip-IKEA.html

I love Ikea but would never venture there on a weekend. Too crowded.

We live incredibly close to one so easy to view something and come home to think about it. No rash purchases or issues when items are not in stock.

I have a ridiculous amount of Ikea furniture and an Ikea kitchen. I flipping LOVE Ikea.

And its full of eager animated ladies with stressed/bored/cross partners huffily trailing behind them, it really is!

Pausing is DEADLY.

Isn't it just. I made that mistake on Wednesday. I was so smug beforehand too. A day off to shop ALONE in the week without the hoards or dc. Just had 3 things on my list but I let my guard down in the marketplace and came out £150 lighter and with only 2 things off my list

They appear to have stopped stocking the drona boxes in red , the new colour is called red/lilac which is basically plum and not red at all.