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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel that IKEA is just a joke?

194 replies

TeaCake5 · 05/03/2017 19:39

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.

OP posts:
Valentine2 · 05/03/2017 21:41

frouby
If you fought at the big Tesco's, Ikea will put you off marriage forever. On our last visit, I nearly murdered DH in broad day light in front of all the shoppers, none of which would have been surprised I am sure. He had lots of fun though. This evening he tried to plan a visit together and I swore to him that it will be the end of our marriage. Grin
I think there is a whole science to it. Search on Google.

hippyhippyshake · 05/03/2017 21:43

My dds grew up in IKEA. They used to pretend we lived in those rooms, it was like a big playground to them. We probably annoyed every single shopper so sorry if you shopped at the Thurrock store between 1995 and 2008, it was us who got you into those rages and I do apologise!

We have had good experiences and incredibly BAD experiences there but overall I like it and for us the quality of the furniture and ease of assembly is good.

Our worst time was waiting in the collection queue for 2 hours, the store had officially closed and there was still about 50 people waiting in the queue. We were all past the complaining stage and just about to hit the apoplexy stage when the staff brought round complementary hot dogs and ice cream. We all calmed down and a sense of community ensued but it was a long time before we felt we could face the store again!

AverysillyoldHector · 05/03/2017 21:44

Only Ikea offers that unique satisfaction of finding all the secret doors and shortcuts which takes you where you want to go rather than where the bloody arrows point you.

Upyourdaisy · 05/03/2017 21:44

Is it like The Range?

StrayHairOnMyScreen · 05/03/2017 21:45

Only Ikea offers that unique satisfaction of finding all the secret doors and shortcuts which takes you where you want to go rather than where the bloody arrows point you

Yes, this! I am an Ikea ninja now. In and out in under half an hour.

hippyhippyshake · 05/03/2017 21:47

No, The Range is a mere shop, IKEA is an 'experience'. Don't ever think you can just pop into IKEA, 2 hours is about the minimum.

Ecureuil · 05/03/2017 21:49

Surely, surely, no one with any degree of sanity goes to IKEA at the weekend??

Ecureuil · 05/03/2017 21:50

Is it like The Range?

It is nothing like The Range

Upyourdaisy · 05/03/2017 21:50

I feel like I have an obligation to go now. I need to Google where the closest one is!

Bluntness100 · 05/03/2017 21:52

I like the market place, but oh god, buying furniture, organising delivery and then friggen building it. It's beyond painful. I too have also nearly ended up divorced in there.

By the time you've built whatever you've bought, you want to kill each other and are wondering if it's really worth the saving,
.
Last time I wanted to get someone in to build it for us, husband said no he'd do it, so I left Him and our daughter to it, took them a whole day 😂

minifingerz · 05/03/2017 21:52

I live a mile away from an Ikea. I'm thinking of hiring myself out as an IKEA Sherpa to guide folk to the best shortcuts.

I love the place, it's like a second home to me.

Frouby · 05/03/2017 21:52

Valentine I think you are probably right.

We have only been together 11 years. I don't think I am ready for the togetherness Ikea implies.

We rarely fight normally. DIY and the supermarket bring out the worst in both of us though. I am a control freak and will have a list, map and reserve items. An order we need to do it in and a timescale.

Dp will wander around aimlessly, pick up the first thing that sounds like it should be on the list then ask if we are done.

I have perfected buying big purchases now after the wardrobe arguements of 2007. I tell him we need X. I chose what I want. Find something twice that price and show him. He splutters over the price, I agree to compromise and spend a few days sighing over google looking for the perfect item. 'Find' the item I originally picked, show him that one and we are both happy.

Ikea sounds like a step too far.

lalaloopyhead · 05/03/2017 21:53

I love Ikea, I love the meatballs, I love all the essential stuff that you never knew you needed, and I LOVE watching people try and fit their purchases into their inadequately sized cars. I've paid this forward by buying a chair, a very large picture and other items I can't remember that would only fit in my car (along with 3 dc) by removing and rearranging a couple of seats (thank the lord for Grand Scenic), at one point I thought we would have to leave the chair, or a child. We had a little cheer of triumph once we were in and managed to close the doors!

NameChanger22 · 05/03/2017 21:55

There's nothing I like more than putting together a flat pack whilst eating veggie balls.

I find this thread offensive.

scaryteacher · 05/03/2017 21:55

We have one near us in belgium, and it is my Mums idea of heaven when she comes to visit, as the nearest one to us was Bristol, as we live on the Devon/Cornwall border in UK.

It drives me mad taking her round, as it writes off a whole day, as she needs to pause, pick things up, examine them, faff about deciding if she needs it or not, then rinse and repeat round most of the store. At the end she decides she is exhausted, so I pay for her shopping and load it all into the trolley whilst she goes and sits down. She then needs to lie down when she gets back to my place.

phoria · 05/03/2017 21:56

went to ikea yesterday to order a bunch of furniture. left without ordering anything because i got overwhelmed by all the options. my legs hurt from walking through the showroom. i was in there for 3 hours!

Orangebird69 · 05/03/2017 21:57

I bum ikea. If you've got kids, at least one kallax unit is compulsory. And everything else. I gleefully drop ds off at DMs house and car dance my way down the m4/m5 to bristol. It's my mecca.

MetalLaLa · 05/03/2017 21:58

Me and DH still talk about our visit to Ikea to buy him a new bed frame and mattress back when we were newly coupled. I bought the Malm bed in my local Ikea (he lived 70 miles away at the time from me) and I managed to fit the 3000 flat packs in the back of my three door Fiesta with the help of a nice trolley person. However, my car was so rammed I got claustrophobic and ended up phoning then DP in a crying rage demanding he drive down that moment and come help me Blush he did, however when we got to his house I had forgotten the midbeam for the bed so the next day we went to a different Ikea, got the item and also the mattress. We were still arguing over the bed and I was so mad at him i watched him try and wrestle a vacuum packed memory foam mattress into the back of the car whilst trying to not laugh as he looked like he was trying to fight a bear. That's a long story and probably boring to read but my gosh the sheer mention of that saga six years on still makes me question if it's possible to divorce someone before you're even married Angry I still love Ikea though just go on my own now if I can!

NameChanger22 · 05/03/2017 21:58

I won't hear a bad word spoken about Ikea. Smaland has put me in their debt forever.

butterfly990 · 05/03/2017 21:59

Ikea joke
Customer - Will this fit in my car?
Staff Member - What colour is your car?
Customer - Blue
Staff Member - Oh dear, if you had said Red it would have been fine.

NameChanger22 · 05/03/2017 21:59

Please open an Ikea in Leicester.

MarciaBlaine · 05/03/2017 21:59

I live near Ikea. Everyone who works nearby goes there for lunch because it so bargainous. I did a half term visit and the meatball queue was horrendous/crèche was packed/shop was empty with no queue at the tills. I wanted a bottom sheet for my malm bed and came out several hours later after with a trolley full of stuff I didn't know I needed ;-)

MrTCakes · 05/03/2017 22:04

I am an Ikea bummer too. I love me some flat pack.

LexiPea · 05/03/2017 22:04

I LOVE IKEA.

But a strange phenomenon I have noticed over the years is that IKEA is the place were I get MOST OGLED by men

I am very average and, as I am simply visiting IKEA, whilst wearing normal clothes (obvs) and dragging my multiple DC around, no not looking my best. and yet I always notice men having a sneaky peek at me

And the fuckers are always with their wives and kids

Can anyone explain? Does anyone else get ogled at IKEA??

greenthings · 05/03/2017 22:05

A love-hate relationship.

I can't put their furniture together, I pay someone, and its still good value. I've tried and ended up crying on the floor. Also had to Wine to get through it. A horrible experience.

I have one of their sofas and its sooooo comfortable, much more so than expensive stuff from John Lewis for example.

But some of their designs are a bit weird and almost intentionally ugly I think!

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