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.

I love it, but leave Dh behind at home. Dd (12) and I go together and wander and love it.
I only take Dh if we need to pick up big stuff and I need his muscles.

butterfly990 - I don't get it?! 😣

We live close enough to Ikea for it to be considered our corner shop. When we bought our dream 'forever' home some years ago all we could afford to furnish it was Ikea, mainly Malmo bedrooms and Billy bookcases. Now we are in a position to change and upgrade our things but unless we go mad and hire proper craftsmen to make bespoke pieces nothing else in the mid-range high street stores comes close to Ikea value and quality.

I priced round the local 'man and van' ads and got a £15 delivery deal.

I went ahead first, to see if it was in stock. IKEA has revolutionised my storage systems..

LOVE ikea!

Just ordered a load of stuff online as at 8 months pregnant I can't quite face the trip, and it was only £7 delivery.

Absolutely love it. I don't do online, though. I walk miles round it, but rarely buy much as it's so overwhelming.

YABVVVVU - every single one of you.

My nearest Ikea is a drive from hell (M23, Purley Way or M25, Dartford crossing) away.

I would love to go there & eat meat balls.

(And maybe even buy something!)

Working there we were constantly asked "will it fit in my car?" Everything in theory should fit in your car as that is one of the principles of Ikea. Colour of your car therefore has no relevance.

I've only ever been to Ikea once. I was 4 months pregnant with twins, and the ex and I were shopping for cots and baby stuff. After miles and miles of aimless wandering about trying to find things, I was absolutely shattered. I eventually sat on some pallets at the tills and waited for him to finish. Perhaps I'll try it again sometime, but not likely lol.

We bought our kitchen from IKEA in 2004. Birchwood. It took two visits to get it chosen, measured and sorted.
After the second visit we were wandering, as you do, through the Marketplace, as defined by the arrows on the floor.
I say to DH 'Do you want to look at the lighting?' He says 'No'. I say 'Okay'.
Woman standing by me says 'You gave in very easily'. I say 'We have been here for three days, I'm just following the arrows'.

We have a very lovely kitchen, but DH says he would rather not go back to IKEA.

However, the meatballs were great.

I've never been to IKEA. I hear things about it; it sounds most intriguing. I suspect it's a Proper Grown Up activity that I haven't mastered yet in my 30s.

I think I'll go there on a date, before I decide to marry anybody. It sounds like a good relationship filter.

We occasionally go to Ikea on a Sunday for breakfast, in the time where you cannot purchase anything from the main shop.
We also sometimes go there for tea on a weekend after going to a cinema near it.

BBC
It most probably is. DH initiated me into ikea and I loved it alone. But I think it just does stuff to your brain that should be the topic of many a PhDs. It makes you happy and sad and lost and amazed at the same time, not to mention very hungry right when you are about to pay and are looking forward to a good price of furniture that you can then hack/upcycle to your heart's content.
DH was looking forward to sharing that with me I think. We did enjoy many trips until the DCs came along, although i still wonder how did he escape brutal murder to be able to make babies .
I love IKEA.

I love Ikea.

I read an interesting article about their company strategy - aimed at young, self sufficient people who like cheap stylish furniture, don't mind self assembly etc. (Or something like that). I'm totally suckered in by it.

I just love the way everything is so innovative and clever and different. We've had our share of not-much-better-than-cardboard items that were too cheap to be true but a lot of it is built to last. After 20 years we can still get our cutlery and fourth generation of chair cushions.

I have been to Ikea once. I am 48 years old and this trip was many years ago and I still shudder.

I had a complete panic attack because of the layout and the fact that a) I couldn't get out and b) it was so crowded. The place is a bloody fire hazard.

Their products are good. I bought a fabulous desk for DD from them and paid the delivery charge rather than do a 30 minute drive each way and face a day in Ikea-hell.

I bum IKEA so hard it wishes I didn't bum it so much. If you can survive a trip to IKEA with your OH, they're probably a keeper.

I've been pre-marriage. We once went to both the Liverpool and Leeds one in ONE DAY to pick up a 5x5 Expedit unit that wasn't in stock in the first one.

I've been once wed. I've been once wed and plus toddler. Our family is rock-friggin-solid.

The nipper loves the chips and the little child pen/play cage thing in the restaurant. And 'going to sleep' in the beds.

But never buy a Klippan. The most uncomfortable, arse-numbing sofas in the world. Also, I've never met someone who seemed happy to work there.

The pick'n'mix chocolate-covered foam mushrooms, however, are the bomb. The bum bomb.

Ikea gives me THE RAGE!! but I am just sittiing looking at our lovely new POANG chair that I paid £55 for. I LOVE it

I find the ones on multiple levels are really hideous. Luckily the one nearest us ( 20 mins or so) is single level

If that's all you have to worry about in life you are doing ok. Don't stress about it. First World problems.

everything absolutely does not fit in one's car!!! That is why there is a fleet of hertz hire vans waiting in the car park!

Yes people do pick the heavy stuff and loiter with it, possibly even putting it back on a different shelf.

I work there. I love it

Love IKEA.

Never a good idea to go specifically for one thing when stock levels are low though. The stock levels aren't live, and a lot of people buy a few of an item at a time. Unless you're after something quite expensive or unusual that's very unlikely to sell out in a few hours, best to wait for a day when the stock levels are at at least 10+. It's a safety hazard for staff to replenish stock in the warehouse while customers are around (and I imagine most of the staff there in the day aren't trained for that anyway).

Maybe UK stores are laid out differently, but where I am you can always walk right past the entrance to the showroom and sneak through the register area to the warehouse. I've done IKEA trips where I bought multiple large furniture items in under 15 minutes, including parking and loading items in the car.

I hate my 'local' IKEA.

It calls itself IKEA Birmingham.

There is only one bus that gets there and even then, there's a long walk through the arse end of Darlaston (clue: NOT BIRMINGHAM) to get to the arse end of this place.

A very long walk around to the front, past a gigantic B&Q takes you to the front drive and a long uphill walk past a sign welcoming you to Pleck, a part of Walsall. Again, not Birmingham.

It's a bitch to get to, awkward to get round and a faff to get stuff delivered.

I don't care how nice it all looks, it's too big a faff.

I'm of the "love ikea" persuasion but that was not the case when I went with exP, that was always awful. But I like the concept, the design and the fact that you can get all sorts of cool bits and bobs to hack together and make your own things from. I bloody love going on my own on a day off, or with the kids as they really love it too and have a nice time.

I've actually had amazing customer service there. One woman searched both levels to find me the very last double duvet cover in a particular design, which was on a display thing somewhere, and got it for me.

Yes the delivery charge is high but it's a cheap shop, so they can't throw in delivery like say John Lewis can.

I love IKEA.

I had to be prised out of mock greenhouse the last time I was there.