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.

Some secret force drags you deep into its bowels and eventually spits you out having deleted your bank account and equipping you with loads of items that you didn't realise you couldn't live without.

:o yes I remember someone on the radio once saying they had gone in and been entranced by all the cool knick-knacks that only cost about £1 and how bargainous it was and they could go shopping and not spend much. 2 hours later they exited with £300 worth of knick-knacks :o

Ahem, I think everything does not fit in one's car at once

Then again, perhaps they meant "Everything fits in a giant Swedish Volvo"?

DH and I can survive ikea without imploding, XP and I never could.

Still my favouritist ever mumsnet post remains the one where the poster compared an ikea visit to childbirth.

With sincere apologies for butchering it and that I have no idea who originally came up with it I shall attempt to paraphrase:

A trip to Ikea is a bit like childbirth. It starts off all exciting and manageable. You start screaming for drugs at some point during the hall of reasonably priced nick nacks and by the time you get to the car park you swear never again. But 18 months later...

Great showroom crap shop. Good place for rainy day nursery kids....

We luckily live In a magic zone where the cost of taking 2 cars (such as would be needed for anything big) is about the same as the delivery charges

We love it. Right next to the ice rink so DH takes DD for tea straight after her lesson every week. We're on our 2nd set of sofas (first set, leather, under £700, lasted 12 years), and the rest of the house is pretty much all Ikea except the beds. I luffs it.

Toilet brushes for 49p? Use em and chuck em!

Never used the creche. Never felt the need ... DD loves going round too much.

I've been there once and it was my first and last visit. The service speaking as I find wasn't too bad.
However the layout is a bloody disgrace. There's all sorts of walk ways and dead ends. I shudder to think how they'd get everyone out calmly quickly and orderly in the event of a fire.

Nah they're dicks. We want a cot and a mattress and they're asking £35 delivery charge. DH and I had a heated debate about whether £5 worth of fuel and our time are worth more...turns out it's not so we'll be going... FML

I've seen so many prize rows at Ikea I'd pay them for the memories alone. A couple stood waiting for a cab shamelessly elbowing each other...priceless

as the nearest one to us was Bristol, as we live on the Devon/Cornwall border in UK

We used to live in Bristol and had friends to stay for a weekend from Cornwall. They had just bought a house and I swear were more excited about the chance to go to IKEA than seeing us!

Where we live now, we have one around 20 mins away, two that are 45 mins away and one an hour away. Haven't been for years! We have deal amongst our group of friends (all live nearby) that if anyone wants anything from IKEA they ask the group if they want/need anything and then we work out if the ridiculous delivery charge is worth it.

I once watched a couple have an extremely animated "discussion" about loading a very long item into a Ford KA. The discussion culminated in the man shoving it with force into the boot, through the car and straight through the windscreen.

I bloody love IKEA. DH hates it though and as our nearest is 2 hours away and at the other end of a notoriously hideous one way town system, I don't get to go very often.

I live a 5 minute drive from Ikea. Me and a friend often pop there for breakfast or dinner. So cheap and free refills of tea/coffee.
We just do the cafe and market place. I always buy food bags

Oh and DH has never set foot in there! Even refuses a cheap brekkie. His loss

I love ikea, you either have to treat it like a military organisation (choose online, in, out) or like a day out (through the show room, cafe, market place).

The £35 delivery charge is well worth if you are buying lots of big, heavy or awkward stuff! If you aren't buying loads of stuff, the whole point is you go pick it up yourself.

I have been known to book a weekend away just because there's an IKEA nearby 😂

So I can go to IKEA I mean 🙃

I'm two hours away from two IKEA's so don't get to make these frivolous trips you all speak of

Ultimate IKEA hack:

1. Look up item(s) online and check stock. Write down number.
2. Get to IKEA just before doors open.
3. Sneak in the 'wrong' way, through the tills, which are just opening.
4. Collect item.
5. Pay for item (without queuing!).
6. Take item to car (or arrange delivery) and go home.

We're two hours away fro an IKEA so end up squeezing a visit in on the way to the in-laws who are five hours away. I remember a very special visit when I was 7 months pregnant with DC1 and I lost DH and was desperately phoning him. He eventually found me and shouted at me for wandering off like a naughty child. I shouted at him for leaving his phone in the car. It was all very public.

Anyway, we bought a chest of drawers fro the baby and carried on with our journey to the in-laws where the stress really got going.

We spent 7 hours this weekend building a Stuva loft bed and desk, and a Hemnes coat stand. I'm ikea'd out for a few months anyway!

My dh and I booked sneaky (didn't tell ds 8 ) annual leave. Drove 2.5 hours to ikea. In and out under 2 hours. Stopped for a naice lunch on way home.

Ds not impressed we went without him.

Dh and I didn't row once. It was a lovely date.

having IKEA cravings now.

Love buying it, hate the making it afterwards.

want meatballs now.

I've never been to IKEA! Or used their website!
Sounds like opinion is equally split whether i'm missing out or not!!

here's the ultimate accolade - I offered to go to a work conference in Milton Keynes, only because I could go to the IKEA there