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.

There needs to be a 'stories from IKEA' blog or something...

They should lift some of these comments as feedback!

I went to IKEA yesterday (on way home from DB's house with my dad)
I spent only THREE EURO!!!
(3 pots of tete a tete daffs that are now in the flowerbed)
I'm so proud!!

We spent a giddy day at Gulliver's World, followed by a visit to IKEA as we were so close anyway.

Good times.

We did actually need stuff that I had written down in my bag notebook, but we had meatballs and chips for dinner while we were there. It truthfully made my day.

Love IKEA too! (Although I can see why the op might be feeling cross)

I like watching people in the car park trying to figure out how to get everything they've bought into the car without leaving their dc behind

Another big IKEA fan here. I first visited one near the Danish border with Germany with my mother (living abroad, rather than a long drive) All the store layouts are identical, so now I also feel as if I am visiting her anytime I'm in IKEA. Only go on a Tuesday evening, no queues, meatballs and those green marzipan cakes for pudding. Bliss.

Lots of the milestones in my adult life revolve around IKEA:

• going by myself to furnish the house I bought myself (on a mortgage, but still)
• taking DH for our first household related outing together,horrendous traffic on the North circular on a Saturday, what was I thinking? It took ages, so we went straight to eat. He thought it was OK but, after lots of coffee and cakes for pudding, was ready to go straight home).
• the first time I went and didn't need anything
• hosting a massive party, making a panic trip to Ikea for 24mugs and 24 plates, as the disposable ones I had planned to use were useless and more expensive than the ones from Ikea
• replacing the Billys with really lovely real bookcases (not happened yet, but it is on the list).

My life, really

DP and I have had about 12 years of going every 2 years and swearing never again, even though we've only gone late at night.

Now I can go by myself during the week when it's practically deserted (either checking dd into Smallland or All By Myself!), and it's quite fun. The coffee and donuts are rubbish though (so I then go to John Lewis down the road and use my vouchers there!)

I lost DD more than once and the code 99 was amazing. There must have been 15 staff round me looking at her picture, they went in all directions and found her in 5 minutes.

And no I don't take DH. I have done in, bunk bed, mattress, bedding, fulfillment, payment and in the car in less than 45 minutes.

I salute my fellow Ikea ninjas.

They are opening one 15 minutes' walk from me next year.

I cannot WAIT.

I've been today, bloody love the place, even heavily pg (37 wks today). OH not so keen so I go with DM & sometimes Ds who also loves it but prefers going round to the play centre bit.

I do love a mooch though & as usual found stuff I didn't know I needed but all useful baby/child related.

Have lived going since I was v going, 'tis like a day out for me!!

I effing hate ikea.

No idea why people rave aboyt it. Every time we've been we haven't actually bought anything other than candles and such. Last time we went to buy furniture. .. We researched exactly everything we needed to buy on Web first but couldn't for the life of us find it when we got there . Totally lolled at the divorce enducing experience !!!

Plus it's cheap fall apart tatt anyway

I live near the Nottingham one and there's a very good shortcut you can do through the loos into the restaurant and out the other side into children's furniture.

HTH someone.

I feel a trip to Ikea coming on. I am moving house, it is the perfect excuse for new storage and bits and bobs.

Love Ikea theyve got a huge one at Delft we go for breakfast there walk around then there is a mister whippy type ice cream machine as you leave brilliant

Love Ikea, took dd at three weeks old whilst DH was on paternity leave, she screamed the while time and we haven't been back since shea now eighteen months

Pssshh, AllDaBoats it's only 'cheap fall apart tat' if you don't put it together properly in the first place. It's not exactly hard to find what you need either (unless it's the weird magnetic board which I've NEVER SEEN).

Ikea hates me!
Iv only ever been twice but it's so bloody bright in there that the first time I fainted & which led to a migraine & the second time the migraine emerged within 15mins. My migraines are horrific too, tingling hands, eye auras, slurred speech. I scared small children
Will never set foot in one again.

OP, I had the "out of stock" drama 8 years ago and I am still not at the stage where I can laugh about it.

I live a long way from a store so it was a big deal. I may have cried.

I have been since, but with my 17 yo DS who made me promise to only buy what was on the list killjoy

I took aforementioned DS to Southampton for uni interview, checked in on FB. Friend commented that we should go to titanic museum.
Sister commented that we should go to IKEA! She knows me well. We didn't do either because Southampton is bloody miles away

Another time it was a toss up between the Hindu temple in Neasden and the IKEA.

Do you mean the magnetic blackboard with the key hooks? We have that hanging in our hallway.

This one, Bertie. I think it's a slightly different version to the one I was originally after years ago

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/small-storage-organisers/paper-media-organisers/spontan-magnetic-board-silver-colour-art-10159443/

I've found all the others, and my local ikea apparently stocks it, but it eludes me.

They are opening one 15 minutes' walk from me next year.

I think I'd move into that IKEA if I were you Bertie
You could move about choosing a new 'room' every day to inhabit and eat in the cafe. (Although you might have to ignore the constant stream of people trundling past.)

I'm just working on getting knocked up so I can enjoy my maternity leave in the most sensible manner!

Good plan!

True story. Our DC are adopted and came to live with us at 2 weeks notice. We had one Ikea trip to buy everything for a baby and toddler: bed, cot, bowls, flannels, cuddly toys, furniture, everything . DH and I had a big trolley each stacked head high. I still have the foot long receipt from that day and a soft spot for IKEA because we could have done that nowhere else and it effectively kicked off our family life.