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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

or were they being total 'jobsworth' meltdown in Ikea

317 replies

Ceci03 · 29/08/2021 13:05

So bit of a long one but... I applied for the ikea finance thingy, it's no interest so seemed good. Got the virtual card - its like a bank card, and on the website it said you had to show it at the till and then they would key in the numbers. So went on Fri eve, took about 3 hours to do all the shopping, mainly a bed, but you know what it's like there. Got to the till, and the guy said I had to have the app. What app? Ikea finance app, he said. So there I was trying to download this app at the till with people queueing behind me. When it finally downwloaded it said I couldnt use it as it needed 14+ update.

So then a 'manager' came over and said I could "do it" online. So she directed me to this website for the finance company. But I couldnt log in as it said I needed a family card number, but I don't have a family card.

She suggested I go over to the doors to get better reception on wifi. I said it wasnt the wifi that was the problem!

I then tried to login in the ikea finance website, but for some reason my phone kept doing the 'circle of doom'. - When I got home I tried it again, and it still did it, only conclusion is that my phone isn't new enough.

So I begged her, to let me use the card. She said no as she "didnt know it was me". So I had to just leave all the stuff and go home.

So back again on Saturday. I tried logging in on my laptop, which is how I applied for the loan and it worked perfectly. So I rang customer service, and said could I show my laptop at the till, no problem.

When I got there to be sure, I found a manager at the till, and explained the problem. I said I didnt want to do all my shopping and then get to the till and the same thing happened, so could I show her beforehand. OK she said. So I pulled out the laptop but couldnt login!!!!!!!!! I think it was the ikea wifi wasnt strong enough. So I went away and was able to connect using my mobile hotspot. Went back and tried to find her but she kept moving away and chatting to her colleagues and ignoring me. In the end after about 15 mins of me standing there trying to get her attention I went up and said 'excuse me' and tried explaining again. I showed her how I had logged in, and she could see the card etc. But... she said the rule was I had to show it at the till when I got there. I said but what if my laptop plays up and I cant get logged in, you've seen it now, cant you say that I can definitely use it? No, she said. I said that it didn't say anything about that on their website, and shouldnt it be a bit clearer. She said no, it was very clear, and nobody else had ever had a problem. It was getting a bit heated now, well I was getting upset. I asked her a few more times but she wouldnt budge. I jsut burst out crying, I was just at the end of my tether. I felt like screaming at the bloody mindedness of the whole thing. Eventually another manager came over, and he took me to a seat, and he phoned another manager, and then another manager, and eventually they said ok, they had seen me login, and "knew it was me", and if I did my shopping I would be able to use the card.

I'm still upset, stupid I know. I'm thinking as well is this just discrimination against people who don't have top of the range phones? I mean my phone works perfect for everything, just not this for some reason. It's a 12 update I think. So it's not ancient or anything. Surely they need to have some flexibility if the technology is not working?

Thanks for reading if you've gotten this far. I honestly don't know what I could have done different...?? I've tried to contact the bank they set up, Ikano , but impossible to get a response...

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Clymene · 29/08/2021 19:45

Its got nothing to do with being a phone snob. Its rules set by the FCA.

I can imagine that if someone had taken a screenshot of the OP's app and gone and bought a load of stuff on her credit, she'd be absolutely furious (and rightly so).

Incidentally, my kid's cheap £120 phone will run the app fine.

DrDreReturns · 29/08/2021 19:50

It's the fault of the software developers for the app. They should make sure the app is compatible with as many versions of the os as possible. I'm an Android developer and my apps work with version 4 of the os which is ancient.
It's an own goal for them as they'll lose business.

FlumpsAreShit · 29/08/2021 20:04

@DrDreReturns

It's the fault of the software developers for the app. They should make sure the app is compatible with as many versions of the os as possible. I'm an Android developer and my apps work with version 4 of the os which is ancient. It's an own goal for them as they'll lose business.
Agree but the loan package was only released in Feb. IKEA have bought 49% of Ikano with an option to buy more so imagine the loan and accompanying app is a MPV that will be update. OP, you should feed back.

I have a new phone and can never get decent internet in IKEA!

Clymene · 29/08/2021 20:04

@DrDreReturns

It's the fault of the software developers for the app. They should make sure the app is compatible with as many versions of the os as possible. I'm an Android developer and my apps work with version 4 of the os which is ancient. It's an own goal for them as they'll lose business.
They'll lose business if they only make it available to phones which are less than 7 years' old? I doubt it
plodalong12 · 29/08/2021 20:14

@DrDreReturns

It's the fault of the software developers for the app. They should make sure the app is compatible with as many versions of the os as possible. I'm an Android developer and my apps work with version 4 of the os which is ancient. It's an own goal for them as they'll lose business.
Do your apps include financing and banking features? Because I’d be wary of using such on such an old OS if they did.
YellowClouds · 29/08/2021 20:19

You keep sharing a screenshot that says you must show the virtual card at the till then saying that's what you did. But that's not what you done, you showed a photo of the card which isn't the same thing.

You couldn't go into a shop and pay with a photo of a credit card or photocopied £10 notes.

You were applying for credit, it is a financial transaction, there isn't really a lot of leeway there! You can't just show up with a pictured a card and cry and expect them to then just let you spend hundreds of pounds and wander off. I am quite shocked that so many people think the IKEA staff where being unreasonable.

Phone and app issues aside you just weren't following the procedure.

Ceci03 · 29/08/2021 20:26

OK I take your point @YellowClouds but due to me being a thicko, I didn't realise I needed an app at all. I did it all online.

I didn't just have a photo of the card, I had a screenshot of me being logged in online.

I would have been happy to login online but I couldnt on the first day as the WIFI was too weak. Plus my phone would not even load the ikea finance page online, forget the app. So according to the 'rule' I could not purchase. OK point taken.

DAY 2: Due to the wifi/internet problems the day before and being unable to download the app, I went online, on my laptop, using my phone as a hotspot. I showed the manager how I was logged in, she watched me logging in. I then, quite reasonably I think, asked if it would be now possible for me to do my shopping, but if I could not get logged on at the till - due to problem with wifi, or I was worried my hotspot would stop working, or any other number of things - I asked her, now that she had seen me logged in, and "knew it was me", could I, in the event that I couldnt get logged in again, use the card.

Answer: NO

OP posts:
Ceci03 · 29/08/2021 20:30

Plus nobody has been able to answer me : how do they "know its me" if I order online? Or click and collect?

How come I can pay online using the card - no app needed - but I cant pay in the exact same way at the till.

Sorry I'm really stupid and slow, but I don't get it.

I take everyon'es point - I'm not sure how old my phone is, it's IPhone 6, but I think 6S or something.

But in any event, I got around all that by bringing in my laptop to the store.

I think in future maybe they need an online 'point' at the till, like they do in banks, where you can login on THEIR computer. No need for phones or apps. plus they would have to improve their WIFI!!!!!

OP posts:
WhoIsPepeSilva · 29/08/2021 20:33

It is a bit snobby when people are basically saying "just go out and buy an up to date phone" because not everyone can afford the up to date phone, however they could afford the £10-20 a month repayment on the large necessary item they need right now.

It's not discrimination by law but it is a practice that excludes (or discriminates against) those who cannot afford the requisite level of phone to access the app.

Being one of those people that can't afford the new phone I can't get seriously angry about it, but I'm aware I may miss out on deals that could save me money in the longer term because I can't afford the immediate outlay for a phone. Basically it's a bit shit when you're poor and society is moving towards an increasingly technology heavy lifestyle day to day but you can't afford the kit.

TheLovelinessOfDemons · 29/08/2021 20:38

I hate when people say they've never had a problem before. DS 10's school uses the Arbor app, which is great until I want to pay dinner money. I have to go on to the website. It's never happened before....... argh!

SusannahSophia · 29/08/2021 20:40

@LookItsMeAgain

I fail to see how you having a phone that is unable to run the latest iOS update which would then allow you to run the software/app for the Ikea Finance is somehow Ikea's fault *@SusannahSophia*? I mean the way that the manager in Ikea spoke to you wasn't ideal but they were trying to advise you on what you have to do to use their app or their finance option. Perhaps try upgrading your phone so that it can take the latest iOS version and try again?
I’m not the OP, and my iPhone 6 won’t update beyond IOS 12. @LookItsMeAgain. I was just explaining that my perfectly good phone has annoyingly become obsolete before it’s time.
DrWhoNowww · 29/08/2021 20:41

If it’s a 6s then it’s capable of running IOS14 so you can get the app surely?

They know it’s you online because there’s generally 2 factor authentication when paying by credit online - either two passwords or a text or email code that you have to put in.

You don’t have the same failsafes when paying with a debit card because, frankly, the banks don’t care about someone scamming you out of your money (like if someone just used your debit card details to buy goods) they DO care about you being scammed out of their money which is why there are extra processes to prove it’s you using the credit.

Biancadelrioisback · 29/08/2021 20:43

@Ceci03

Plus nobody has been able to answer me : how do they "know its me" if I order online? Or click and collect?

How come I can pay online using the card - no app needed - but I cant pay in the exact same way at the till.

Sorry I'm really stupid and slow, but I don't get it.

I take everyon'es point - I'm not sure how old my phone is, it's IPhone 6, but I think 6S or something.

But in any event, I got around all that by bringing in my laptop to the store.

I think in future maybe they need an online 'point' at the till, like they do in banks, where you can login on THEIR computer. No need for phones or apps. plus they would have to improve their WIFI!!!!!

It's not as much about "knowing it's you" but more the payment needs to be a verified. Online payments require you to have all card details, through a secure payment gateway and often you are taken to a verification page or, if it's a large amount, the bank will ring you.

Obviously you can take someone else's card and use it online but most people would cancel or freeze a card the moment they knew it was missing so there is protection in a way.

It would be exactly the same if you had a picture of a credit card or had the details written down and tried to pay. It's just not acceptable. Not the cashier's fault nor is it the managers.

How would you feel if someone ran up a massive debt in your name because they managed to get a hold of your screenshot and IKEA just accepted that?

DrDreReturns · 29/08/2021 20:46

@plodalong12 no they don't to be fair. It's still a point of honour for me to support users with older OS's. I get that for certain things this may not be reasonable.

MeredithGreyishblue · 29/08/2021 20:49

@callmeadoctor

There are some very smug phone snobs on here today. Clearly we are all expected to have decent phones................................................
If you want to use an app based product, you kinda do really. That's not being smug, just practical.
CBroads · 29/08/2021 21:00

I used to work there and believe me, anything to do the the Finance has to be done by the book, they get audited on it frequently. So no they weren't being jobs worths, they were just telling you what you didn't want to hear.

Ceci03 · 29/08/2021 21:02

OK I take your points about having to verify it's me.

What about when I logged in and showed them 'it was me', but they refused to confirm that if I went and got the stuff I wanted and came back and for some reason could not login again I coulndt use the card? Looking back more calmly, surely that could be where a manager says 'ok, we've seen you login, we know it's you, off you go, enjoy your shopping, and you can use the card as we've seen you logged in'.

But they wouldnt agree to that. Or they did eventually when I basically bawled my eyes out. Embarrassing but I really sobbed. It was just too much!

Plus I had got lost on the way home, and didnt get back until after midnight the night before, and again I got lost on the way back there in the morning. There were a lot of road closures and I got totally off-track, and google maps wasn't helping.

I agree though, it's like punishing poor people yet again. The people able to afford the latest phones and updates, get all the discounts and benefits.

OP posts:
gardeninggirl68 · 29/08/2021 21:03

@lawnfever

ridiculous...if you want the benefits, get the gear

you wouldn't go scuba diving with goggles and plastic flippers from primary would you?

gardeninggirl68 · 29/08/2021 21:03

*primark!

Ceci03 · 29/08/2021 21:03

PS Im not blaming IKEA for me getting lost, just explaining that I was really at the end of my tether at how difficult it all was!

OP posts:
gardeninggirl68 · 29/08/2021 21:05

op with all the pleading, crying and begging i would be more suspicious than ever

i'm a retail manager myself.....like the 'jobsworth' you so charmingly describe in your op

that level of desperation smacks of a certain something unfortunately

gofg · 29/08/2021 21:07

Faced with all that rubbish I would have just gone somewhere else to make my purchases. And retailers wonder why people prefer online shopping!!!

BigThumb · 29/08/2021 21:11

What about when I logged in and showed them 'it was me', but they refused to confirm that if I went and got the stuff I wanted and came back and for some reason could not login again I coulndt use the card? Looking back more calmly, surely that could be where a manager says 'ok, we've seen you login, we know it's you, off you go, enjoy your shopping, and you can use the card as we've seen you logged in'.

This part definitely makes it a jobsworth moment imo. People might not like to admit it but sometimes retail staff get a little kick of pleasure about being a dick to customers and playing computer says no when they can easily solve a situation (and often do after it escalates or a more level headed member of staff intervenes).

Biancadelrioisback · 29/08/2021 21:11

If that manager was not there/available when you went to check out, does someone else just have to trust you that you've already proven it's you?

daisyjgrey · 29/08/2021 21:13

@ivykaty44

Gosh is it really this complicated to shop at IKEA? It’s put me off going

No, it's not.