So, I’ve been reading a few blogs recently where people mention their fascination with or loyalty to or … generaly positive regard for IKEA. One guy recenly went to the largest IKEA in the US, as kindoof a tourist attraction to him. I’ve heard of them, but I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who was a customer of theirs before. I’ve never seen advertising, and I didn’t know why. I had the impression initially that they were based out of northern Europe and offerred primarily catalog sales in the US. This seems to be mostly true, but they also seem to have quite a variety of locations in the US. Many in California and on the east coast, and a couple in between. None in Arizona.
Which is probably why I really don’t know anything about them, have never seen any advertisement for them, and don’t know anyone who owns anythign IKEA.
Anyway, as long as they offer catalog sales and the people who like IKEA seem to absolutely love it, I thought I’d take a look. I went to IKEA.com and they basically don’t offer internet sales unless you already have a catalog. So I tried looking for a way to request a catalog online. They have a page for that. Except it says it doesn’t work. Except then it still pretends like it’s going to work. Except it doesn’t work.
Anyway, I figured if I can’t request a catalog online, it’s probably a simple matter of phoning them up and giving them my address. They want my business, right? So I started looking for a phone number… Tried the Customer Service page, tried the Contact Us page, I don’t see a phone number. Tried going back to the USA home page; no phone number. What kind of a business are they running here? I can’t order online unless I already know the specific details of what I want, and I can’t find out the details unless .. what? I have a catalog with the phone number in it?
Eventually I found a number on the “Home shopping” page. For placing orders. There was a complex phone tree in which there were no options even accepting that IKEA might want new customers, but I eventually just hit zero and got an operator who was glad to take my name and address. Man O Man, that was much tougher than it needed to be.
I realize IKEA is a cult, but don’t cults usually want new members? Maybe I’ve got that backwards. Oh well. A catalog is on the way. I can’t afford new furniture right now anyway, so I really won’t be joining their cult right now, but … maybe they knew that.
This is what I recently wrote to Ikea .. c’mon !!
Dear Ikea:
I placed an e-shop order for two Paong chair’s which you were out of stock of at the time. However, the person who contacted me suggested I might go with another color, or even go with leather. So I thought about it, and now I’m ready to order something different, sure why not.
I would like to find out what you have in stock, and then place an order. But, I don’t have A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL YOU BACK WITH!!!
Please someone call me immediately or lose me as a customer forever. And I’m gosh darn Swedish too .. where’s the love ??? Ikea sucks for not have a phone number or easy way to get a NEW CUSTOMER!
Name Withheld
xxxxxxxxx cell phone
xxxxxxxxx home
xxxxxxxxx office
**** IKEA – I’ll pay you an extra $5 on my order if you can call me back today.
B-Stead, if I had my catalog handy I’d give you the number. But alas, I do not.
Did you check the store locator for one nearest to you? I realize that would be making a long-distance call, but they should be able to provide you with a call center number.
B-Stead, if I had my catalog handy I’d give you the number. But alas, I do not.
Did you check the store locator for one nearest to you? I realize that would be making a long-distance call, but they should be able to provide you with a call center number.
Hey B Stead,
I work there… call 800-434-ikea…. or 847-969-9700. Thanks!!
Hey B Stead,
I work there… call 800-434-ikea…. or 847-969-9700. Thanks!!
I had the same problem with finding any sort of IKEA phone number, which is how I found this site (googled looking for IKEA phone number)
i realize they may be trying to discourage people from using a phone number, and encourage them to use email, etc. but all I can say is it is pisspoor customer service and/or web site design. Enough to make one give up and Not order what looks like nicely designed furniture at a reasonable price.
seems like a no-brainer to me to make a telephone number more readily available under “Contact” info. or just on the Home page.
I had the same problem with finding any sort of IKEA phone number, which is how I found this site (googled looking for IKEA phone number)
i realize they may be trying to discourage people from using a phone number, and encourage them to use email, etc. but all I can say is it is pisspoor customer service and/or web site design. Enough to make one give up and Not order what looks like nicely designed furniture at a reasonable price.
seems like a no-brainer to me to make a telephone number more readily available under “Contact” info. or just on the Home page.
I freakin’ HATE ikea! All I want is a god damned wire curtain rod it’s not available for purchase on-line, no one answers the FAKE number I got, can’t get a catalog because they are such a popular item that they are out of circulation. What the hell? They run a shoddy, half ass business and I’m really frustrated. Figures they are the only ones who offer wire curtain rods!
I freakin’ HATE ikea! All I want is a god damned wire curtain rod it’s not available for purchase on-line, no one answers the FAKE number I got, can’t get a catalog because they are such a popular item that they are out of circulation. What the hell? They run a shoddy, half ass business and I’m really frustrated. Figures they are the only ones who offer wire curtain rods!
Thank you for your website. It is the only way I found a phone number for IKEA. I ordered a chair and a coffee table which I was informed would take three weeks to deliver. When I emailed them to cancel the order, I never received a confirmation. In fact, I never received anything. Finally, I got through on the phone to cancel and wouldn’t you know it…the recording stated that they were out of 2003 catalog!! Why are people so into this company????
Thank you for your website. It is the only way I found a phone number for IKEA. I ordered a chair and a coffee table which I was informed would take three weeks to deliver. When I emailed them to cancel the order, I never received a confirmation. In fact, I never received anything. Finally, I got through on the phone to cancel and wouldn’t you know it…the recording stated that they were out of 2003 catalog!! Why are people so into this company????
So, for those of you this affects, it was announced today that there is an IKEA store coming to Tempe.
So, for those of you this affects, it was announced today that there is an IKEA store coming to Tempe.
wow, i guess i am not alone. i’m just looking for a number! i was ordering some silverware and the freaking website fell apart so i have no idea if my order went through or not… aaaah… this is definitely enough to drive away business…
wow, i guess i am not alone. i’m just looking for a number! i was ordering some silverware and the freaking website fell apart so i have no idea if my order went through or not… aaaah… this is definitely enough to drive away business…
ditto. couldn’t find a phone # anywhere. A million thanks to you for your website!! P.S. An added lovely comment on their high-level of cusomer service. I’m a long-term customer who has ordered thousands of dollars of merchandise on-line and has made annual excursions (traveling 4-6 hours one way!) throughout Canada and the US to buy their products at actual stores. And Guess what? With much anticipation, I just attempted to order on-line their new 2004 Catalog and when I typed in my Zipcode I was told that they will not deliver their catalog to my area. I live in Detroit, Michigan not the North Pole!! What’s up with that? Is my area designated unworthy even though my entire house is decorated with thousands and thousands of dollars in IKEA furniture? Gee thanks Ikea for deeming me and all of Metro-Detroit devotees as too unworthy to receive your products.
ditto. couldn’t find a phone # anywhere. A million thanks to you for your website!! P.S. An added lovely comment on their high-level of cusomer service. I’m a long-term customer who has ordered thousands of dollars of merchandise on-line and has made annual excursions (traveling 4-6 hours one way!) throughout Canada and the US to buy their products at actual stores. And Guess what? With much anticipation, I just attempted to order on-line their new 2004 Catalog and when I typed in my Zipcode I was told that they will not deliver their catalog to my area. I live in Detroit, Michigan not the North Pole!! What’s up with that? Is my area designated unworthy even though my entire house is decorated with thousands and thousands of dollars in IKEA furniture? Gee thanks Ikea for deeming me and all of Metro-Detroit devotees as too unworthy to receive your products.
Being from Flint myself, I take this personally, and give IKEA the official thumb-on-the-nose raspberry. THHBBBBPPPT!
Being from Flint myself, I take this personally, and give IKEA the official thumb-on-the-nose raspberry. THHBBBBPPPT!
To Diane, the 2003 catalog was only good thru July 31, 2003. You wanted the 2004 catalog if you wanted the current one.
Second, IKEA’s catalog is already has the largest distribution of any annual in the world. They can’t reach everyone, and not destroy the environment.
The store’s catalog is available for download in pdf format from the website, which is http://www.IKEA.com for those of you who don’t seem to be able to understand how the internet works.
To Diane, the 2003 catalog was only good thru July 31, 2003. You wanted the 2004 catalog if you wanted the current one.
Second, IKEA’s catalog is already has the largest distribution of any annual in the world. They can’t reach everyone, and not destroy the environment.
The store’s catalog is available for download in pdf format from the website, which is http://www.IKEA.com for those of you who don’t seem to be able to understand how the internet works.
Or http://www.ikea.com for those of you that don’t know how to make a link a link.
See, n.s.h.p., I just assumed in that statement that you don’t know how to make a link, when you may have just chosen not to. Likewise, you seem to assume that someone who has gotten as far as reading this post won’t know that if they want to get to an ikea website they might want to try http://www.ikea.com. Which is a statement that not only seems unlikely, but out of place considering not a single person on this thread that I can see complained about not being able to get to their website.
As to downloading their entire catalog via pdf format, here are the two main problems I see with that. One, people tend to like catalogs they can sit on the toilet and flip through, etc. – basically, an electronic version isn’t particularly handy and it would cost a ridiculous amount of paper and ink to print it out from the pdf. Two, it’s freaking 57 MB! I happen to have high speed access, so it wouldn’t take me so long, but a lot of people, like the one who started this thread, are on dial-up access. Have you tried downloading something 57MB in size on dial-up? It’s not exactly… brisk.
Lastly, because of Teel’s bizarre dating system on his comments, I cannot say this for sure, but the original post for this was in February 2002, so I am guessing that when Dianne posted her response, referring to the 2003 catalog would have been quite reasonable.
But thanks for trying to be helpful. =)
Or http://www.ikea.com for those of you that don’t know how to make a link a link.
See, n.s.h.p., I just assumed in that statement that you don’t know how to make a link, when you may have just chosen not to. Likewise, you seem to assume that someone who has gotten as far as reading this post won’t know that if they want to get to an ikea website they might want to try http://www.ikea.com. Which is a statement that not only seems unlikely, but out of place considering not a single person on this thread that I can see complained about not being able to get to their website.
As to downloading their entire catalog via pdf format, here are the two main problems I see with that. One, people tend to like catalogs they can sit on the toilet and flip through, etc. – basically, an electronic version isn’t particularly handy and it would cost a ridiculous amount of paper and ink to print it out from the pdf. Two, it’s freaking 57 MB! I happen to have high speed access, so it wouldn’t take me so long, but a lot of people, like the one who started this thread, are on dial-up access. Have you tried downloading something 57MB in size on dial-up? It’s not exactly… brisk.
Lastly, because of Teel’s bizarre dating system on his comments, I cannot say this for sure, but the original post for this was in February 2002, so I am guessing that when Dianne posted her response, referring to the 2003 catalog would have been quite reasonable.
But thanks for trying to be helpful. =)
IkeaAa suck….. Don’t go there! They never got the right stuff and the staff have no freaking idea about the product plus “Wut the hell the talk about”? Please train ya people…. Ikea
IkeaAa suck….. Don’t go there! They never got the right stuff and the staff have no freaking idea about the product plus “Wut the hell the talk about”? Please train ya people…. Ikea
Hey people
I’m trying to find a phone number to call ikea central, in sweden, but it seems they have no phones there yet (what else is new ?). I’ll take any number. Europe, US, Africa, no matter where, I just want to hear someone saying “ikea, good morning, what can i do for you ?”.
Can anyone give me a hint ?
Thanks
Eduardo
Hey people
I’m trying to find a phone number to call ikea central, in sweden, but it seems they have no phones there yet (what else is new ?). I’ll take any number. Europe, US, Africa, no matter where, I just want to hear someone saying “ikea, good morning, what can i do for you ?”.
Can anyone give me a hint ?
Thanks
Eduardo
I guess I am finding that metro Detroiters would shop at IKEA if they opened up in this area (“tri-county area” … Oakland, Wayne, Macomb counties). A Detroit News article from Summer 2003 indicated IKEA considered opening two stores in 2005 in Canton Township and Madison Heights, two Detroit suburbs.
So we Motor City denizens may end up getting the Curse of the Big Blue Swedish Monster after all … God, or whatever your higher power is, help us all.
To Motor City IKEA fans — you can also go thru eBay. There are people who sell nothing but the company’s products thru their little eBay stores and can run to their Blue Monster Boxes and get stuff if you e-mail them.
I guess I am finding that metro Detroiters would shop at IKEA if they opened up in this area (“tri-county area” … Oakland, Wayne, Macomb counties). A Detroit News article from Summer 2003 indicated IKEA considered opening two stores in 2005 in Canton Township and Madison Heights, two Detroit suburbs.
So we Motor City denizens may end up getting the Curse of the Big Blue Swedish Monster after all … God, or whatever your higher power is, help us all.
To Motor City IKEA fans — you can also go thru eBay. There are people who sell nothing but the company’s products thru their little eBay stores and can run to their Blue Monster Boxes and get stuff if you e-mail them.