[RELAXER]

I would just like to make existing and future Ikea customers aware of issues I had with our Ikea kitchen cupboards. The coating on the cupboards is crazing on most of the cupboards and above the lower cupboard door trim, areas that get the most use seem to craze the most. In other areas where there is more contact with water (just below the front of the sink) the coating peels, this I understand is more of a water issue, but its ability for it to stand up to an area where there is more water is low.

Kitchen Set up

Crazing Cupboards


Front of Sink – far view


Front of Sink – close view



Now I will keep this short, I am not the original purchaser of the cupboards, but in my view I felt that Ikea should recognize that there is a problem with their product.

After many e-mails & conversations with store managers, the answer is simply, no receipt - no warranty. Now this holds true even if you were the original purchaser. They did not even offer any solution such as replacing the parts affected at their cost or even half of their cost, etc. Trying to get through to someone in the store was a challenge in itself.

BUYER BEWARE


Tim

[DesignDiva]

Hi Tim!

I am sorry that your IKEA cabinets have started to fail. It does appear that the water damage is caused by water from the sink running around the full bullnose of the granite countertop, which is more of a design flaw than a cabinet defect. Any cabinet with water continually channeled in that way would fail.

Your doorstyle appears to be Duvbo, which was discontinued some time ago. How old is the kitchen, do you know? And the upper cabinets you show with the crazing, are they above something with a heat source like a toaster oven? Just trying to figure out the cause.

[RELAXER]

I was told the cupboards were purchased in 2003 some time, I bought the house in Dec 2004.

It is not a heat source, I thought that might have been the reason, but the crazing is happening also just below the kitchen counter top, on all pieces that are above the drawers and the lower cupboards.

Hope that helps.

[GardenOfDarwin]

Sorry it's on such a bad note. Is there any chance of getting in touch with the previous owners to see if they still have some of the documentation? If they claimed the home improvements on their taxes, there's a good chance they'd still have the receipts.

Also, what you have there is Duverum, not Duvbo. Duvbo is a frameless construction, while Duverum was an inset doorstyle. I don't know what, if any, difference there is in the actual cabinet construction. Any chance you have photos of the insides of the cabinets? The reason I ask is that if you are able to get the receipts from the PO, you would likely get a replacement from IKEA. Since Duverum is no longer available, I'm not sure how it would be handled.

My next step would definitely be to try to reach the previous owner. Sorry you've had such a hassle!

Susan

[RELAXER]

I was told by the Ikea representative that sine I am not the original owner - a receipt would not make a difference.

Here is the quote from Ikea

This warranty applies only to the original purchaser of the free standing Kitchen Cabinets and Kitchen Cabinet System sold by IKEA. This means that even if you sell your home before the 10-year warranty is up, the warranty will not extend to the new owner of the home.

[DulcineaK]

Unfortunately I believe that warranty stipulation is true for most cabinet companies and the like. A chain of custody is important so that there can be knowledge of treatment. Because, in the end, though you can say you don't have a heat source here or there or no water channels with you, there is no true direct knowledge that the po was the same

I'm not saying this was the case. Nor am I speaking to your situation directly. I'm just saying that a lot of warranties end with the original purchaser for these (and more) reasons.

I am truly sorry this is happening to your cabinets though.
Were these really sold as recently as 2003? How long were they sold? (these questions thrown out to the folks who might have info cause i've never seen these cabinets....)