Hi all,
The reason for contributing with this testimony is because I wish that no one else has to go trough what I 've been going through as an IKEA client in France, Paris during the last one and a half month. If my complaint/campaing has as a result that fewer persons will experience this nightmare, I will be really pleased.
It all started with a long distance order (it was a 1.500 euro order and was supposed to be just the 1st part of the furniture I needed for my new appartment). Diary of events (all proves and elements are at the disposal of any interested person):
October 8th 2011: Long distance order through internet, for approximately 1500 euros. As I work a lot, I am a woman and I live alone, I thought that by placing a long distance order I would save time and strenght.
October 10th 2011: Calling IKEA to add the mounting of the furniture, as proposed by the IKEA site (note, I live alone, it is very difficult to set up a PAX LYNGDAL for example). By the way, if this service is proposed, why do you have to call to add
ot
and why it is not possible to add it directly on the site???
The IKEA personnel informs me (beforehand) that I will have to INSIST about this, when the transport company will call me to fix the appointment by FIRMLY reminidng them about the assemblage.
October 24th 2011: Nobody has called (even though the firm promises a follow up call for setting an appointment). So I call IKEA again. (Note that this type of call is not free, so you have to pay for it). The IKEA employee informs me that the transport company claims to have called me on the 11th of October and not having found me. However there is not a single trace of this allusion. The IKEA employee provides me with the transport company details. She insists that I will have to be tenacious and not give up. I really start worrying. So I call (instead of being called) the transport company.
The employee there proposes me to deliver my furniture just next Thursday (27.11.2011). I tell her it's fine, as long as somebody fixes/sets them up for me, as asked from the 10th of October already. She says she is sorry, but the person fixing this type of appointment does not work on Mondays and Saturdays (why should this be my problem???). She proposes me to call next day at 11 am to have a new appointment. I thank her, politely and say I will call back.
October 25th 2011: I call back again the transportation company. I call with the same lady. She informs me that my appointment has been scheduled for Thursday. I say to her "I trust you mean also putting up the furniture". She starts to get enerved saying to me "no, for that you will have to wait". I start to explain her that in a Parisian appartment, with Parisian dimensions it is practically impossible to live with a full PAX LYNGDAL, a double bed, a
library
, a mattress and an office in carton boxes. She keeps on being enerved, informing me that my appointment has been scheduled (!!!), that it is too late to cancel and that she will pass me on another collegue. The other collegue, insists on the same point and transfers me to "another collegue". This another collegue (actually the woman with who I spoke the first day) tells me there is nothing she can do and hangs down. I call back. She hangs down again when she hears me. Nobody answers my next calls. So I call back IKEA and try to explain the situation. The "After Sales" service opens a folder to document the case. They inform me (politely) that they will try to contact at my place the transportation company and call me back in the next 24 hours.
October 26th 2011: During one of my meetings, IKEA calls back to tell me that my "appointment" for Thursday has been cancelled and the transportation company will call me back in one week (!!!), to fix another appointment. I say "thank you". Approximately 10 minutes later I receive an sms from the transportation company saying that my furniture will arrive on Thursday (therefor cancelling the phonecall I received from IKEA). So (during the meeting) I have to call back IKEA after sales service again , to check which of both messages is valid. IKEA informs me I should not take under consideration the transportation/carrier message. They will call me in a week (another week, I reming you that I payed and placed my order at the 8th o October).
November 4th: During another crucial meeting that I organise in the context of a EU research project, the transportation company reaches me again (but we are once again talking again for 9 and not 7 days). I talk with a surprisingly polite employee who proposes me a new appointment so as to finally receive my furniture in between the 15th and 19th of November (so 1 month and 10 days after my command, whith the normal calendar saying that you are contacted within a week while your furniture arrives at the latest 10 days after fixing the appointment). Without raising any complaints I ask an appointment on the 19 th of November. And I am reassured that everything will work fine this time (despite this unbelievable delay and manners).
November 19th: Two of the courses I am teaching at a foreign university are cancelled. A relative comes to visit me from abroad to help me arrange my stuff and managing the new space. A small gathering of friends is organised for the 20th for the occassion. The previous day (18th) an SMS message confirms that my furniture will indeed arrive (and be fixed) on the 19th, in between 9 and 12
pm
. I wake up at 8. I gather all of my stuff so that the transporter has space to mount the furniture. But time passes and nobody arrives.
November 19th, 1.00 pm: I call IKEA. They advise me to wait. They tell me that if I can not join the transportation company, they will not be able to join them either.
November 19th, 2.30 pm: Another IKEA employee tries harder, I get billed for a 10 minute call, but eventually she tells me she got them, and yes there will be a delay but they will come.
November 19th, 3.30 pm: I call back again since nobody has arrived yet. The employee tries to locate the transportation company but nobody is there. She regrets to tell me that she hopes they will come but she has no way for joining them. Needless to say that no information message about cancellin g or delay has arrived from the transportation company.
November 19th, 6.00 pm: Writing this thread, hoping that my message and my numerous complaints (also to IKEA) will make a slight difference in customer care and firm responsibility.
I understand that IKEA is not responsible for the transportation even if this is not precised on the web site. But the schema "good ones" (IKEA)/"bad ones" (transportation company) should be none of my business. My time is invaluable, my energy and efforts as well, there are a million better ways to spend them.
If there is a service called "mounting your furniture" it shouls be respected. If there is an order passed (and payed) as well. The slightest thing IKEA France could do would be to monitor and evaluate the apparently not so serious neither professional companies they are collaborating with. I lost not just a full Saturday, but a 3 hours lesson and my students, a gathering that will not happen, a trip of someone from abroad who came visit on this occassion.
Thank you so much IKEA France. The nightmare will now have to continue from Monday onwards. Please, if you feel there are people susceptible to be interested/related with this unbelievable Parisian IKEA transportation service, pass the message to them.
For your information, the parisian phone numbers of the transportation company I had the bad luck to fell upon (unfortunately i was not able to trace with the phone number the company) are:
++33 01 64 42 15 56 , ++ 33 01 644215 50.
Thank you all for all your comprehension and attention
IKEA - Paris, Long Distance Order Nightmare
