Why can’t I talk to anyone in Ikea customer service?

I need to return some online items, but there’s no one to ask how to do it

Can you please ask Ikea what’s going on? It seems that many hundreds of people, including me, are having problems, and it is almost impossible to talk to anyone.

Since January, I have been trying to return four items which I ordered online. It is difficult to find the customer service number and, when you do, either you are on hold until you lose the will to live, or they tell you that you can just turn up at a store with your receipt.

Another part of the website suggests that this is not the case.

The “complain by email” section does not actually provide an email address. There is also no contact telephone number for my local Gateshead branch, so I don’t know whether I can actually return items to the store.

Facebook is awash with complaints – what is going on?

SB, Durham

Ikea is another company that hasn’t had a great year customer service-wise. The internet is awash with unhappy Ikea customers and an inability to be able to talk to someone is a repeated complaint.

Happily, the firm’s press people are more on the ball and have arranged to have your four items collected and a refund paid.

The company blames a huge leap in online demand, coupled with Covid-related supply chain problems, which, in turn, doubled calls to its contact centre.

“We know that this experience does not live up to our expectations for our customers, and we have been working extremely hard to resolve these issues,” it says.

And, for the record, it says you can take items bought online back to the stores.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions


Contributor

Miles Brignall

The GuardianTramp

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