When you’re looking forward to putting together your new IKEA furniture (or you’ve finally plucked up the courage to do so), the last thing you want is to find a defective part. A single broken peg, wobbly hinge, or split board makes all the difference in your ability to put together a finished, stable piece of furniture.
If you’re having concerns about what to do with a faulty part, or even if you accidentally broke a piece yourself, this article will walk you through all your available options. Unless your product has been discontinued and the damaged part is unique to that item, a broken part is not the end of the line.
Small damaged IKEA parts can be replaced for free. Larger damaged parts can be replaced for a fee. To accept the return of damaged items, IKEA need proof of payment, the product, ID, and card (if payment method). Items damaged during assembly can’t be returned.
Small Piece Came Damaged
Sometimes, a small piece will come damaged.
By a small piece, I mean a screw, hinge, nut, or other item used to attach or secure the larger body pieces of your furniture to each other.
Small parts needed to make your furniture functional, like handles, also fall under this category.
If one of your small pieces is damaged, IKEA will supply you with a replacement free of charge. There are two ways you can get this done.
The first way to get your part(s) replaced is to look on IKEA’s website and make your way to their spare parts page. You’re going to select small spare parts, which will take you to another page.
On this page, there will be a bar for you to enter a six-digit code that corresponds with the part that you need.
If you are not sure what the six-digit code for the piece is, you should be able to find it in the assembly instructions.
Should you need another copy of the instructions, you can find a PDF copy on IKEA’s website, on the product page for your furniture model.
Once you order what you need, it should be delivered to you within 3 to 5 days.
If you need your items sooner than that and you live near an IKEA, your other option is to drive to the store with the damaged pieces and ask for a replacement.
You can find a more detailed process in Get Replacement Parts for IKEA Furniture.
Small Piece Damaged During Assembly
Sometimes, damage can happen during the assembly process as well.
Since IKEA replaces small pieces for free, you can still receive a replacement even if the piece was damaged after purchase.
You don’t need to prove that your dowel was broken on arrival, so if it breaks during assembly, there will be no issue.
These parts can be ordered or replaced in the same manner as described in the previous section, either by going online and entering the corresponding code, or by going into an IKEA store and asking for assistance.
Bigger Piece Came Damaged
It could be that your damaged piece was not a small item, but a much larger, key component of the furniture.
For example, one of the boards may be chipped, cracked, split, or otherwise broken. If this is the case, the replacement process would be a little bit different.
Unlike screws or other small parts, bigger pieces will not be freely replaced unless you are able to provide proof of purchase and that the damage was their fault (i.e., you did not break it).
This means if one of your larger pieces arrived damaged, you should take both the damaged product and some form of receipt to your local IKEA as soon as possible.
The longer you take the more time you theoretically have to break the item, thus providing IKEA with an excuse to refuse free replacement. I’m not saying that they won’t give you the benefit of the doubt, but it’s better to cover all your bases.
So, even if you have no plans to build you side table until you are on leave from work in two week’s time, open up the box now and ascertain that everything is intact.
In the event that a large piece arrives damaged, in-store personnel at IKEA can offer you different solutions.
You may be offered a replacement for just the faulty part, or they may give you the option to have your entire product exchanged.
However, going to an IKEA store may not be possible for you.
For instance, if your order was delivered and there is no store location near you, you would have to call IKEA’s customer support center for assistance instead.
On the phone, you would then be able to discuss replacement options.
Bigger Piece Damaged During Assembly
Let’s say you’re in the middle of the assembly when a part is damaged.
Maybe a board split when a screw was tightened too far, or you accidentally chipped off a corner. Maybe you used a power tool instead of the recommended non-powered tool and ended up broken pieces.
In scenarios like these, it is very unlikely that you would receive a free replacement like you would with a smaller piece that you damaged.
However, it might be possible for you to purchase just the necessary part for a small fee. This is a significantly better option than having to re-purchase the entire furniture item!
Just like you would with a part that arrived in poor condition, you can take the piece that was damaged during the assembly process to an IKEA store to get your replacement or see what options are available.
If you are unable to go to an IKEA store for whatever reason, you again have the choice to call their customer support center to figure out what options are available to you.
Can a Damaged Order Be Returned?
If you are displeased with having received damaged pieces, you might even be thinking about returning the entire product.
IKEA is known for its forgiving return policy. While the execution of this policy has its problems, IKEA does technically accept returns on open products as long as they are brought back within 180 days of purchase.
You do not even need to return the products in the original packaging, although doing so will make returning the item much easier.
Small Part Damaged on Arrival
If the part that arrived damaged was small, such as a screw or bolt, you may first be offered a replacement part upon returning your product to the store.
However, if you are set on a full return and refund, you should be able to receive one without a problem, so long as certain requirements are met.
- As mentioned before, you must return the item to the store within 180 days.
- You must also be able to provide proof of purchase using a receipt or e-mail receipt.
- If you purchased with a debit or credit card, you should also have that card with you, as IKEA provides refunds through the same method that was used for purchase.
- You must also bring ID.
Bigger Part Damaged on Arrival
If the part that arrived damaged was a bigger part, you would still be able to return your furniture item as long as you take the product back within 180 days and you can present them with proof of purchase, the card that was used to buy the item, and ID.
While you might still be offered alternative options like a replacement or exchange, IKEA should accept a return if that’s the option you want to go with.
Items Damaged During Assembly
Unfortunately, while IKEA accepts returns on opened items and items delivered with damage, they won’t accept returns on items that were stained, broken, or otherwise damaged after you began to assemble them.
An exception is “family members” in Canada who bring the item back within 14 days of purchase. You will not receive reimbursement or a gift card, however. The furniture item will be replaced with a new one of the same.
Sources
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/faq/
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/returns-claims/troubleshooting/
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/customer-service/faq/returns-and-product-issues-pub2a6dca21