It is super inconvenient when you make yourself available to receive a delivery that never arrives. Then you check the tracker to find that the delivery date has been delayed.
Delayed deliveries are almost synonymous with the name “IKEA”. It sounds like the regular problems that every large company must run into at some point until it happens to you. Then you realize that those negative reviews and threads are not exaggerating the troubles you face with an order that doesn’t arrive. Not even a scheduled delivery is safe.
It’s reasonable to ask for compensation for the cost and inconvenience of a delivery that doesn’t arrive, especially when the date and time are specifically arranged. Chances of successfully obtaining compensation from IKEA aren’t great, but contacting the physical store can have better results.
When to Ask for Compensation
You can ask for compensation when the delivery is delayed, especially when it was scheduled.
For standard delivery, you will need to wait until the delivery due date is exceeded by one week or more.
If you had scheduled delivery, you could begin asking when the order doesn’t arrive. After all, you pay an extra $20-$50 compared to the standard delivery fee for the option to organize the delivery for a specific date within a 4-hour time frame.
You can inquire about compensation when the delays have cost you extra (beyond special delivery fees) in:
- Extra expenses involved in organizing temporary measures to solve the problems associated with items (like beds) that didn’t arrive when expected. Maybe you have to go out or order take out because you don’t have a microwave, oven, or fridge.
- Phone bills for frequently long waits on the line while contacting IKEA’s customer service to sort out the matter.
- Wasted time waiting. This can be while taking time off work or the delay in completing the project you are working on.
- Travel back and forth to IKEA to sort the matter out.
- Re-scheduling involved in organizing more time off with a new delayed delivery date.
You can never be entirely sure of what IKEA will give you in terms of compensation, but you won’t succeed if you don’t ask, and asking in these situations is more than fair.
Likelihood of Success
As I said, there is no harm in asking for compensation, however, your chances of actually receiving it are slim. IKEA doesn’t even refund the delivery fee when you cancel an order that doesn’t arrive, and the process of getting a refund for the products is slow.
The customer service at IKEA is notoriously bad. So, once you manage to get through to an operator, the chances of getting to speak with someone who can decide whether you should get compensation and authorize it are not good.
I will say that just because IKEA commonly doesn’t compensate customers, that’s not to say that you can’t be one of the lucky ones. It just might only come after days or weeks of calls and visits (often considered more successful in getting things sorted out at IKEA).
If you manage to get someone to agree to a shipping fee refund, your next problem might be ensuring IKEA actually gives you the money.
How to Request Compensation
You need to contact the store you ordered from, as this seems to be your best bet for reaching someone who can help.
You can do this by visiting the store or asking to be redirected to the store from the IKEA call center and asking for the customer service department.
Have your order number ready and explain the situation, what you were expecting, and what happened, including the problems that this situation has caused (i.e., sleeping on the floor or having no kitchen).
IKEA’s customer service is known to be unhelpful and riddled with rude and unhelpful people. This can be frustrating and insulting while trying to resolve an order that isn’t working out.
However, I will say this, several online customer testimonies from people who successfully got refunded for delivery say that they dealt calmly and politely with IKEA.
You can resort to social media if you are getting nowhere with contacting IKEA customer service. Log your problem there (keep it as cordial as possible) and see if they respond to your public communication.
What to Expect
You can expect several phone calls in which you have to prove everything and a good deal of frustration in the process of contacting IKEA about a delayed delivery and the additional cost and inconvenience it has caused. Although, this is generally better when you are dealing directly with a store.
What you may find is if you call looking for an explanation and compensation, IKEA might put a rush on your delivery, and it might arrive in the next day or so.
IKEA might also offer or agree to compensate you by refunding the delivery fee or offering a gift card (which might not cover the delivery fee).
If they offer a pitiful amount (i.e., $5), you can request a more substantial and helpful amount. There is no protocol about an amount to ask for; you need to work from the foundation of the amount they offer.
UK Customers May Have More Success
IKEA customers in the UK may have a better chance of receiving compensation for delayed delivery.
This comes down to clauses (42.(9) and 42.(10)(b)) in the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which state that the trader must swiftly reimburse all payments made during a contract if the customer ends the contract or cancels the order.
This means that the delivery arrangement between you and IKEA is seen as a contract they must honor, or you are entitled to be reimbursed for the order or the delayed delivery.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get compensated for any inconvenience from the delayed delivery, but you have a better chance of getting some money back.
Would the Delivery Company Provide Compensation?
IKEA generally outsources deliveries to courier companies. Deliveries are these companies’ business, meaning they have a reputation to uphold.
If the delayed delivery is the fault of the third-party delivery service, you can request compensation if there are grounds and you have a good chance of success.
However, it appears that many of the delays are attributed to IKEA itself. You will probably have an easier time getting through to customer services with the courier company than you will with IKEA, so you can at least inquire about the delay.
More than likely, you will be told that the items have not been received from IKEA yet.
Sources
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/services/delivery/
https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/93dxv1/late_delivery/
https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/tisxod/refund_for_delivery_fees/
https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/tiqz0q/how_do_i_get_a_partialfull_refund_on_an_ikea/