Hi all, I really like the design of IKEA products. They look modern and simple. Hence when i got my new flat, I got the bulk of my home needs from there. Here's a list of what i got(not all together but from time to time starting late 2007 til now): - lighting for whole house. -1 coffee table -2 wall shelves -1 study table -1 2-sliding door wardrobe ( ard 2 by 2m) -1 2-door wardrobe -1 billy book case -1`toddler bed complete with mattress and set of bedding -1 kids shelving -1 kids table with 2 chairs -1 expedit bookcase - shoe rack -1 metal drawer - kitchen utensils (cutlery set, scissors, cooking pots, knives, grater, water flasks, thermos flask, and plenty others more.) And for all the stuff i got I got myself an IKEA friends card. All purchases I make should be in the record of this card right so as to accumulate points for exchange of gifts... And here i thought I was ready to move into my new place. When the 2 wardrobes and coffee table arrived, I was telling the contractors about the furniture which seem to have been afflicted with what seem to be little black spots of mould. The contractors assured me it was nothing and to just clean it off with a piece of cloth. He said that if it persists, Call IKEA up they will change for me. True to his word, the mould came off easily enough when i wiped it down. However, a few weeks later, it grew back with a vengeance. I was really upset as I have not even moved in yet. My apartment definitely have a humidity level much lower than any other places in Singapore. In fact it was dry and dusty. Paranoid as I have 1 infant and 1 toddler to think about, i set about checking ALL my furniture. Coincidentally, My 2 PAX wardrobes, My LACK coffee table, My BILLY bookcase, my MIKAEL(not sure if this is the model) study table are all mouldy. I checked all other furniture i had like the following: - my Barang Barang side table- fine - my wooden dining table (not from IKEA) - fine - the 6 accompanying wooden dining chair - fine - My V.hive dresser table - fine - My built in kitchen cabinet from UHome - fine - My other study table from some antique shop i forgot the name of - fine - My wooden treasure chest again from the antique shop - fine -IKEA console- fine -IKEA expedit bookcase - fine -My wooden baby bed from Kiddy Palace - fine -IKEA toddler bed - fine -IKEA kids shelve -fine So the conclusion was.. some but NOT all IKEA stuff I bought between late last year(2007) and early this year (2008) turned mouldy. So the nightmares have started... I called up IKEA and told the staff about it. Needless to say, I had to repeat my story again and again before I got my case exclusively handled by someone. Before that as i was unable to produce the receipt thinking that they should have the records of my purchases in my IKEA Friends acct. But i was sooo wrong. They told me due to the fact that i bought my items before and was assembled by the old contractors they used they had totally no record of my purchase. The contractors they are using currently is a different one. One man I spoke to on the phone even suggested that i got my items from the "As Is" section and was trying to get a refund with full priced items. I was really disappointed. How could a reputable company like IKEA hire staff that spoke so insultingly? anyway, a helpful girl i spoke to at IKEA decided that a carpenter should come by to look at my furniture. the carpenter took 2 weeks to swing by my place for 5 minutes... Carpenter told me a change will be needed. So again waited for their 3-5 working days for the girl to call me back. when she called me back she said that IKEa will be replacing my mouldy boards BUT at a fee. when i ask her what the fees are for, she said they are because the boards are specially made for it.. I mean what does she mean specially made? It is still the same boards for those std sized PAX wardrobes right? should be simple as replace moudly ones with new ones right? cos the boards were already mouldy when it arrived at my place.. not that i did something to it... So she told me she'll check. Later she got back to me and told me that they will replace it free of charge. So i asked her what about the tables? The coffee tables and the study tables.. To my huge surprise, she forgot about it. So she called me back yet again to tell me she can only refund me 70% of the actual cost cos it is already assembled. right.. I paid the 5% for the IKEA contractors to assemble too and i can forget it but here they are not refunding me totally for their defective, improperly treated products. And they will be refunding me IKEA vouchers.. I am so afraid to have to go thru all the calling again. Despite all these 70% refund, the girl on the phone say it is out of the company's "goodwill" that they refund me.. I can't help but feel offence when they use the word goodwill as it implies that they are completely not at fault but just to humour me. Which customer will not be agitated when they purchase products that are defective even before first use. I have moved boxes of books and clothing to my new place but have reframed from putting them away in the mouldy furniture. Looks like my move will have to wait. anyway, tml, she ask me to talk to her Manager.. So will call tml and update .
