Ikea Customer Charged $69 Delivery Fee for Stickers, Not Chairs

A shopper in New Zealand faced frustration after being charged a delivery fee for stickers, despite his order for dining chairs being canceled. Rana Ghosh placed an order through the Ikea app on December 2, 2023, shortly after the company’s first store opened in the country. He confirmed that the chairs were in stock before completing his purchase.

Ghosh added a set of protective stickers, priced at $1.25, intended for the legs of the chairs to prevent damage to his floor. When he checked out, the app included a $69 delivery fee for shipping his items to Lower Hutt. On Christmas Eve, Ghosh received the stickers in a large box, but an email informed him that the chairs had been unilaterally removed from his order and refunded.

Ghosh recounted his experience to RNZ, expressing his disbelief. “The email I received felt more like mockery than a Christmas gift,” he said, referring to the subject line that read: “Have fun with your order from Ikea.” A representative from Mainfreight, the delivery service, reportedly laughed when Ghosh shared his story.

This incident is part of a series of reported problems since Ikea’s New Zealand launch in early December. Another customer reported being charged $79 for just the legs of a desk after his order was similarly mishandled. To address ongoing issues, Ikea announced earlier in December that it would temporarily close its customer support center to focus on resolving outstanding cases.

Ghosh criticized Ikea’s handling of the situation, suggesting that the company had not adequately invested in staff training or understanding the local market. In response to these customer experiences, Ikea issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to improving service.

“While we don’t comment on individual cases, instances like this are not aligned with our high expectations for customer service at Ikea,” the company stated. “All teams across our business are working hard to ensure these issues do not occur in the future.”

Ikea’s statement also mentioned that significant progress had been made in resolving cases and delivering outstanding orders since its opening. The company aims to provide the reliable experience that customers expect and deserves.