IKEA is a Swedish multinational company that sells and designs furniture, kitchen appliances, and other home accessories. The company is founded by Ingvar Kamprad 78 years ago in 1943. Let us know more about “IKEA Return Policy”.
The company is Swedish with the main headquarter in the Netherlands. Since 2008, IKEA has been the largest furniture retailer in the world. Ikea is famous for its modern style, eco-friendly materials, and affordable prices. Today, IKEA has its store in 60 different countries. It is the most known furniture and home appliances retailer in the world.
Ikea offers 365 days return policy in all its stores around the world. When it comes to large items, customers can return to any local IKEA store, or customers can even use IKEA trucks for pick up by contacting Customer Support Offices.
In every IKEA store, there is Exchange and Return office. Any customer who wants to return an item should be directed to that office.
To proceed to the Exchange and Return policy, the customer is asked to bring their ID, receipt of the item, and the card used when buying.
IKEA’s Exchange Policy has an offer to try some of the items, and in 15 days customer has a right to change it for another item if not completely satisfied. This policy is mostly used for bed mattresses. Customer 15 days has a right to make sure they are completely satisfied with it.
How IKEA is Making the Most Out of Return Items?
When it comes to returning policy it is usually a big problem for any company, and it is something that can not be avoided.
People are returning items all the time, not thinking about what will happen to those used items. Mostly, the return items are destroyed in massive burning places which makes big environmental pollution.
The biggest furniture retailer in the world thought about this problem and they are trying to fix it by using special technologies made by the company Optoro. This company believes they can reduce waste, the cost that returning policy makes, and pollution.
The tech that they are using is called ‘circular business’. It predicts the best location where the returned item should be placed and stored, and it predicts what is the best way to do with an item, and what is the most efficient way for the product to be used.
What Does IKEA Do With Returned Items?
Ikea has its outlet stores, and the ‘As is’ sections where they display used and return items, and damaged items as well by putting them on a discount. Customers can find a great deal in those sections and outlets.
However, there are countries that do not allow this kind of policy. In that case, the item can be tagged for repair, written off, or destroyed.
One of Ikea’s policies is that they give big discounts on these kinds of items to their employees, so most of these items are taken by them even before they are replaced in the store again.
Buy-back and Resell Service
This service is introduced by IKEA a few years ago to minimize waste and to make people much more aware of recycling and reusing.
IKEA allows its customers to sell back to IKEA old furniture that is not useful anymore. They give them a purpose and home again.
The process for using a buy-back service is easy;
- The customer is asked to fill out a buy-back online form to get a quote on their old furniture.
- Bring the furniture to the nearest local IKEA store
- The employees check the condition of an item and the value that will be given back to the customer
- IKEA gives customers return cards that they can use to buy anything that they like
Ikea Celebrates the Oldest Item Ever Returned
In 2021, a Swedish man decided to contact Ikea to try to return a 56-year-old Ikea bookcase through IKEA by back service. The bookcase was bought in 1965 and was in perfect condition. The customer had a hand-written 56-year-old receipt of an item that he took care of very well.
After hearing about IKEA’s buy-back services, he contacted them to see what to do about it. Ikea decided to take the item back and to put it for online auction by agreeing that product money is going to be donated to charity for children. The bookcase is sold for about 470 euros.
Conclusion
IKEA as the biggest furniture company is also a rare company that takes care of the environment, recycling, and customer rights. They are an example to other big companies when it comes to reducing waste of costs and items.
FAQ
- Does IKEA have the same return policy in all countries?
Yes, the policy is the same, but some countries have different laws about returning policies that need to be followed.
- What is the goal of IKEA regarding waste?
IKEA introduced its sell and return policy in 2018 with the goal to reduce waste and the cost of returning, and they invest in it every year even more.
- What does the name IKEA stand for?
The name consists of owners Ingvar Kampar’s initials, Elmtaryd the name of the farm, and Agunnaryd the hometown of the owner.
