New and unused IKEA tightens its return policy
BERLIN · Furniture retailer Ikea is tightening up its return policy to prevent it from being abused. It says there are too many returns that are happening just before the window of opportunity runs out.
Furniture retailer Ikea is again tightening up its return policy in Germany. As of September 1, 2018, customers can only return items for reimbursement if they are new and unused. The information comes from a report in the newspaper “Die Welt” (Thursday). Until now, customers had a right to return the product regardless of the condition and without giving any reason.
“By restricting the right of return to only unused products, we also want to ensure that customers do not dispose of furniture and other home accessories, but rather appreciate the value of a product in terms of the resources that were necessary to produce it,” said Ikea Germany boss Dennis Balslev in the newspaper. But it is also meant to prevent abuse. “We hear from the stores that year after year, just before the window of opportunity for return runs out, the same people always turn up and demand their money back,” said Balslev.
In autumn of 2016, after two years, Ikea took back its unlimited right of return. Since then, customers have had one full year to return purchased items without giving any reason, and having the full purchase price refunded. At the time, the company said that the period of 365 days was still more than the usual standard in the industry. It gave the customer a sense of security against any wrong purchases.
Orig. text: dpa
Translation: ck
