IKEA was a super fun and exciting experience. Our first stop was at the restaurant for an early dinner before walking it all out and the food was great. We tried the meat and plant balls which were both super delicious. I will say the meatballs remind me of kebab (and Jollibee patties so we know they're really good) and the plantballs reminded me a bit of instant noodle seasoning. My sister disagreed but that's just the thought I had upon tasting. We also had the salad which was fresh, the pasta which was slippery, and for dessert the apple cake which was an absolutely divine combination of apple and cinammon, and the chocolate cake which reminded my sister of Red Ribbon but I'd like to comment that the cake was comparably much more dense and the frosting was more like a dark chocolate coating with its richness. I had cold drinks and access to their variety of still and carbonated options (very European) and the Lingonberry berry is a must try. I didn't try all the drink options but I did have a taste of a few of their carbonated options. We got our food in about 45 minutes? The restaurant is very popular and I would suggest to pick out your orders from the line so that when you get to the food you can grab and go. I did see a handful of people filming their experiences and honestly who wouldn't? I honestly was thinking about doing it too but I just got so immersed I forgot. For those thinking of filming it, just be mindful about not holding up the line too much. The servers move fast so I suggest you have your orders ready when you get to them. It'll save everyone 20 minutes. Food is mostly self-service and you're given a three-tiered tray cart for your food. Food is affordable--which is to say it's between budget and pricey, so be careful with what you pick out. The drinks are bottomless but the sparking drinks could fill you up quick if you're not too careful.
The shopping experience was well-guided with the arrangements. The showcases really help customers visualize what rooms would look like with their products and you could really physically immerse yourself in the experience. Unlike most furniture stores, you are allowed to sit and feel the furniture before buying. This of course means that as customers we have the responsibility of not damaging anything. The store is maze-like so if you're bringing your kids make sure they don't get lost. There are toilets stationed every now and then and they were super helpful for customers especially ones coming from the restaurant. After the showcases are the different sections grouping the furniture together according to location and type, so if you found something in the showcase section you can definitely find it again and not have to go back for it. The maze continues on to the lower floor where at the end is the cashier for checkout. Before checkout make sure you have everything you intend on buying. The store is very large and nobody should be running a marathon to retrieve anything.
The overall experience was exciting...
Read moreI already went 5 times and it's still a unique experience from malling, grocery, and standard restos provided.
For the resto and bistro, they offer not much but include variants of their well-known meatball dishes, from beef, plant-based, and veggies version. Their cake desserts are satisfying for the price and nordic drinks are out of the ordinary. Their food self-service needs at least some time to get used to but they have a lot of other provisions to accomodate your need including microwave and other utensils (from the usual spoon/fork to tissues and condiments)
For browsing and buying furnitures, most of it need to be taken a picture first (for red tag items) if you're interested to buy, and locate them, then pick them up yourself in the stock room. Other non-furniture items, which are mostly in the 1st floor, can be added to the cart and all of the items will be taken to cashier as well. What I can say is that it's something not usual from a buyer's experience but it is Ikea's ecosystem of trade. What I like is their UX in the matter of price tags where they know how to showcase their lowest pricing items and how they are displayed, making them memorable.
My only frustrating experiences are that I can assume most of their products and service favor the middle class customers and vehicle-owners, especially that their prices increased yet still same quality. While browsing their items, you may misconceive that a product is COMPLETE when it is modular, meaning another price to pay for an optional but nice addition. An example is the shelves they offer, when the bracket is seperate and costs another amount. This is also same with most of their food containers when the lid is seperate too. Of course most average Filipinos favor a product that is inclusive or whole of what it should be, but you'll need to adjust with this type of brand. The most unpleasant I've got is their aftermarket service where if you're not a car-owner and bought a bigger furniture, you'll have to adjust and put an effort on moving your own items to the taxi bay or points of pick-up near Ikea (for Grab and other transpo service). We were not allowed to get our trolley outside but can be moved in their parking as usual. We were told that we can ask the Grab driver to pick us up in their parking lot within 15 mins, but when we arrived there, we were again told that we shoud go to the loading/unloading area where the premise happened. My feedback here is that they need to provide their own taxi bay or much accessible outdoor pickups for...
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Subject: Absolutely Terrible Customer Service – Refund Still Not Received (Case No: CAs-1488916-wox2N5)
I am beyond frustrated and extremely disappointed with the appalling customer service I’ve received from IKEA. I purchased a 3-seater sofa online, but upon delivery, we realized it was too large for our space. We arranged for a return and exchanged it for a 2-seater. The original item was picked up in January 2025. Since then, I’ve been chasing a refund that should have been processed months ago.
Here’s a breakdown of your completely disorganized and misleading service: • January 2025 – The sofa was picked up from our home. • February – A customer service representative told me the refund would be processed within 45 days. • March – I followed up, only to be told that the return had just been posted in your system, and I would have to wait another 45 days. • April – I was told by yet another representative that the refund had already been included in a batch for processing, and it would be credited by my next billing cycle, April 16. • April 20 – I called again after seeing no refund. I was told once more that it would be credited after my next billing cycle. • May 16 – Still no refund. I called again, and now they say they have to “check with finance.”
What makes this even more infuriating is the fact that I’ve had to spend my own money repeatedly just to call your customer service internationally — sometimes several times a week — just to follow up on something that should have been resolved long ago. On top of that, I’ve sent multiple emails which were completely ignored, despite the fact that this entire matter could and should have been handled via email to save me time and money.
This is utterly unacceptable. I’ve spent hours on the phone, often on hold for 15 minutes or more, and I’m still being charged on my credit card for an item that was returned over four months ago.
This isn’t just poor service — this is negligent, unprofessional, and completely disrespectful to your customers. Your company has failed over and over again to fulfill basic responsibilities, and frankly, this feels like outright theft.
If I don’t receive my refund immediately, I will escalate this through my credit card provider and report this issue to consumer protection authorities.
This has been one of the worst customer service experiences of my life. Never again will I shop with IKEA.
Sincerely, kristine A Very Angry and Deeply...
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