Forty per cent of UK consumers regret a Black Friday purchase, but only 14% will actually return anything, according to a recent USwitch survey report. If that purchase was made at IKEA there’s a chance you could get some money back for it.
For the first time in its 77-year history, IKEA Retail stores in 27 countries will offer to buy back thousands of pieces of unwanted furniture and find them new homes. Anything that can’t be resold will be recycled or donated to community projects to help those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The #BuyBackFriday campaign, however, has had to be postponed. It was originally set to run between 24 November and 3 December. However, the campaign will likely start in January due to the UK national lockdown.
An IKEA spokesperson told The Freelance Informer, “Due to the current lockdown and the temporary closure of our stores, the launch of Buy Back – an initiative that will see IKEA buy back unwanted IKEA furniture from customers – is postponed until January 2021. Throughout the pandemic, our primary focus has been the safety of our customers and co-workers and the delay in its launch allows stores to focus on a safe and comfortable re-opening once restrictions have lifted.”
“We look forward to giving a second life to many more IKEA products and creating more easy and affordable solutions to help people live more sustainably at home,” said the IKEA spokesperson.
Once the BuyBack campaign starts, hopefully in January, here is what you need to know to participate. Follow the step-by-step process using IKEA’s BuyBack web solution. Once you have completed the steps, you will receive an estimate of the BuyBack value of your IKEA furniture.
“All estimates are subject to a physical inspection of the products by an IKEA co-worker at the participating IKEA store of your choice. The final amount agreed may therefore differ from the estimate received, if the physical inspection shows any discrepancies. Please note that we do not agree to buy back your products until they have been confirmed as IKEA products and their resale condition has been verified by an IKEA co-worker, in-store. If we do not accept your used IKEA product, we will offer to recycle the item for you,” stated IKEA.
If they accept your products for resale, you will receive an IKEA refund card for the agreed amount.
Refund cards are redeemable for an unlimited period of time from the date of issue and can be used in-store (excluding their Bistros, Restaurants or Swedish Food Markets) or online, on all products except IKEA Food. The amount offered to you by the IKEA co-worker is not open to negotiation, and they reserve the right to refuse any products at their discretion. The table below shows how we price your used items.
Pricing structure
- As new – no scratches: 50% of the original price
- Very good – minor scratches: 40% of original price
- Well-used – several scratches: 30% of original price
If they are unable to sell your second-hand IKEA products, they will dispose of them responsibly and recycle them wherever possible. Learn more about sustainability at IKEA.
Quality and condition of products for resale
Our intention is to sell on your products to a new home, and we want to ensure that ‘BuyBack’ products purchased by other customers are of a high quality. The BuyBack and resell programme is currently only set up to handle complete, assembled and fully functional pieces of used IKEA furniture from the categories listed below. All items must be returned clean, unmodified and in good, resalable condition. If a product is returned not fully and correctly assembled to IKEA’s satisfaction, we will not be able to provide an offer. They must be fully owned by you and not carry any hidden debts or security interests.
Products they accept
The specific products that are eligible for the BuyBack scheme are listed here but will include the following:
- All dressers, office drawer cabinets, small structures with drawers, display storage, sideboards
- Bookcases and shelf units
- Small tables
- Multimedia furniture
- Cabinets
- Dining tables and desks
- Chairs and stools (excl upholstered or leather chairs and stools)
- Chest of drawers
- Children’s products (excluding Baby products as below)
- PAX accessories
Products they do not accept
Unfortunately, they are currently unable to accept items from the categories listed below. However, they are always looking for new opportunities to improve their services so do check back in the future.
- Non-IKEA products
- Hacked or modified products
- Non-assembled IKEA products
- Products that have been used outside including outdoor furniture
- Mattresses & Bed Textiles (such as Blankets and Mattress toppers)
- Sofas / armchairs
- Other soft good (pillows, towels, curtains etc.)
- Items containing glass
- Kitchens including worktops, cabinets and fronts
- PAX Wardrobes
- Other over-sized items
- Appliances and other electrical items
- Baby products such as cots, mattresses and changing tables
- Upholstered or leather products
- Market hall products
- Non-furniture items
Please note that the service is for private households only. For the avoidance of doubt, there will be no limitation on the number of articles or the size of the articles you wish to return. They do not buy back large batches of commercially used furniture from companies.
Returns policy for second-hand products
If you decide to spend your refund card in the second-hand area of the IKEA store, that’s good news! You will get a great IKEA product at an even lower price than usual.
Please note that, in line with local legislation, our normal returns policy and product guarantees apply for all second-hand products. The product guarantee shall commence from the date of the original purchase and not from the date of purchase of the second-hand item in the bargain corner.
IKEA launches first second-hand store
Earlier this month, IKEA opened its first second-hand store in Eskilstuna, Sweden. The store is located in the ReTuna Shopping Centre, where all products sold are reused or recycled.
The new store that will be open initially for 6 months, is run by the existing IKEA Västerås store that will provide furniture and home furnishing accessories that for different reasons have been damaged. At ReTuna they will be repaired and given a second chance in a new home.
IKEA click and collect and online home deliveries
Due to the country-wide lockdown in England, IKEA has closed its England stores from Thursday 5th November. However, their contactless Click and collect and online home delivery services are still running.
Their Swedish Food Markets will remain open in selected stores including: Belfast, Croydon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Greenwich, Lakeside, Nottingham, Reading, Southampton, Tottenham and Wembley.
Their bistros will remain open in selected stores including: Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lakeside, Nottingham, Southampton and Wembley.