Business • Retail • New Zealand
A shopper says his dining chairs were cancelled — but a tiny add-on still arrived in a big box, carrying the full delivery fee. The incident is the latest headache for IKEA’s new local operation.
A New Zealand IKEA shopper thought he was moving quickly — placing an order early, checking stock, and adding a small extra to protect his floors. Instead, he ended up staring at a bill that reads like a punchline: $69 delivery for $1.25 worth of chair-leg stickers.
The customer, Rana Ghosh, told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that he placed an online order for four dining chairs through IKEA’s app shortly after the company launched in Aotearoa. Knowing how quickly popular items can disappear, he says he double-checked availability before tapping “buy”.
Alongside the chairs, Ghosh added a simple accessory: small stickers designed to stop chair legs scratching floors. They cost just $1.25. The delivery to Lower Hutt was set at $69 — a fee he accepted because it applied to the whole order, not a single lightweight add-on.
“On Christmas Eve, the stickers arrived … They informed me they had already processed a refund of the cost of the chairs.”
The chairs, he said, never came. The stickers did — delivered in a large box — and the delivery charge didn’t vanish with the cancelled furniture. Soon after signing for the package, he received an email from IKEA with the subject line: “Have fun with your order from IKEA.” Ghosh told RNZ it felt less like customer care and more like salt in the wound.
Why a “small” error can feel huge
To a retailer, a partial shipment might look like a routine logistics hiccup — an automated system splitting items by availability, warehouse location, or carrier schedules. To a customer, it’s something else entirely: a confusing experience that triggers a very human question — how does a multinational giant let this happen on day one?
Ghosh said the episode reflected badly on IKEA’s preparation, suggesting it hadn’t invested enough in training staff or adapting its systems for local realities. And he isn’t the only one airing frustration.
More complaints as IKEA’s NZ launch hits turbulence
RNZ reports a string of delivery and fulfilment issues in recent weeks, including another customer who said he received only the legs of a desk and was charged $79 for delivery. In December, IKEA also acknowledged the pressure by temporarily shutting its customer support centre to focus on resolving outstanding cases.
All of this comes just weeks after a milestone moment for the brand: IKEA opened its first New Zealand store in Auckland on December 4 — an arrival that drew strong public interest and early demand. But early demand can quickly become early damage if the basics — shipping accuracy, clear communication, reliable refunds — aren’t rock solid.
What IKEA is saying
In a statement quoted by RNZ, IKEA said it had made significant progress delivering outstanding orders since opening, while adding that incidents like this are not aligned with its expectations for customer service. The company said teams across the business are working to ensure these problems don’t happen, and that it remains committed to improving processes to deliver the reliable experience customers expect. (IKEA said it does not comment on individual cases.)
The tension here is simple: customers don’t judge a launch by internal progress charts. They judge it by what lands on their doorstep — and what doesn’t.
Sticker shock, but also a warning sign
A $69 fee for a tiny add-on is the sort of story that spreads because it captures a modern frustration: systems that feel automated to the point of absurdity. The price isn’t just the shipping. It’s the time spent chasing answers, the uncertainty over refunds, and the sense that no one is steering the ship.
For IKEA, the risk is reputational: once customers start expecting chaos, every delay becomes proof of a pattern. For shoppers, the lesson is practical — and immediate.
If this happens to you:
1) Screenshot your order confirmation and itemised charges before anything ships.
2) Keep emails that show cancellations/refunds and delivery status changes.
3) If a partial shipment triggers a full delivery fee, request a fee review in writing and reference your cancelled items.
4) If the response stalls, escalate through the retailer’s formal complaints channel and keep a timeline of dates and contacts.
IKEA’s promise has always been straightforward: design that’s affordable, functional, and easy to live with. In New Zealand, the flat-pack giant is now facing a different test — not what it sells, but how well it delivers. And in a story where the chairs never showed up, it’s the stickers that have become the headline.
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