We bought furnitures from Mode Studio, a subsidary of Red Apple Furniture on Aug 24, 2009. It has been exactly two months and we have yet to recieve full shipment of our order.

The initial delivery was expected before the end of  September (one month from the date of order). When we called to confirm our delivery, the sales person denied having agreed to such a date and told us we would only receive our order by mid October. Our sales person then went MIA after the first week of October and we had to follow up with another guy.

Our sofa and dining table arrived two weeks ago. We’re still waiting for our dining chair and coffee table. Oh, it’s the China holidays, it’s the bad weather, order’s not submitted, order went missing, communication problem, shipping delay, wrong container. It’s just excuses and delays after delays.

Their logistics company called to schedule the remainder of our order to be delivered yesterday but I won’t be home, so I asked to have them shipped tomorrow morning.

Anyway, there’s a thread in HardwareZone Forums discussing some other customers’ experience with Red Apple Furniture and I would recommend that you read it.

This is what I wrote about my sales experience:

I didn’t ask for a ridiculous discount. In fact, I was “offerred” a package when I stepped in. A dining table, 4 chairs, L sofa and coffee table. All for approx $3.2k. Then the sales person added a GST after we agreed to the price. BTW, this is a sales gimmick. If you have ever visited my retail store www.whymobile.com, you will know that I am very familiar with these sales tricks especially in my trade. If you want more info, read the Mission Statement under “About Us”.

Anyway, after giving them a weird face (I almost wanted to walk out), they said they will waive the delivery charge. IMHO, $3.2k is not a ridiculous price. You get about that kind of prices for china made furniture everywhere. ($1.4k sofa, $800 dining table, $400 for 4 chairs, $400 for coffee table, with some spare change for delivery.) I credit them for better design but certainly if you were to compare Ikea’s prices, product quality and after-sales service, they’re no where near.

Here’s another thread at RenoTalk.

I never had a hiccup with Ikea’s logistics. Their products are of great quality considering the prices. I never really had an Ikea thing fail on me like many others said they would. I have a 10+ year old Ikea study table still straight and solid. Like Ikea furnitures today, it’s made of the same MBF 10 years ago. There’s also an Ikea bookshelve at the back of WhyMobile. It’s battered day in and out in a busy retail store and it’s still stands straight.

I’m happy to have spent over $2k on Ikea furnitures for my new home with no hiccups at all. After all these fiasco, I declare myself a supporter of Ikea furnitures and food.

If you’re buying Ikea, don’t expect your $39 table to last a lifetime, duh. Buy something of higher quality at Ikea.