Tuesday, September 22, 2009

IKEA Bookshelf story

Some of you (Facebook friends) know that last Saturday we (Matt and I) finally made it to built our IKEA bookshelf! Here is the story behind it.
I decided that it would be a good idea to re-organize the living/office area! Since this move I realize that I left a LOT of furniture back in Iowa, and that I don’t have as much place to put away all the stuff that we have away. So, I decided that I was going to look into buying a bookshelf and a corner desk. (can you see why on the picture?)

I went to IKEA to do my research, brought the catalogue home with me, show it too Matt. Drag Matt to IKEA with the intend to buy the stuff. Got annoyed with husband in IKEA (because he just doesn’t give a crap about the type of furniture that we have). Left IKEA with a very sorry husband. Went to the Custom place here on base, so that I could buy a VAT form, so that I could get the TAX back (you know the little extra that the store charge you for the States Taxes? Well in Germany it is almost 20%, yes you read it right, 20 %) Needless to say that I am going to use those forms as often as I can to order to have a little money back as I can!
So last week, I went back with my friend to the IKEA in Mannheim and we bought the shelf and the desk that attach to it. I was going to buy the extra desk, but they didn’t have it in the color that I wanted. I paid the cashier and gave her my VAT form, she then told me to go to Customer service to get the form filled up. OK then!! 35mn after I got my little “serving ticket #” ticket, I finally got my VAT form filled up. The Customer service send me to the cashier to get my tax money back (ARE YOU INSANE??)!!
So off I go back to the cashier, in line for another 10mn and got my 26Euro back!! Whohooo!! Well, I guess it is good pay for an hour of work/waiting (time that I could have use to unpack at home), right?
Got home, and on Saturday went to unload the shelf from the van, opened the boxes. AH!! One is the right color… the other isn’t!! OH NO!!!! I tell Matt, we need to call IKEA to see if we need to return it to the Mannheim store or if we can just go to the closest one! Call them, any store will do!! OK then, load the black part (wrong color) back in the van, and drive there. Oh the joy of the ticket #. Waited, got the lady to agree to take it back (next time you have an issue like that, go to the Store that you bought it from) ??? What do you mean??? We called, they say go anywhere?? What is the problem??? (Me in my head: OH WHATEVER!!!) ;-)

Got the right color shelf and went to see if they had the desk (they did) bought the desk and went home.
After about 2 ½ hours of putting stuff together, (and a happy Matt as you can see!) this is now what it look like (well almost since I still need to put away all the crap that need to be put away in it! And then, I will take another picture and post it. But this is the “work in progress”

De blog

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE IKEA shelves! All my walls would be boarded with them if I was willingly to spend that much. Like the picture, Matt : ) When are you going to take me on another bike ride!!!? LOL, I felt like Indiana Jones sitting in that side cart, LOL

Mom in High Heels said...

You had me at IKEA! I actually have that same shelf and desk combo only in white. I don't have the extra desk though. We also have the bookshelf in our living room in the dark wood. I loves it. And what is it about men and not liking IKEA? Dh hates it. I have to promise him food at the cafe to get him to go.

C N Heidelberg said...

We have the Expedit shelf too :D (5x5, white)