Ikea

Ikea was a good experience overall...but when taking on your own assembly, make sure you get as much info as you can about the parts or hire an assembly person. We had trouble with a steel peg that kept shifting. The steel pegs have 2 holes that needed to be paired with screws, only you can't tell where the holes are because they're inserted into the wooden leg! It took hours to just complete one screw and there are 7 more to go.

Posted 09/24/09 | Report Abuse

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After a long round trip trek to IKEA in Friday afternoon traffic we unpacked a couch that had been so damaged by a forklift it was shocking that they took the time to pack it up again (and obscure the damage with the packing). Drove all the way back in Friday late afternoon traffic and was told they would pull one of the 14 couches in stock.

We were then told that they in fact did not have 14 couches, they had one and they couldn't get to it while customers were in the store. No forklifts allowed while people are around. Ever been to Costco? Then they made the gratuitous suggestion that we go to dinner and come back at 9:30 to pick up the couch. I suggested that they buy us dinner, like real customer service and instead they gave us $20 for gas. I gave them their $20 back. Its just too insulting.

I asked John if I could speak to his manager and he made a call. A woman shows up, puts on a tough act and then it turned out she was his underling.

So when we agreed on the delivery time for the replacement couch we were very very clear that they would have to use a small truck since we live in the hills with narrow streets and we have an even more narrow driveway. They assured us that this would not be a problem. Sure enough this morning I heard an 18 wheeler in the distance trying to navigate our hills. The poor delivery people had to walk the replacement couch all the way to us on foot.

This ridiculous odyssey could have been avoided had someone not obscured forklift damage of a cheapo couch.

Posted 06/26/09 | Report Abuse

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Me and my friend purchased 6 chairs from Ikea Burbank last 5/04/09. When we got home, the chairs were not as sturdy as we've expected so we tried to return them. Unfortunately, I lost the receipt. Still I tried to ask the people at the Returns/Exchange. They said there's no way that I can even exchange the items without the original receipt. Logically speaking, the stickers (item description) at the bottom of each chair are still there. In some stores (e.g. Biglots) I have experienced returning an item even without a receipt because they know from scanning the item that the item was from them. Ikea people said they don't have that system. So I went back home, went online and printed out the transaction from Ikea, I called the Ikea Customer Service and asked if the printed online transaction may do. Apparently not. I was so upset. How could such a "huge business" wouldn't have a system like the smaller Biglots? I even bought items which costs me to a close $1.300. I have been buying from this store. Just a little consideration please for such a small matter.

Posted 05/08/09 | Report Abuse

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the previous poster is spot on. Don't believe the reviews suggesting a 5 star experience. They are probably all written by paid employees to lure you into one of the Ikea stores.

The product is alright for the price but beware if something goes wrong. Ikea's policies are designed to make it very difficult for you to get your money back.

Anybody suggesting otherwise is either paid to lie or simply a fool.

Posted 11/25/08 | Report Abuse

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Funny, there seem to be a lot of disgrunteled IKEA shoppers out there. I too am a professional designer and on occasion shop at IKEA. After all they have cheap product and not everybody can or wants to afford expensive stuff.

One of the problems with IKEA is that they never get their orders right. I have bought all kinds of furniture for entire rooms over the years and have yet to come accross a purchase that wasn't messed up. The devil is in the details as they say and don't trust Ikea employees on knowing the details. They don't.

They are not educated to perform the tasks at hand. The other day I was shopping for a few items and had to talk to 5 different people in five different departments to figure out where the cushion for the chair I had bought was to be found.

I could have gone straight to a management position after that experience as I clearly knew more after one shopping tour as any of the five employees I encountered.

I bought a few kitchen over the years and have always had to come back to exchange some pieces that were either messed up or just plain wrong.

The people who help you ordering don't know half of what they are selling. The people in returns are worse. It's all a giant scam. The product looks good at first glance but doesn't hold up to the test of time.

You get what you pay for and that's not a whole lot of product and a whole lot of a runaround to get it right on your end.

Ever googled "ikea sucks"?

Posted 11/25/08 | Report Abuse

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Ever bought furniture at ikea? I have. It's cheap alright. Ever tried returning a defective piece?

I realize that the only way they can maintain these cheap prices is by cutting their workforce and having the returns department manager pretend to be the customer service lead.

I bought a bed for my son. After assembling it carefully following the detailed instructions, I realized that the veneer came off pretty much everywhere I touched it. I took it back to the Burbank store and was told that I could not return it as it had been previously assembled.
They offered me to return the defective parts only. Since, the bed wasn't going to hold up 2 weeks of use, I didn't want it and insisted on a return. John in returns told me that he could not take it back as it "violated" their policy. The best he could do was replace the defective part. I said that that wasn't going to cut it for me and that I wanted a full refund. He gave me a 1-800 number to call in and complain and sent me on my way.

Posted 11/25/08 | Report Abuse

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I am an interior designer and spent $20K on several IKEA kitchens and other stuff in the last year. Bought a $ 50.00 chair as a sample for a client. It had a stain on the seating surface. Stain was detected after assembly. Went to return chair but would not get a refund. Left the chair anyway.

Customer Service at IKEA Burbank is the worst I have ever ever experienced. Basically, it is non existent. JOHN, the guy pretending to be the customer service manager doesn't care about your satisfaction or about you coming back ever. I told him that refunding the chair was his choice and taking my business elsewhere was mine. He told me that I was threatening him and that he would not respond to threats.

Fair enough. You keep the chair. I take my future business elsewhere.

Posted 11/25/08 | Report Abuse

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My toddler son was naturally bored at the store so I was happy to see that there was this guy doing balloon twisting/face painting (hired by IKEA) for kids. I stood in line and noticed how nice he was to the people ahead of me (who are Caucasian)- he asked them questions, talked about his own family, and was very attentive to the kids. He even created special balloon designs for them (he spent 10 min. on them alone). Then, BOOM! It was my turn. I smiled and asked for the same balloon design he had made for the little girl ahead of me and he took one look at me and said, "I'm closed now". What the heck is that about? I don't like accusing anyone of being racist but he was so blatantly obvious. IKEA needs to do thorough background checks instead of hiring employees from KKK R US. This was my first and my last trip to any IKEA. It ruined my whole shopping experience there. I left all of my items in the cart and left the store disgusted. So thank you for my time well spent.

Posted 08/10/08 | Report Abuse

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Yes, the parking is a pain, but on the upside you can park one place and go to Ikea, Macy's, Barnes & Noble, Steve &Barry's, CPK, etc. etc. Ikea is Ikea-- are you going to not shop at the Burbank Ikea and drive hours out of your way to go to another one because parking isn't spectacular and the service isn't that of The Beverly Hills Hotel?! I'm not.

I will say though, last time I was there an alarm went off, and continued to go off, and everyone was going about business as usual. That's fine and all but I'm on the basement level-- am I going to die?!?!? It would have been nice it they had made an announcement that they were having tech. diff. in the first 5 min. of the alarm sounding.

I will give them that they were really easy and allowed me to return a boat load of stuff-- no questions asked.

No matter what, I love Ikea and I'm glad that Burbank has one!

Posted 03/11/08 | Report Abuse

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I usually shop at the Covina store, but when they were out of an item I needed, I traveled to Burbank. Parking was a hassle, underground tunnel to get to the front door, kind of confusing.

Layout basically the same, found a salesperson quickly, ordered, paid for the item and then waited 55 minutes in the customer waiting area. The guys working there at the time was soo not helpful, they seemed annoyed when we asked what the delay was. We were told they had to wait for a forklift... HUH! Finally when we asked for a manager because they seemed in no hurry, they found that our order was placed to the side and was waiting for pickup for over 40 minutes!

They offered no apology, and even though I filled out a complaint card, no one contacted us... it figures!

PROS:
CONS: Parking a hassle, poor customer service

Posted 11/05/05 | Report Abuse

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Purchased sofabed. lst attempt to make into a bed 4 wks. ago. Won't work, does not flatten out and is l2" away from the back of rhe sofa. These things happen, BUT, have spoken with Ikea once (I had 6 lines on hold for them, before I finally got thru) - they assured me of service within 48 hrs. That hasn't happened. Impossible to get thru to customer service on telephone (you will have to try your call later(after you finally get thru to the store). A totally unsatisfactory experience, an inferior product, and no service.

Posted 11/04/05 | Report Abuse

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This is the most popular Ikea store in CA. Try to avoid sundays because it can get pretty packed in there. Great line of furniture and there is also cheap food.

Posted 09/20/05 | Report Abuse

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I love Ikea! This branch is the closest one from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside. From household items such as drinking glasses and ceramic plates with clean lines for only fifty cents each, one can really decorate the home for a thrifty price. There is also a restaurant with the famous Swedish meatballs and potatos and slices of cake, among other treats. There is lots of parking underground and the staff is very helpful. The only drawback is having to assemble some of the furniture yourself but for the price they charge, who can complain?

PROS: cheap, yummy restaurant
CONS:

Posted 08/17/05 | Report Abuse

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All the IKEA stores are pretty much the same, so it comes down to customer service and easy access. This store has terrible parking. The area is super congested and you have to park in the garage across the street. Then you have to get your car and try to fight your way into the loading area. The IKEA off of the 10 fwy is much much better

Posted 08/04/05 | Report Abuse

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Ikea is a huge store that has a wide assortment of furniture, houseware, home decorating, bedware, and other home accessories. They are all at reasonable prices.

Posted 07/28/05 | Report Abuse

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I have previously heard a lot of good things about this store, but to be very honest I alway leave thinking that the quality of the merchandise is very poor. The furniture looks like it will fall apart after a few uses. We have shopped for dining room sets, and office desks and have been dissapointed. The prices are affordable, even cheap...but you definatly get what you pay for. Also the layout of the store is annoying...I feel like I'm shopping in a maze

Posted 07/27/05 | Report Abuse

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Ikea is a huge home store that will take you all day to fully appreciate. The prices are very low and the products are generally good quality. Ikea carries home furnishings, textiles, children's furnishings, dishware, just about everything you need for a new home or apartment. Most of the styles are urban contemporary. There is even a swedish restaurant inside to feul you for all that shopping. Be sure to check out the scratch & dent section for even lower prices. Parking is free in the deck across the street and you can bring your car around to the store for loading large items (be warned though that these spots are limited and people are ruthless to get into them)

Posted 07/13/05 | Report Abuse

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Ikea's food court is the best, lots of yummy little treats to elevate the mood... I have 3 kids who don't like to shop, yet they love the "Ball Room"/ play area and other little play areas around the store which is very convenient. Really the main reason I shop here is the frozen yogurt cone for $1, it's the best deal in town.

PROS: $1 frozen yogurt cones
CONS: pre-fabricated semi-disposable furniture, not built to last

Posted 06/28/05 | Report Abuse

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All of a sudden, walking thru the showrooms in itself makes moving fun. Especially like the modern kitchen and bedroom designs. Prices are fair, though you might be able to find cheaper couches elsewhere. Great place for couples who are moving into a new home. It's good to come and browse thru the showrooms, make notes, pick up a catalogue, go home and plan on what you want to get and then go back a second time. I've purchased a few furniture pieces from here and they were all really easy to put together.

The Marketplace on the first floor has all sorts of home furnishings and decorations (rugs, cook ware, beddings, curtains, candles, live plants, etc...) Also, there is a nice little cafe that serves Swedish meatballs that are quite tasty. And on your way out, pop by the grocery section for some Scandinavian food products.

PROS: Good quality, fair prices
CONS:

Posted 06/20/05 | Report Abuse

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We purchased our king size bed at ikea 6 years ago and it still is the most comfortable bed we have ever found. My parents slept in it one night and the next week they bought an ikea bed. We also bought our leather couch and armchair there which looks very nice and is cheaper then most funiture stores. Go Swedes!

PROS: great furniture
CONS:

Posted 06/16/05 | Report Abuse

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Ikea is known around the globe for it's decently priced, fairly good quality items. I purchased all of my dorm furniture as well as my first apartment furniture here. I always get compliments on the design (modern chic white couches). It is hard to check out though--always a line.

Posted 06/08/05 | Report Abuse

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I wish they had an Ikea furniture closer to the city I live it. I drive down here just to go to ikea. I love this store. It has tons of great stuff mainly furniture, but they do sell rugs, pillows, home organizational items and housewears. It is a great store where you can buy nice looking stuff for a good price. I wish I could shop here more.

Posted 05/04/05 | Report Abuse

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Love the store-love the prices - make sure to go at odd hours to avoid the crowd because the lines and crowds are the only bad thing, but you sure can create an awesome room on a budget by shopping here!

Posted 05/02/05 | Report Abuse

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Ikea is so much fun to visit. It's a little bit out of my way, but it's great for a day out. They have good priced furniture and you can get a great lunch of swedish meatballs for inexpensive there and then top the afternoon off with a big cinnamon roll and coffee when you leave.

Aside from the food, the furniture is great and they have some great home decor items too.

They are also extremely kid friendly. They have all the conviences you could ask for if you have kids.

Posted 04/30/05 | Report Abuse

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I love IKEA.. great store, great prices, great products. You have to put a little work into assembly but the savings make it well worth the time. Go by and visit some time soon!

Posted 04/25/05 | Report Abuse

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This place has everything you possibly need. Everything you possibly need to buy for a place that needs to be furnished or touched up or completely redecorated - including decorating ideas. Huge maze, bring a friend, bring a notebook to take notes or a camera to take pictures ofthe things you'd like to keep in mind.

Posted 04/25/05 | Report Abuse

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I love Ikea cause they have so many neat things at such a low price. They have cool picture frames, beds, couches, and I have a really cool hot pink desk that I got there for only forty bucks. Can you believe that?

Posted 04/24/05 | Report Abuse

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IKEA's price/quality tradeoff seems to be favorable - you get good quality furniture for the price. You can't really compare it to stuff from Modernica or Design Within Reach, but IKEA can really help you stretch your furniture budget. I bought a couch and table from IKEA that I'm pretty happy with.

The buying process is horrible, though. First of all, I was having my furniture delivered, but I still had to go to their warehouse and pick out the smaller (but very heavy) pieces and go through the incredibly crowded cashier area. Then I had to take some sort of number to wait for someone to get the bigger pieces and help me with the delivery, which took about an hour. If you want to return something, you need to go through the same process - take a number, wait an hour. My blood pressure almost went through the roof!

If you are interested in delivery, you might be better off trying out furniture in the store and then ordering it on the IKEA internet site.

If you want to take the furniture home in a car, you need to make sure you bring someone with you - otherwise you need to leave your furniture in the loading area while you run and get your car and hope no one steals your items. The loading area is total anarchy, as there is no one directing traffic and there is always some loser parked in the middle blocking everyone.

Overall, a terrible experience.

PROS: Good quality for the price
CONS: They make it difficult to checkout

Posted 04/19/05 | Report Abuse

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When transitioning from college to real world, IKEA is the place to go. Not only do they have unique and inexpensive furniture, they also have hot dogs, swedish meatballs, plants, frames, pictures, pillows, lamps and everything else a first apartment needs. If you aren't the kind that likes to put things together yourself, you might not enjoy IKEA. But try it! It can be a Saturday adventure. Just watch it, it can be busy. For kids, there is also a play area!

Posted 04/19/05 | Report Abuse

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I drive down here from where I live about once a month. I live about an hour and a half away. We always find great deals here on furniture and home supplies. The quality of their items is amazingly good. We have never had a problem with the stuff we buy here. The only problem is is that it can get very busy and parking can be hard at times.

Posted 04/18/05 | Report Abuse

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Most people's first impressions of IKEA are their do-it-yourself furniture. Indeed, this massive warehouse is filled with all types of home and office furniture, most of which necessitates building it yourself. If you are the type that enjoys this challenge, you can furnish your home, office or any other space with a minimum budget. There is also a very home furnishings section on the bottom floor which includes everything from dishes to linens to lighting to home accessories to just about anything you can think of. These are all at rock bottom prices as well and you will certainly not leave IKEA empty handed. If you need help building or toting your large boxes home, IKEA can direct you to these type services. And don't forget to stop into their cafeteria for a real taste of Sweden with Swedish Meatballs. I'm not sure of the authenticity of these little treats but they sure are good. The staff is always quite friendly and seem to know their way around (you could get lost on the top floor forever).

Posted 03/14/05 | Report Abuse

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ikea has some of the coolest furniture I've ever seen (and half my apartment has some kind of ikea thing in it) the only down side to this place that has EVERYTHING (kitchen, bath, bed, beyond!) is when you buy one of the bigger items (like a bed or desk) you have to assemble it yourself (unless you want to pay an outrageous price for them to do it) and that can be a little much. other than that everything's cheap there so go crazy!

Posted 03/13/05 | Report Abuse

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IKEA has very hip and stylist furniture. What I like about this place is the size, it's pretty big. I found everything I needed for my bedroom like dressers, night stands and much more. Not only do they have furniture but they also have pillows, picture frames, bed covers and much more.

Posted 03/13/05 | Report Abuse

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Need an affordable quick way to decorate? Look no further. IKEA in Burbank has something for everyone. They have a great inventory, tons of styles - all at great prices. I've gone several times and really love all the decorating ideas they provide. The Marketplace downstairs is a great place to pick up little odds and ends, candles, picture frames, and shelving, all at great prices. The only downfall is most of their stuff is put it together yourself, so have some patience, but the outcome is worth it.

Posted 02/24/05 | Report Abuse

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Affordable furniture as well as kitchen stuff can be found here. Beware, however, you will have to build your own furniture, but it isn't hard to do. This Ikea's lines don't tend to be that bad, although the store is very crowded on the weekends. Youcan usually find parking across the street with little problem.

Posted 02/03/05 | Report Abuse

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I love Ikea! They have just about anything a person could ever want in there. I love the marketplace that they all have. You can find kitchen utensils, picture frames, light bulbs, pots and pan, and more. They have great little gift things and all at very reasonable prices. If you don't mind putting everything together yourself its a good place to get furniture that will last on a tight budget.

Posted 01/17/05 | Report Abuse

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A lot of folks really like Ikea, and I have tried, but I really haven't found much stuff that I like. I can usually find similarly priced stuff (or stuff that is a wee bit more expensive but is of much greater quality) at other stores, so I don't see the appeal here. There are certain things like some of the household items on the lower floors that are reasonably priced and worthwhile. Be sure to check out the kitchen and miscellaneous stuff on the lower level as well as the discount furniture section right before you check out.

Posted 01/13/05 | Report Abuse

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IKEA is a great store for furnishing every room in your apartment or house. They set up mock rooms with all their products and it's a lot of fun to go through all the rooms. The products are pretty inexpensive. If you purchase large items, like furniture, you have to get it from the warehouse yourself. But, when you're done lifting there is a little caf near the check out to reward yourself with a hot cinnamon roll.

Posted 01/11/05 | Report Abuse

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I remember being in graduate school and turning to IKEA as my savior when I needed modern-looking furniture at reasonable prices. I don't have the same financial restrictions now, but I still shop at the Burbank IKEA! I love how they put together complete showroom displays so that you know how to combine pieces of furniture and decorations. You can get all kinds of geometric and funky necessities as well as accesories and exras. I disagree with another member's comments that your purchases won't last- I have had a metal and glass bookshelf I bought there for years and it looks great. BONUS- great prices on tealights! The parking lot across the street has ample spaces but you can park right next the check out for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, it can be hard to track down an employee and you need to assemble most items yourself at home.

Posted 01/06/05 | Report Abuse

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IKEA is awesome if you're trying to save money on furniture. They have TONS of stuff. This place is huge. It's almost overwhelming. Don't even go through the door unless you've got at least an hour to shop, because it just kind of sucks you in. There is so much to look at. Their furniture seems to be of very low quality, though. I guess you get what you pay for.

Posted 12/30/04 | Report Abuse

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The quintissential cool-affordable-furnishings-for-people-recently-out-of-college store.

Ikea has some very cool--and very inexpesive--home furnishings. I love walking through the different displays and seeing what kind of designs people come up with.

The lower level has all sorts of kitchenware, utensils, artwork, plants ... all for decent prices.

Be careful--this place is like a maze, and if you don't pay attention to your bearings, you'll wind up stuck for thirty minutes!

Posted 12/07/04 | Report Abuse

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IKEA is a great place to shop for all of your houseware needs. They've got a variety of stuff for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and every other room of the house. I'm not sure I'd buy furniture there as it's overpriced for the quality you get, but it's got great prices on lamps, candles, accessories, dishes, plants and more. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to shop, because there is more than one level to the store and it can be overwhelming if it's your first time.

Posted 12/03/04 | Report Abuse

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For everyone living on a budget. Clean, neat, cheap, fun, cheap, easy to assemble, cheap. Its a great place for furnishing your place in or just out of college. Their couches aren't that comfortable but I love their shelving and organization for your bedroom. The best part is to walk around the showroom to see the various ideas put together. Parking is a pain and you need a friend so they can stay with your stuff as you pull around the car. Parking is particularly crazy at this location, since you have to go back out onto San Fernando. Hit this place during the week to avoid crowds.

Posted 12/02/04 | Report Abuse

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The prices of Ikea is awesome. You can buy a lot of home furniture, frames, dishware here for really cheap. The quality of their products are not good. Well I guess that is what you get for the price you pay. If you are looking not to spend a lot then go here but your stuff will not last

Posted 12/01/04 | Report Abuse

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If you like poorly constructed furniture you have to assemble yourself and you love funny Swedish names for products, IKEA is your place. I like IKEA because you can get a lot of furniture and decorations there at relatively low prices. I dislike IKEAbecause the quality of products tends to be low, and because it takes forever to navigate through the store. This place is enormous, and it's set up like a maze inside, so that you have to walk through miles of corridors and look at every item they sell on your way from the entrance to the checkout and exit. IKEA isn't just a store; it's an experience.

Posted 09/19/04 | Report Abuse

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