A homeowner spent $40,000 to have her kitchen redone through IKEA—mainly because of its 25-year warranty. Not only did it start breaking down within the year, but she was told the warranty wouldn’t cover the damages.
TikTok user @gilt_and_ganache posted the video of her kitchen, showing the warped bottoms of the cabinets.
The text overlay reads, “pov. you spend $40k on an ikea kitchen because they have a 25 year warranty and in less than a year the panelling is bubbling and they refuse to pay to replace it after acknowledging it shouldn’t have happened.”
In the caption, @gilt_and_ganache explained the situation further. “heartbroken that my #ikeakitchen is falling apart in less than a year after light use. we are 2 adults, no kids and baby our kitchen yet the fobattra panels have warped. #ikeawarranty isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. @IKEA,” she added.
The video has amassed more than 939,000 views as of Monday morning. In the comments, viewers blamed @gilt_and_ganache for her decision to go with IKEA in the first place.
“First mistake: 40k for an ikea kitchen,” wrote one user.
Another user raged, “If you have a 40k budget, WHY DO YOU GO TO IKEA?!?”
A user purporting to be a former IKEA employee agreed. They wrote, “I use to work at ikea, and did crowd control at the returns door. I will always advise against an ikea kitchen after what I witnessed !!!!”
One user asked, “So what’s the 25 year warranty for lol.” @gilt_and_ganache replied, “exactly.”
However, one commenter was skeptical. “My ikea kitchen was 4k -and it’s was 8 years ago and it’s absolutely perfect. I think it would be pretty hard to spend 40k on an ikea kitchen though. Like how?” they asked.
In response to another comment, @gilt_and_ganache explained that the $40,000 figure included cabinets, floors, counters, electrical, and plumbing.
@gilt_and_ganache heartbroken that my #ikeakitchen is falling apart in less than a year after light use. we are 2 adults, no kids and baby our kitchen yet the fobattra panels have warped. #ikeawarranty isn't worth the paper it's printed on. @IKEA ♬ Un Break My Heart – Melodia Simples
According to IKEA‘s website, its kitchens come with a 25-year limited warranty that “covers defects in the material and workmanship on the SEKTION kitchen system. All kitchen faucets have a 10-year limited warranty and all IKEA appliances have a 5-year limited warranty.”
However, IKEA says its warranty “does not apply to products that have been stored, assembled or installed incorrectly, used inappropriately, abused, misused, altered, or cleaned with the wrong cleaning methods or wrong cleaning products.” With regard to cabinet care, “Exposure to heat and high humidity increases the risk that the countertop or door may absorb moisture resulting in swelling.”
Your mileage with IKEA cabinets may vary. While @gilt_and_ganache had an unpleasant experience, users on this Reddit thread from a couple of years ago said they felt they got their money’s worth on IKEA kitchens.
The Daily Dot reached out to @gilt_and_ganache via TikTok comment and IKEA via email for comment.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.