I don't usually flame businesses online. But my recent experience at IKEA is beyond belief. I cannot imagine what will make me try to do business with them again. Last week I wanted to buy an item requested for a baby shower. I checked online to make sure the Oak Creek store had it available before I made the trip there. When I found the item displayed in the store it had an "unavailable" tag on it. I asked an employee, since the website said it was available, and she said, "Oh, everything is available. Here is the information where you can find it in the warehouse." We went to the indicated aisle and found the bin...EMPTY. I found another employee and asked why it was "in stock" online but clearly not available. She said they had 8 of them, but they were "in the air" and couldn't be brought down during store hours. She said I could purchase it, they would bring it down after hours and I could pick it up at the service desk. I had to wait in line to talk with a person who could arrange that. Turns out she was sorely mistaken. They could take my information, take down the item overnight and I could come back to the warehouse the next day. When I mentioned that I did not live nearby and came in only because the website said it was available, I was met with a blank stare. No helpful customer service here. I could order the $80 item online and have it delivered for a mere $39. A 50% delivery fee. NO thanks. I need it for the shower this weekend. Just get it down overnight and I'll drive the hour round trip to get it tomorrow. The next day when I arrived at the warehouse: An EMPTY bin. I asked again and was told, "We have no authority over what gets taken down over night. All we can do is write down the request and if they don't get to it, it doesn't come down." EXCUSE ME, I just drove an hour to go home empty handed????? Well, we can send it to you, for a small charge. How small? $39. Ah, no! You will deliver it for FREE to the intended recipients. But we can't get it there for over a week and someone over 18 needs to be home to receive it anytime between 8 am and 9pm. IF you reschedule the time we give you the night before we cannot guarantee delivery. EXCUSE ME again?!? Ok, deliver it to ME, I'll make the commitment to spend the day at home waiting for the thing. So they were supposed to call last night to give me a 4 hour deliver window. I got a message from the delivery company that something was wrong and I would have to call back to reschedule. Now, I've already worked out my schedule to be home all day today so I can be available for whenever their 4 hour window is set. I call the delivery company. They say I am on their delivery schedule, but IKEA has not delivered the item to THEM!!! I will need to take it up with IKEA. So I call IKEA. The expected wait is 11-15 min. While waiting I need to listen to their helpful announcements which tell me I can check online to see the in-store availability. (Just in case, I do this while waiting and it says there are 8 items available). I also hear an announcement that they are having extreme delays in deliveries in NY and NJ and cannot give an estimated delivery date at this time. Seems rather widespread incompetence. When I finally get a customer service rep on the phone she can do absolutely nothing except say that the item was not delivered to the delivery company. YES, I knew that or I wouldn't be calling!!! I asked to talk with a supervisor. (Apparently companies are getting wise to this tactic as the last 2 places I've tried this have told me they don't HAVE supervisors.) In fact, I have to call the resolution center which was no longer open by the time I finally reached a real person. So, today, I call back and press the numbers to get to the resolution center. GUESS WHAT (this is NO surprise to me!!): They are experiencing such extreme call volume that they cannot take my call at this time! No 11-15 min wait, no leave your number and we will call you back in the order in which the calls were received, no leave a message. Nope. Just "can't take your call. click." And THIS company is so popular???? Are people so desperate for cheap stuff they put up with this total lack of customer service? What does this say about our society that we are willing to be treated this way? I cannot imagine what will entice me to do business with this company in the future.