IKEA has announced a new acknowledgment to ensure its furniture is installed safely in our homes. Customers will now be asked to sign a document showing they understand that some items must be attached to the wall before they can head to the checkout.
Fans of the Swedish furniture store will also be asked to provide their name and email address when purchasing items that must be fixed to the wall rather than left free-standing.
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'The new sales requirement is an important next step in our journey to help our customers enjoy a safer life at home,' says Patricia Lobell, Market Area Manager at IKEA Retail US. IKEA's new acknowledgement is expected to reduce the number of accidents among children where IKEA furniture has tipped over and injured them. The measure will be in place in all stores across the United States.
So, which products does the acknowledgment apply to? You may have to sign the document if you’re purchasing a chest of drawers and certain units used to store clothing.
Products that require it will be marked as such, and customers shopping in-store will need to visit www.ikea-usa.com/safe on their mobile phone and fill out the acknowledgment and a registration form. IKEA then sends the customer a confirmation that the acknowledgment is complete.
Then you simply have to show the confirmation email to an IKEA staff member at the entrance to a gated, self-service aisle. If you don’t have a smart phone, you can go to the store’s self-service area where an employee will help. The flat pack furniture retailer will only use the email address provided by a customer to inform them of safety updates and to send reminders on why it’s important to attach some items of furniture to a wall.
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Do I need to sign the IKEA acknowledgment if I’m shopping online?
When shopping online, you’ll see a note about the new acknowledgment if looking at products that require one. To complete your purchase you’ll need to check a box to show you understand that the item has to be attached to a wall.
The acknowledgment box says, 'I understand that furniture I am purchasing MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE WALL per the assembly instructions to help prevent tipover. Tipover-prevention hardware is included with the furniture. I can use TaskRabbit to find help with assembly and wall-attachment if I cannot do it myself. I can be reached at this email address to receive safety information about this product. My personal information is subject to the IKEA Privacy Policy, available at IKEA-usa.com, and I am 18+ years old.'
If you're after some IKEA furniture hacks for small spaces, check out our feature.
