Why You Should Never Buy IKEA Products From Amazon

IKEA is appealing for many reasons — it has a large inventory, a unique store layout, and modern-looking pieces. Perhaps the best perk to purchasing items from IKEA, however, is their cheap prices. According to Insider, IKEA keeps costs down by shipping everything in flat containers, manufacturing items in bulk, and by having the consumer bring home and build their pieces themselves.

However, some may not enjoy having to walk through IKEA's labyrinth to find the items they're looking for; they may prefer shopping online. Additionally, many desire for their items to be delivered to their home instead of having to pack and transport them in their vehicle themselves. And while IKEA does have an online store, their shipping and delivery costs are quite expensive, per Gizmodo. 

Because of this, lovers of this large furniture store have begun shopping for IKEA items on Amazon's website. However, while you may get free and fast shipping, there are quite a few cons to buying IKEA's furniture on Amazon, and the largest one has to do with the cost.

According to The Christian Science Monitor, IKEA products on Amazon are sold at a much higher price. For instance, take IKEA's FLISAT children's table -– at IKEA, this piece is currently sold for $69.99, while on Amazon, it's being sold for $119.99. Some items are even sold for up to double their original amount. 

You may be wondering why this is. Well, it's important to understand that when you buy items from IKEA on Amazon, you're not purchasing the items from IKEA directly. Instead, these pieces are being sold from third parties, which explains the significant markup. For instance, the FLISAT children's table is being sold by KMY Discounters LLC.

Additionally, the third-party seller may also try to trick consumers into thinking they're getting a better deal than they would at IKEA. They sometimes do this by claiming that the original cost is higher than it really is and then marking down the price to an amount that's still higher than what it's sold for at IKEA. Therefore, buying items from these sellers means supporting people who are trying to manipulate you, which you probably don't want to do.

After learning this information, you may be wondering why some continue to buy IKEA products off of Amazon. Of course, one reason may be that they don't know they're buying it at a higher price. But there are also some other reasons, too. For some, the higher price tag on the item may be worth it. According to Gizmodo, IKEA's stores can be inconvenient to shop in, and their online website has expensive and slow shipping. Additionally, their website has a limited amount of products, whereas there may be more available on Amazon.

Further, The Christian Science Monitor adds that those that live far away from a physical IKEA store may spend less by shopping on Amazon. This is because IKEA's shipping can be so expensive that, when factored into the price, getting free shipping on Amazon may actually save you money. But, of course, you'll need to do the math to discover if this is true for you -– if you live near an IKEA, it's probably best to shop in the physical store.