Friel TV Bank cash receipt lost

Hello dear ones,

I bought the TV bench "Friel" at the Ikea store in Duisburg because I wanted to give it as a gift! Since it was a gift, you of course don’t announce it beforehand and now I have the mess because the TV bench doesn’t fit in her place size-wise, I probably misjudged a bit. Well, it just happened now...
I went to Ikea again today because I wrote an email on the Ikea website saying that I can’t find the receipt and it may have ended up in the recycling bin and what I should do now. I only got one reply saying I should go to my Ikea store in person and they might (if they want) accommodate me as a gesture of goodwill.
So today I asked at the exchange counter, and they just told me they can’t do anything without a receipt, but I could try to speak to the manager who was, however, in a meeting for an indefinite time at that moment. So I should just bring the item and ask again. But they couldn’t promise that they would take it back, it would be decided spontaneously there. Since I have to borrow a bigger vehicle to transport the item back and they might send me away for no reason, I am getting even more frustrated!!
I paid 249 euros in cash for the item and today I saw that it only costs 199 euros now because it is supposedly being discontinued and all remaining benches are supposed to be removed. They are also no longer to be found on the Ikea website.
I don’t remember the exact date, only that I paid 249 euros and that you have 3 months to return something and that the 3 months are not yet over. But I don’t know exactly when I bought it. They asked me when I bought it so they could check in the computer and pull out the receipt there. But I don’t remember the day and if I say some day I might guess and it’s wrong, then they might still think I’m lying(!)
I would really like to get all my money back.
I really don’t know what to do anymore, I already turned everything upside down and didn’t find any receipt.
I don’t want to sell the item privately either because I wouldn’t get the 249 euros I paid for it!
This is really a big minus point for Ikea because anyone can lose a receipt!! ...they should really take a leaf out of Aldi’s book!!
Please help me because I really don’t know what to do anymore—I also don’t want to show up there with the TV bench for nothing and get sent home again. I haven’t noticed any goodwill there!!
I really hope you can help me.
A thousand thanks in advance.
The desperate Nati

Hello first of all, well I don't see that as a mistake(!) because I just can't find the receipt - I don't know what is wrong with that(?) I believe "everyone" has misplaced or lost something at some point(?) From time to time I have used my stepfather's work car (who is currently on assignment) when my boyfriend needs my car (Lupo), and with it I also transported it. Such back and forth for such a stupid receipt is in my opinion not very customer-friendly - especially since I have already spent quite a fortune at Ikea in my life! Aldi is really way ahead in this regard! I don't want to badmouth Ikea regarding the furniture, but the exchange service for such a problem is absolutely unfriendly to customers!! Maybe someone else here can please help me? I would be very happy. Many thanks.

I don't find anything unfriendly to customers about that at all!

IKEA gives 3 months to exchange goods but ONLY with a receipt. Now, the price is also not reduced to €199 nationwide in Germany; in our store, we still have the regular price. But that shouldn’t contribute to solving the problem either. The fact that they even give you the option to name the day and they would check the receipt again, I find that very friendly. They really do everything to make sure you get your receipt, I honestly don’t understand what’s supposed to be unfriendly about that.

Try, as already explained, to narrow down the day, that probably won't be too hard. If the birthday was less than 3 months ago, you can roughly find out the week...you can pull bank statements and then you can see when a larger amount was withdrawn?!

Good luck!

Now, honestly....

In which store in this country do they offer to reconstruct a receipt based on a bank statement? And in which store is merchandise accepted back without a receipt? In which store in this country can I assemble my furniture and then return it with a receipt?

Another example:
A large electronics store doesn’t even provide you with a replacement device in case of warranty. That means you have to do without, for example, a TV for a few days, if not weeks. But if you don’t have a receipt, they will tell you: That’s not my problem. Have a nice day.

And for a piece of furniture that costs almost €250, I keep the receipt. Or do you have that much money? If IKEA takes it back in original condition (meaning unpacked), with the condition of refunding the lowest price, then I think that is legitimate. Otherwise, I will only buy offers at IKEA and return them without receipt and get the full price back, admittedly not in cash but on card. With that, I will get rich and cheat a company that, from my point of view, is very generous with customers.

This discussion is completely pointless. If you don’t have a receipt, you can’t expect, no matter the company, that someone else will be punished for it.
Honestly??? YOUR OWN FAULT...
No hard feelings.

Regards Maverick1854

Maybe I should get a filing cabinet where I put all my receipts?! Since you have so little understanding, I can only conclude that even Ikea employees are around here... Have you never lost anything important?? This is really silly!! Maybe you should put yourself in my shoes or maybe this should happen to you if YOU don’t understand it as it is!! I wanted to get help here and not useless discussions!! So it would be nice if there are still some people wandering around here who can put themselves in my shoes and really want to help me... Thanks in advance.

Oh yes, and who said that I assembled the bench?! No one! It is still in the original packaging!! Not a single scratch can be seen on the packaging!!