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scrappy25

Ikeafans website has closed down

scrappy25
9 years ago

I know that the Ikeafans website was seeded by gardenweb, but had morphed into an extraordinary collection of information and community support for the DIY crowd. I used it extensively when putting in a basement kitchenette 5 years ago and learned basics of kitchen design and "modifications" . When I closed my pantry hinges (before installation) and could not get them open again regardless of all attempts by several people, a fast search on ikeafans yielded the 10 second process to open the hinges. They gave me the idea of creating a broom closet in the 9 inches to the right of my fridge with two matching shelves turned into a door, and also the idea of creating a large pullout under the sink which holds an incredible amount of surplus materials.They taught me how to cut down the cabinets and creatively use the doors to gain sizes that are not otherwise provided by Ikea.

My mom calls Ikea the store for "puppies" (vs "yuppies), but that Ikeafans site served a huge number of people. For my main kitchen renovation, just finished, I found gardenweb and "grew up", using a custom cabinetmaker , but still dipped back into ikeafans every once in a while to marvel at the ingenuity necessitated by limited budgets.

Kudos to Susan and James for the incredible service and community that they provided for so many years. This was probably a natural time to close the website since Ikea is moving to the new Metod line. I only wish that the encyclopedic knowledge stored on that website could have been archived somewhere since there was so much advice not limited to the Akurum line.

Comments (53)

  • Carrie B
    9 years ago

    Oh, here's more on that:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Looks like IKEA DID have a role in this

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    Yes, from the beginning until about 2010, Ikea was extremely supportive of ikeafans (and Ikeahacker,too). They sent pre-release info to Susan and James, invited them to private in-house functions for new releases, etc. There were ikea staff members who were on ikeafans as part of their jobs, like the guy who was in charge of the redo on the planner.

    Then someone evidently realized that ikea's own attempts at social media were falling flatter than flat and they decided to strong arm both ikeafans and ikeahacker with lawsuits so they could muscle in on the action by demanding that the site owners turn everything over to them. Jules over at ikeahacker was able to fight back. Ikeafans went under after years of litigation.

    Ikea is now pushing their Ikea Life or whatever it's called via sponsored posts over at apartment therapy.

    I just hope Susan and James were able to wrangle a good settlement out of it.

  • robo (z6a)
    9 years ago

    Edit for bring slow to post

    The tone of their farewell post to me seems to indicate there may have been some settlement but that's just an impression not based on fact.

    This post was edited by robotropolis on Fri, Nov 28, 14 at 11:43

  • missingtheobvious
    9 years ago

    Here's the Wayback Machine link for Ikeafans:

    http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://ikeafans.com

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wow I just read the link that carrieb provided. I think Ikea has managed to cut off its nose here and provided a huge dissservice to the public. I really hope the owners got the settlement they deserved and that the site will be archived somewhere.

  • lucillle
    9 years ago

    "Ikea is now pushing their Ikea Life or whatever it's called via sponsored posts over at apartment therapy."

    I love Apartment therapy. But I think I will avoid Ikea Life. I actually went to the Ikea site early this morning before I read this thread and tried to order two items, both were listed for sale but showed out of stock when I tried to pay. Maybe they should pay more attention to themselves and less attention to peaceful popular websites.

    If in fact Ikea stomped out Ikeafans, it changes the way I feel about Ikea and I think I'm not going to buy from them.

  • crl_
    9 years ago

    I am very sorry to see IKEA fans go. It was one of the most helpful places I have ever seen on the web and the people there made my last kitchen, with ikea cabinets, fabulous. This situation definitely makes me feel less inclined to buy ikea, and certainly less inclined to suggest ikea kitchen cabinets to others as part of my great previous experience was due to the resources at ikeafans.

  • bordenh
    9 years ago

    I agree crl_ I just finished my IKEA kitchen before they shut down the site. I don't think my kitchen would have turned out as great were it not for IKEAfans!

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    missingtheobvious, thanks for that wayback link! Not searchable but at least it hasn't completely disappeared.

  • kiko_gw
    9 years ago

    I haven't ever used that site, but I'm confused. Surely the only legal ground to stand on was the use of their proprietary name in the website name. Why wouldn't they just change the name of the website to "bigblueboxfans" or something of that sort? I remember the website Young House Love used to be called This Young House and This Old House sued them and made them change the name. It didn't affect them at all after that. You can't make it illegal to have a fan group, right!?!

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    I'm sad to see the IkeaFans site go down. It was a tremendous resource. I, too, am angry about IKEA's role in this. However, not enough to stop me from buying my new kitchen cabinets there when the new Sektion line comes out. It's not that I haven't "grown up". It's that I'm not willing to pay much more for cabinets that aren't any better and are harder for DIY folks to install. Also, due to that the extremely limited local options I have.

    I have to say, I'm angry about the way the site shut down. Yes, they did a farewell notice but no where in that notice did they say the site was shutting down. I had the impression that they were moving on because their interests had changed and thought someone else must be taking over the site. They should have clearly stated that they were closing and given a date. If they had, I would have spent a lot of time saving information on the site I knew I would need. I'll not be visiting any of their new websites due to the unprofessional way they handled the closure.

    It really is a shame IKEA has taken this stance. I understand the need to protect one's brand but agree a simple agreement to change the name of the IkeaFans website should have been enough.

  • detroit_burb
    9 years ago

    there may have been more than meets the eye.

    there were also long thread about the abysmal performance of the Ikea ovens, and these threads went on for YEARS with the same performance issues being discussed and NO SOLUTION. The thread detailed how to file a small claims action over the appliance problems.

    I am sure Ikea wanted some control over this, but it seems that the ikeafans website owners fought back, but they likely settled for some undisclosed amount.

    America is where money trumps all.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Yes, Marcolo, I'm angry at the owners because they did not indicate they were closing down the site or give a date it would be shut down. I suppose they could have been legally denied the ability to state this information but that doesn't seem likely to me. If I'm mistaken, mea culpa and apologies to them.

    I live in a very rural area and I'm not finding any other viable options for the style of cabinets I want at a price I'm willing to spend than Ikea. In fact, just finding styles I like outside of Ikea is difficult. I can't afford Poggenpohl. I've tried Scherr's, Barker, Conestoga, CabinetNow, and a few others whose names escape me at the moment. My only local option is Home Depot. Do you have any suggestions?

    Also, we've installed other conventional kitchens before (own rentals). My DH helped with part of a friend's install of an Ikea kitchen and was amazed at how much quicker and easier it was to install levelly. He would really prefer Ikea just due to us doing all DIY.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm angry at Ikea for doing this in the first place. I do like to "vote" with my dollars when I can but I don't think I can afford to in this case.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    I don't think James and Susan shut down the site, funkycamper. They left at the end of October and the database didn't go away for a few weeks. I'm sure it was Ikea who removed it.

  • marcolo
    9 years ago

    Sorry that the loss of two people's livelihoods inconveniences you. But at least you can easily punish them, whereas punishing Ikea would only inconvenience you further.

    They have fought this battle very publicly on the front page of the blog all year. Rude of them not to mail out personal notices through Vistaprint, I know. Manners these days.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    I can smell settlement from my screen. No way this couple put this much into this site then walks away with a paragraph of "Bu-bye".

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    I first discovered the website in early August. I spent all my time in the Kitchen Planning forum and my bookmark took me straight to that section so I was totally unfamiliar with their problems with Ikea. I did read their cryptic so long, farewell statement but, again, they could have said "The site will be closing on 11/xx/14". Seven more words. It wouldn't have killed 'em.

    Your insights into kitchen planning are brilliant, Marcolo. And I love your sarcastic sense-of-humor which is more successful when used to make a point about an issue, not as a way to belittle someone. I have a right to my opinion and you have a right to disagree. I really enjoy a spirited, respectful debate. Too bad this has already dissolved into something else.

    If you're so flush that spending thousands more is simply an inconvenience for you, then good for you. For me, that's big money. Of course, you can always give me the extra cash so I won't have to buy from Ikea. Or would that be inconvenient for you?

  • detroit_burb
    9 years ago

    I had been on that website for the last 7 years, I believe, and contributed to it, and read read read much of it.

    The owners ABSOLUTELY DID explain what was going on and posted the correspondence from Ikea USA on the site starting a few months back. The corporation was upset that they were using the word "Ikea" in their name and the argument was that it was stealing their corporate trademarked name.

    The fact is, they were shut down.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    I assume that was directed at me. I understand that they were shut down NOW. Since I was a newbie there, ecstatically gathering the immense storehouse of helpful knowledge there, and since I only went to the kitchen section, I was unaware of it. I doubt I was the only one in the dark as conversations about kitchen floorplans, how to mod cabinets, etc., continued unabated with statements like "when I get back after the weekend" and such in comments.

    I still think a firm statement in the goodbye notice that the site is closing on such date would have been helpful. For those of us who weren't paying attention and weren't in the loop.

    In fact, now that I think of it, when the alerts to read that notice kept coming up, I finally read it. Then I responded to it asking if someone else was taking over the site. I wasn't the only one asking that question in the comments section. They never responded. Now, really, why couldn't they have done that?

  • detroit_burb
    9 years ago

    it seems that they filed a lawsuit against ikea in may, 2014. perhaps they were offered a settlement in which they turned over the content and agreed not to compete. In which case, they may not have been able to give a 'closing' date. I can think of many scenarios where it would not have been to their benefit to answer.

    If you have specific questions, ask away. I have put in three ikea kitchens in three homes, and hacked the cabinets to make a really nice mudroom, and three bath vanities.

    I used gardenweb info, ikeafans info, and info from the sales associates themselves, who were very helpful with hacks, too.

  • gsciencechick
    9 years ago

    Ford tried this stuff with Mustang and other car clubs in 2008. The backlash was very bad, but when they went into bankruptcy they stopped pursuing.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ford did something similar

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    gsciencechick:

    Ford never filed bankruptcy.

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago

    FC you are not entitled to the information gathered on voluntarily run, completely free website. Acting all personally injured over the forced closing just makes you look incredibly venal. They were the injured party. Not you. Go hire an Ikea conhacktor if you can't figure out the system yourself.

    If you cannot afford the kitchen that you want, perhaps sell some of those rentals. Or change your budget. Or just don't put in a new kitchen. What you are willing to pay for something has nothing to do with it's market costs. Crying poor mouth instead as justification.......unbelievable. No one is entitled to a new kitchen.

  • lucillle
    9 years ago

    " Of course, you can always give me the extra cash so I won't have to buy from Ikea. "


    It is my opinion that the way to deal with large companies sometimes is by voting with your pocketbook.
    If you feel that the company has done something unethical, a boycott may wake them up and make them rethink their choices.
    It can be temporary, just long enough to let the company know that ethical behavior is important to buyers.

  • marcolo
    9 years ago

    Agreed. The odor of entitlement is going to require a fumigator.

  • detroit_burb
    9 years ago

    I had no difficulty accessing ikeafans today!

    google what you want to see like this:
    "kitchen hacks" site:ikeafans.com

    it is ALL still there.

    Guess what is not there... can you guess... please, just guess...

    the four years of threads about the immense failure of their ovens is all gone. I am telling you guys, this website was take down because of lawsuits over their faulty appliances, and for no other reason.

    This post was edited by detroit_burb on Sat, Nov 29, 14 at 11:55

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Ok, hollysprings and marcolo, I have already said:
    * that I never considered the possibility that the agreement denied them the possibility of alerting people about a website shutdown date and, if that was the case, mea culpa and my apologies to the owners for my previous statement; and
    * that I'm angry at Ikea as well for their actions against the IkeaFans website.

    Would it make you both happy if I took care of myself the Roman way (slitting my wrists in the bathtub)? Or maybe I should be drawn and quartered first?

    I fully agree with "voting with your wallet". I haven't shopped at two other large chains since 2005 due to various labor practices. I understand the sentiment some of you have about wanting to boycott Ikea for their stupid lawsuit. I really do. However, I'm not willing to join up with you on this and spend 2-3x on my kitchen. I'm too frugal for that. So sue me.

    A kitchen that, yes, I'm entitled due to working hard and saving for. You have as much right to tell me what I should spend on a kitchen as I have of telling you what kind of car you can drive or where you can vacation. Zip.

    Thanks, detroit_burb, for another tip on how to access the valuable information that IkeaFans accumulated over the years.

  • lucillle
    9 years ago

    "I fully agree with "voting with your wallet". I haven't shopped at two other large chains since 2005 due to various labor practices. I understand the sentiment some of you have about wanting to boycott Ikea for their stupid lawsuit. I really do. However, I'm not willing to join up with you on this and spend 2-3x on my kitchen. I'm too frugal for that. So sue me."

    Our forefathers in America gave their lives for their ideals.
    Just putting off the kitchen for a while would be a way to honor a boycott. Sometimes there is sacrifice and inconvenience when you decide to stand up for little people and big principles.
    If everyone stops buying from Ikea I am thinking they will listen.

  • Fori
    9 years ago

    Regardless of who the bad guy is here, I'm less likely to buy an IKEA kitchen without that resource.

    It made the newbie realize they could probably actually build their own kitchen. IKEA wouldn't or couldn't make their stuff seem accessible like that.

  • Hostage
    9 years ago

    I was kind of surprised by this. I love their cabinets and the engineering they put into them. I can't say the same for their legal team or their customer support. IKEA Fans was extremely helpful. I bought my cabinets on 4 days before the "farewell" address. While I got some great info on the overall setup and design of my kitchen, as the site went down, it has slowed my progression in the kitchen. Luckly I can go to Google and type "ikea 88 pantry site:ikeafans.com" and then click cached, it will then show me everything related to ikea 88 pantry on ikeafans.com. I just look at the cached portion.

    Overall their customer support is very poor. I don't think they are able to chew bubble gum and walk at the same time. Additionally the way they man handled IKEA Fans away from the community makes me shy away from them, at least after this project is complete. I am not going to leave my kitchen unfinished, because they pissed me off. My fear of my wife is stronger than my hate for IKEA.

    They really killed their zero cost customer support department, by ending IKEA Fans. Trying to work with their paid customer service has made me lose a lot of respect for humanity.

    One of the reasons I jumped onto Akurum and didn't wait for the new style is I was worried the quality would be less. Change isn't always for the better.

  • diamondkat123
    9 years ago

    funkycamper,
    Check out Kitchen Resource Direct. I had great a great experience with them with my cabinets, spending a fraction of the price for good solid wood cabinets. They were very helpful with design as well.
    Good luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Resource Direct

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Thanks, diamondkat123! I have been looking into other sources. We are going with a different plan and reusing our cabinets instead of a total gut. We will just need cabinets for the peninsula. I have been trying to match the current style. I'll check them out.

  • feisty68
    9 years ago

    "Regardless of who the bad guy is here, I'm less likely to buy an IKEA kitchen without that resource."

    I totally agree with this. I don't think I would have bought an IKEA kitchen without getting the confidence boost from the solid info at ikeafans. I think that IKEA completely underestimated the importance of that resource to potential buyers.

    Also, I was planning to do an IKEA bathroom as well. Not having the how-to info on how to deal with their quirky plumbing gives me pause.

  • corrypaw
    9 years ago

    As a long-time user of Ikeafans, I was as upset as everyone else at the way IKEA treated Susan and James. I wanted to mention for anyone who got excited as I just did at the info posted above about how to access the old cached ikeafans info - you can't access the info anymore. Yes, you can google the threads using the method mentioned above, and you will get a whole list of things from the old ikeafans site - but when you click on one of the links, you get a "server not found" or "cannot access" message. IKEA finally wiped ikeafans off the face of the web. Such a shame...

  • dtremit
    9 years ago

    So maddening to see all that data disappear overnight.

    In case anyone is wondering who was responsible for taking the domain down, it is now clearly owned by IKEA:

    Domain Name: ikeafans.com
    [...]
    Registrant Organization: Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
    Registrant Street: Olof Palmestraat 1
    Registrant City: Delft
    Registrant State/Province:
    Registrant Postal Code: NL-2616 LN
    Registrant Country: NL

    Some of the content is archived on the Internet Archive -- if you have a specific URL you want to get to, it's worth a try. Just paste the URL into the search box -- if it's available, you can pick a date and view the page from that point in time.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Internet Archive

    This post was edited by dtremit on Sat, Jan 31, 15 at 15:05

  • steph2000
    9 years ago

    Argh, what a loss of community and resources, all in the name of corporate interests. Why do we tolerate this crap, I wonder?

  • kmkare
    9 years ago

    None of the links above work. The Way Back Machine and the "kitchen hacks" site:ikeafans.com are both dead links. Does anyone know any other way to access this? I need a new kitchen bad and I don't have more than a couple thousand. Help!

  • Hillside House
    9 years ago

    Is there something specific you're looking for more information on? Have you laid out a kitchen using the planner?

  • Buehl
    9 years ago

    Kmkare - I suggest starting a new thread asking for help finding affordable cabinets, etc. This thread is about IkeaFans being shut down - so not many people will be re-looking at the thread (plus, most of us are very frustrated with the pros who have been resurrecting old threads for self-advertising, so that may also reduce the # of people looking at this thread.)

    In fact, it's generally good etiquette to start your own thread instead of hijacking someone else's thread.

    I'm sure you will get more information if you start your own thread with a subject that describes what type of help you're looking for! Good luck!

  • renogalinflorida
    9 years ago

    I came back from looking at the new IKEA cabinet line really disappointed. Very few of the doors looked like real wood ( I could see "dimples" in the laminate on most) and I didn't see anymore size options despite the fact that IKEA claimed the redesign was to offer "more flexibility". Now I try to go to IKEA fans for some honest feedback on the new line, and find that it's no longer active. I furnished my last kitchen with IKEA cabinets but am now looking at other options for my next. I was falling out of love with IKEA and this really sealed the deal.

  • feisty68
    9 years ago

    Renogalindlorida - good idea to start a new thread about your topic above.

  • PRO
    Charline
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Now this was a surprise! I've had visited IKEA fans back in the days to look for furniture feedback and flat pack assembly tips and tricks (back in the days, when I did not had to call a professional furniture assembler). I haven't visited the website for years and for a second there I did no believe it was shut down! We had an argument about our new mydal bunk bed and wanted to see if other people have encountered similar issues.. Does anybody happen to know if there's an alternative community now?

  • corrypaw
    8 years ago

    Unfortunately, there isn't. I think IKEA was hoping to start their own support forum, but I haven't seen anything on that yet. The closest I've seen to the old group would be ikeahackers dot net (who had their own legal issues with IKEA, but managed to dodge the same fate as IKEAfans). That site is geared more towards how to take basic ikea stuff and tweak it, though - it's not really a group that offers guidance and support.


  • usafamomsq8
    8 years ago

    I am really pissed about this. That was the best site ever for understanding the stupidity in the pictures of the Ikea instructions. I just got on line to go to the fan site because am taking the front off a big drawer and I can't remember how to get the metal arms off the drawer front. I thought I saved at least one of every booklet when I installed my kitchen but I didn't save that style of drawer just the smaller ones. Now I have no clue how to do it!!!! Believe me Ikea will be getting a email from me! WHO Do they think they are! They say they do instructions in photos to save money and not have to print in 40 different languages then get pissy when no one can understand them!!!

  • jennyinma
    8 years ago

    Ah, this is such a bummer! I loved that site and really cannot imagine building an Ikea kitchen without it? Or, I should say, building my dream kitchen without it. There were so many good tips and ideas...how to make good use of a few extra inches (broom etc pullout), the toekick drawers, all of the clever under-sink and other interior customizations...

  • bobcatralph
    8 years ago

    Usafamomsq8, I am really pissed too - this being the nicest word I can print. I have saved a number of pages of gorgeous ikea hacked kitchens. It had been my plan to spend time at the ikeafans site to see what other ideas I might be able to incorporate that I hadn't already considered. We are two months away from the remodel and I am finalizing my layout.

    Obviously there was a financial reason they did this. I suspect that because people were buying cabinet fronts elsewhere they felt it was costing them too much money in lost revenue. I am sure they weighed the cost of litigation to lost dollars in sales and it made sense for them to close it down. I feel sorry for the couple losing the site they must have worked very hard to put together. Sadly, they are a multinational corporation and we are but ants at their picnic, so unless someone comes up with another idea, we have just been stomped on.

  • Tmnca
    8 years ago

    FWIW you cans till access much of the content including images via waybackmachine. It helps if you have bookmarks to the exact URL you wish to recall.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20140203182949/http://www.ikeafans.com/

  • aliris19
    8 years ago

    It never has been a good idea to censor content.

    I've only been to IKEAfans once and I'm pissed. Believe it or not, I just even like the *idea* of the site and that's enough to keep me away from that BigBlueBox following this move. What a dopey, ham-handed expurgation of ideas and creativity.

    I am so disappointed the corporate personification of creative design is unwilling to support creativity in its orbit. stupid.

  • iknowmorenow
    8 years ago

    Don't stop shopping at Ikea. Just be clumsy around the glassware! ;)

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