Transcript of IKEA support chat re. C&D

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You are being assisted by IKEA Australia

 10:46  Hi

 10:46  Hi I'm Laura, how can I help?

 10:46  Hi Laura

 10:47 I'm writing about the Cease & Desist letter you (i.e. IKEA)
 sent to IKEAHackers.

 10:47 (details here:
 http://www.ikeahackers.net/2014/06/big-changes-coming-to-ikeahackers.html
 )

 10:48 I'm a long-time fan of Ikea, and enjoy hacking your
 products. My standing station at home is built around one of your
 products, the Utby (
 https://github.com/duncan-bayne/duncan-bayne.github.com/wiki/Home-Office
 ).

 10:48  That link has come up as page not found

 10:48  Odd

 10:48  Okay, try: http://goo.gl/VSsuLy

 10:49  That one has worked

 10:50  Excellent

 10:51 So: the reason I'm getting in touch is to ask why IKEA has
 decided to initiate legal action against your own fans. Many people,
 myself included, enjoy hacking IKEA products, but this C&D has
 seriously soured me on your company and products.

 10:52 It's also worth mentioning that we (meaning my wife and I) have
 bought many IKEA baby and child products since having our first baby;
 without exception, they've been great. But stunts like this C&D mean
 I'm seriously considering shopping elsewhere for such products in the
 future. Given multiple children and several decades, that's a lot of
 lost custom.

 10:53 I'm very sorry but I cannot comment on any legal matters

 10:53  Right

 10:54 Okay, I understand that. Can you have my complaint escalated,
 then?

 10:54  FWIW, my IKEA Family number is XXXX

 10:54  Sorry

 10:55 In this situation, there wouldn't be anything to escalate,
 whilst I can understand that you're upset with the legal action that
 has been taken, this isn't a matter that will be discussed further

 10:55  That's XXXX

 10:55 Right, so you're prepared to lose a lifelong customer - and
 probably several more - because of this?

 10:55  I do understand that you're not allowed to comment.

 10:55 But presumably there is a channel for escalating complaints
 about policy?

 10:56  Perhaps a customer retention team, or manager, or similar? PR?

 10:57 IKEA is already getting a lot of bad press over how you've
 handled the C&D. It probably won't help if complaints about it are
 met with a refusal to discuss the matter.

 10:58 You are able to email your complain to us at csau@ikea.com or I
 can give you the postal address if you'd prefer to write us a letter?

 10:59  Okay. So who are csau@ikea.com?

 11:00 That will come through to our Service Office where it will then
 be responded to accordingly

 11:00 Okay. And you're unable to simply escalate this issue to them
 directly? I mean, all I'll be doing is emailing them this transcript
 anyway.

 11:01 As I've said, there isn't anything to escalate, legal matters
 will not be discussed.

 11:01  I'm becoming quite frustrated with this.

 11:01 I don't particularly want to discuss the legal ins and outs of
 the C&D.

 11:02  I'd like someone to address my complaint.

 11:02  Can you, or can you not, escalate my complaint?

 11:03 I'm sorry, I don't fully understand what your complaint is
 exactly

 11:03 I am complaining about your company sending a C&D to the
 IKEAHacker community.

 11:04 I am saying that I'd like an IKEA rep to explain to me what
 your position is on hacking IKEA products, and why you think I
 shouldn't cancel my card and walk away, given your apparent disdain
 for your fans.

 11:04 I'd like this complaint to be registered with IKEA management,
 so they know that people are mad about this.

 11:05 I don't expect IKEA management to comment on the legal aspects
 of the C&G.

 11:05 I *do* expect an answer about the position of IKEA towards fans
 & hackers.

 11:05  Sorry, C&D

 11:06 I'm quite surprised to have to be arguing for a complaint to be
 escalated

 11:07 IKEA encourages our customers to customise their furniture but
 not to modify the original structure as this can compromise the
 health and safety aspect of the article

 11:07  Okay

 11:07  That's nice to know, but doesn't address my complaint.

 11:08  Could you please escalate it, as I've requested?

 11:09 At this point, I'm not going to escalate your complaint as I do
 not feel it is warranted, however, as suggested should you wish to
 you can email us at csau@ikea.com and that will be responded to
 accordingly

 11:10 Thank you for your time; I'll be posting a transcript of this
 discussion to Hacker News, where the C&D issue is being discussed.