Did Ikea "tamper" with so-called leather seats?

Ikea is currently in the eye of the storm after its Australian and British websites promoted seats with synthetic coating as leather seats. The company admits it could have communicated more clearly, but denies the mentions were misleading.

Ekerö and Kivik targeted

Ekerö and Kivik seats were the problem as they were labeled as “real leather” on Ikea’s British and Australian websites, while the Ekerö model is a combination of polyester, cotton and polyurethane, while the Kivik seat only has leather cushions, arm and back sections.

The furniture chain has already admitted the “mentioned product category on the website is not that clear”, but denies it was trying to mislead the consumer: the used materials are always mentioned on the detailed product page, which clearly states the actual fabrics. Unsatisfied customers can still get a refund if requested and Ikea also altered the website description.

It is not clear whether the same descriptions were used to promote the seats in Belgium. “We have not received any complaints or questions, but we will take a look at the situation”, Ikea Belgium’s spokesperson Steven De Smet told Het Laatste Nieuws. In any case, the Dutch website mentions the right information.