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The Big Blue Swedish Store has a web store these days, did you know? After having used their online presence for years for advertising their products only, but stubbornly refusing to sell the stuff anywhere but in their Big Blue Boxes, they are now offering a significant portion of their collection online.

Only thing is, they’re still adjusting to this.

Last week, we ordered a Large Bed–and assorted linen–for our youngest, who has outgrown his baby bed not so much in terms of body size as in terms of temperament. Upon completion of the order, the brand new Web store informed us that the products would be delivered on the chosen date between 8:30am and 9:30pm. A bit of a broad time frame, but it would have to do.

Fortunately, there was an (almost) toll-free number we could call a day in advance to obtain a 3S code, which we could then use to ask PostNL (the Dutch postal service) for the two hour time slot for the delivery. That sounded much more precise.

A few days later my phone pinged with an incoming text. It turned out to be from Ikea, addressed me as “Hey”, and oddly enough informed me that the bed would be delivered on the agreed date… between 12:10pm and 3:10pm. Much more precise than initially, but still not as specific as promised, also between oddly specific times, and above all a means of communication that was in complete contradiction of everything we had been told, leaving us in confusion.

So when the day came that we would be able to call the toll-poor number, we immediately did so, not just to shave that third hour off the delivery time, but also to find out what other oddities Ikea would come up with.

The number was answered by a computer, which led me through half a dozen choices before announcing that due to a technical problem, delivery times were currently unavailable. No worries though: before hanging up, the computer gave me a Web address where this information would be available.

At first Google Chrome reported an error for that address. But when I experimentally added the “www.” that should not be needed, I did land on a transportation website. I filled in my postal code and house number, confirmed that yes, I was that customer on that address, and waited breathlessly for what the site would tell me.

The accuracy was amazing; however, the change in delivery time would impact our schedule for the day less severely than they may have thought.

The bed will be delivered today… between 12:11pm and 3:11pm.