Who makes this site, and how it works

Overview

What you are looking at, where the prices and figures come from, how fresh they are, and what we do not do.

What you are looking at

The second-hand areas of IKEA stores (as-is, Circular Hub, Fundgrube, depending on the country) sell display items, returns and furniture bought back from customers, assembled and marked down. Each store publishes its own list, which changes several times a day and is not gathered anywhere.

We record those lists, store by store, in around twenty countries, and show them as they are: the shelf price, the stated condition, the store, and the new price of the same article so you know what the discount is really worth. One page per range (KALLAX, BILLY, PAX…), one per store, one per article.

What we do not do

We sell nothing, reserve nothing and take no commission on second-hand items. Every item links to the official IKEA listing: buying, and in some countries reserving online, happens with them, under the store's terms.

We have no connection with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Brand and product names belong to their owners and are used only to identify the items.

Where the figures come from

The new price comes from the official IKEA product page in your country, never from the 'original' price written on the second-hand tag, which is often out of date. The discount is the gap between the shelf price and that new price. When an article is no longer sold new, we say so instead of making up a discount.

'Time on the shelf' is the time between the moment we see an item appear and the moment it leaves the store's list. It is an estimate: an item can disappear because it was sold, reserved or simply removed. 'Arrived 3 h ago' means the time of our check, not the time it was put on the shelf.

How fresh it is

Articles followed by at least one person are re-checked roughly every fifteen minutes; the rest of the shelves several times a day, more often in the busiest countries. Between two checks a piece can go. The time of the last check is shown on every page: if you are driving for a piece of furniture, look at it first, and call the store if you can.

Alerts

Following an article gets you an email or a notification as soon as one appears in the stores you chose, under the maximum price and at the minimum condition you set. It is free. An account only needs an email address; you can export or delete your data in one click from your account page.

Who does this

Refindoo is an independent comparison and tracking service. The publisher's identity, contact details and hosting provider are listed in the legal notice. Comparisons are calculated from observed offers; buying advice is separate from the commercial descriptions supplied by IKEA.

How the site is funded

Through advertising, and through some links to the new IKEA product pages that may be affiliate links. Those links are marked as such and have no influence on the prices shown, the order of items, or what we choose to show. There is no paid subscription.

Write to us

A mistake on a page, a missing store, a question? The contact address is in the legal notice. Requests about personal data (export, deletion) are described in the privacy policy.

What exactly does this site do?

We continuously aggregate the second-life offers published by IKEA stores across several European countries, link them to their exact catalogue reference and keep the history. You can search any IKEA item, compare its used price against the current new price, browse price history and set a free alert to be notified the moment a unit appears.

Are you affiliated with IKEA?

No. This site is an independent service with no link to Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Cited trademarks belong to their respective owners. Displayed data comes from public information published by IKEA and is provided for information only.

Where do prices and offers come from?

Second-life offers come from IKEA's official channel (in-store second-life areas), collected several times a day. The reference new price comes from the official IKEA product page for your region — never from a seller's claim. Every offer shows the store, condition and price.

Is the data real-time?

Items watched by at least one user are refreshed roughly every quarter hour; the rest of the catalogue is scanned several times a day. An offer can therefore sell between two collections: the last-update time is displayed and vanished offers are flagged as such.

How do alerts work?

Pick an item (by name or 8-digit reference), then your criteria: maximum price, minimum condition, specific stores or a radius around you. As soon as a matching offer appears you are notified by e-mail or push notification. Alerts can be edited any time from your watchlist.

Why is a displayed offer no longer available in store?

Second-life stock rotates very fast: the best deals sometimes go within the hour. We mark an offer as gone at the next collection, but a short lag is unavoidable. Each item's page shows its average rotation speed to help you judge urgency.

Can I reserve or buy through this site?

No — the sale stays entirely with IKEA. We provide the direct link to the offer or the official IKEA page; depending on the country, online reservation of second-life items is possible on IKEA's site, otherwise purchase happens in store.

Is the service free?

Yes, entirely — there is no paid subscription. Search, product pages, price history and alerts are free. The service is funded by the advertising shown on the site and by some IKEA links that may be partner links — flagged as such, with no influence whatsoever on prices or on the order of results.

Which countries are covered?

France first, plus Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Italy. The 'near me' search can include cross-border stores in neighbouring countries. Coverage is expanding.

How do you judge that an offer is a good deal?

By comparing it with the current new price of the same reference in your region, and with the observed used-price history of that item. The site's barometer also publishes the average discount across the whole market — a useful benchmark before negotiating.

What about my personal data?

The account only requires an e-mail. You can export all your data or delete your account in one click from the Account page, in line with the GDPR. Details are in our privacy policy.

The item I want has no offers: what is the page for?

Setting an alert. The page shows the current new price and the reference's history; the moment a second-life unit appears in your stores, you are notified. It is the most effective method for sought-after ranges, where offers go within hours.

What do 'as new', 'very good', 'good' and 'acceptable' mean?

Second-life items are graded by the store according to their condition. The exact labels vary by country, but the idea is constant: 'as new / very good' means no notable flaw or only minor marks; 'good' means a functional item with visible wear; 'acceptable / well used' means clear marks or small defects. Every offer shows the store's stated condition: inspect it in person when you can.

What if the assembly instructions or fittings are missing?

It is usually not a deal-breaker. IKEA publishes the assembly instructions for every article online (by name or 8-digit reference), often as a downloadable PDF. Common fittings (cams, dowels, screws, FIXA kits) can be bought for a few euros. Only some specific parts may be hard to find: check catalogue availability before buying an incomplete piece.

Is there a warranty on a second-life item?

Second-life items are sold 'as is' and IKEA's long guarantees for new products generally do not apply. Depending on the country, the legal guarantee of conformity may apply differently to second-hand goods sold by a professional. As conditions vary by country and store, check with the store before buying — we do not take part in the transaction.

Can a second-life item be returned or exchanged?

The return policy for second-life items is usually stricter than for new and depends on the country and store. Ask before buying, especially for a large piece. This site handles neither the sale nor the return: we link to the official IKEA offer or page.

Are second-life prices negotiable?

In store, second-life prices are generally fixed and already discounted by condition. Markdowns can happen on items that linger on display. Our barometer publishes the average discount observed versus new: an objective benchmark to judge whether an offer is really worthwhile.

Why does the reference new price change by country?

IKEA sets prices per market (currency, taxes, local catalogue). The same reference can therefore have a different new price — and sometimes a different name, description or image — from one country to another. We always localise the reference new price and the buy link to the region you selected, for a fair comparison.