Just when you thought life couldn’t get any worse . . .

Today I received a very cryptic email from IKEA FAMILY stating:

“We wanted to let you know that on 1 September 2016, we’re changing some of the benefits of the IKEA FAMILY membership program.”

There’s no information at all regarding what the changes are. Nothing. Intrigued by this mystery I waded through my old IKEA FAMILY collateral, and the only change I can see is . . . no more free coffee at the cafeteria.

I tried contacting IKEA for comment, but no response. All other aspects of the program appear to be intact. The product discounts, insurance & returns benefits, charity donation, and the chance to win a $250 gift card each week are all still there.

The IKEA email appears to be more about ticking off a legal requirement than being open and transparent with IKEA FAMILY members. For a free program which already delivers incredibly little value, the removal of free coffee is a bitter taste indeed.