Customers angry when Ikea gives away promotion early - New York News | NYC Breaking News

Dozens showed up early to a valley Ikea Saturday morning in hopes of walking away with a $250 giftcard.

But, they quickly found out they weren't the only ones hoping for a freebie.

According to Ikea in Tempe, the special promotion was meant to celebrate the grand re-opening of their marketplace location.

However, chants of unhappy customers could be heard from outside the store.

"We had well over 100 people that showed up early this morning," said Kelly Frieze, the Tempe store manager.

Frieze says customers came and went after they got their giftcards, some as high as $250 worth.

So what were all of these people lined up for?

"At 7:30 a.m. the lot was empty so I was like, 'Oh, wow that's great, nobody's here, I'll be the first one in line'," said Brigitte Jabbaar, an Ikea customer.

This according to radio ads, and even the Ikea website, the give away was supposed to happen at 9:30 a.m.

The first 100 in line at 9:30 a.m. would be rewarded, but those who started lining up two hours ahead of time had their bubble burst: the promotion was over early.

"We have shopped here, we've been here, we like the store...now we hate the store because they didn't do what they said they were going to do," said Cole Gibson, an Ikea customer.

"They have no explanation, the only thing they want to do is threaten to throw me out of the store," said Nicole Radford, an Ikea customer.

So what is the explanation? why didn't the store wait to give them out at 9:30 a.m. As advertised?    

"We didn't see a need to continue to make people-- plus additional people who weren't gonna get a gift card because they were here after the first 100 people-- so we felt there's no reason to have them continue to wait," said Frieze.

These customers told FOX 10 if that logic applies, go ahead and give them the free items slated to be handed out to the first 50 in line tomorrow.

They're already in line after all, and Ikea could save them the trouble of waiting, too.

"What are the rules like if you're going to play a board game, like monopoly, tell me what the rules are so I can play," said Craig Patterson, an Ikea customer.