ARC Clearwater - Mispriced Mix Up + Very Poor Service

Dear ARC Store I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my utter disappointment and frustration regarding a recent experience with your branch at Clearwater Mall. I believe it is crucial to bring this matter to your attention in order to seek a resolution and ensure fair treatment for all customers.

On 23rd June 2023, just after 7PM, My partner and I visited your store and where we wanted to purchase a FOREO Luna Mini 3. Upon looking at the product, we enquired with the shop assistant Portia, which she advised that the price was on the product, R299.00, upon scanning the product, she advised that the price is R2699.00. She than advised us that she cannot override the system to give us the price on the item which was R299.00, as the manger was NOT in store, we were than told to come in on Monday when the manager would be present. We agreed, however we wanted to take a picture of the item with the price as we saw it as proof. At this point Portia removed the price of the product and did not allow us to take a picture of what we saw. She said that she would be present and would keep the product aside for us on Monday when we came to speak to the manager. We were not happy with this as we felt that we were not allowed to take the picture. The lady at the till along with Portia advised us that, there was nothing that they could do, and we should write our name and contact number in their book, however, it felt fitting that I wrote all the events that occurred, while doing so, the ladies reacted in a frustrated manner and proceeded to communicated in their own language which we felt was disrespectful and unprofessional.

As a Doctor, I had to move my appointments to make time to come to the store as advised by Portia, however on Monday morning, I received a called from Portia stating that the manager was not in today, to not waste my time to come into the store. This was highly inconvenient and quiet shocking for there to be NO manager present (especially this being a new store), where staff are incapable of handling and addressing customer concerns and issues.

I was Not contacted by the manager at all the rest of the week. due to my work commitments, my partner went to the store 01st July 2023, where he was noticed by the lady at the till, were before assisting him, she spoke to Ntombi in their own language before addressing my partner, which once again I find this to be very disrespectful and unprofessional in front of customers.

Ntombi, than came to speak to him to address the matter, where he asked if she was the manager, she said yes and then the same thing, that she could not adjust the price to what was on the product. My partner proceeded to explain according to the National Consumer Protection Act, the price displayed on the item is what you pay for the item. He was than given a customer services number on a paper, with a small bag to “give to his wife” , He refused to accept this and advise how unhappy he was with the level of service he received from the store and staff. As Portia and the lady at the till didn’t allow us to take a picture of the product as we saw it, he requested the video footage where Portia stood directly Infront of him, below the camera and removed the price. The constant back and forth on the pricing inconsistency has caused me considerable inconvenience and has shaken my confidence in your company's integrity. It is only right that I am allowed to purchase the product for R299. As seen, see below.

“As per Section 23 of the National Consumer Protection Act” “A supplier must not require a consumer to pay a price for any goods or services: • higher than the displayed price for those goods or services; or • if more than one price is concurrently displayed, higher than the lower or lowest of the prices so displayed.”

I believe that addressing and resolving this issue promptly is essential to maintaining a positive customer-company relationship. I kindly request a response as soon as possible to address the concerns raised. Failure to provide a satisfactory resolution may leave me with no choice but to explore alternative avenues to resolve this matter.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and hope for a swift resolution. I look forward to hearing from you soon and to restoring my faith in your company's commitment to customer satisfaction.