Deep Disappointment with Misleading Pricing and Poor Service from Chamdor Faktry Sales

To Whom It May Concern,

I write this note with deep regret and disappointment, after what has been a long history of satisfaction and loyalty with Chamdor Faktry Sales. As a customer who has repeatedly chosen and recommended your business over many years — particularly for custom-made curtains — it is unfortunate that my most recent experience has not only fallen short of expectations, but has left me feeling misled, disregarded, and completely let down.

Having relocated from Johannesburg to the Western Cape, I was reassured by the knowledge that Chamdor supports online and remote orders with the same attentiveness and professionalism I had come to know from in-person interactions at your branches. Regrettably, this proved not to be the case.

My recent attempt to place a custom curtain order was marred by confusion, inexperience, untimely delays and ultimately, a lack of transparency. After initially liaising with a senior staff member, I was handed over to a new and evidently inexperienced salesperson named Tally. Despite providing her with detailed measurements and specifications -- information I also provided to your competitors -- the quote she returned (R19,000 for 12 curtains) seemed attractively low. Encouraged by this pricing, I increased my order to 17 curtains. Suddenly, the quote more than tripled to an implausible R56,000 for the additional five curtains - without a coherent explanation.

After several unproductive exchanges, I scaled back to the original 12-curtain order - only to be told the new quote was now R31,000. The reasoning: the original quote had not included the necessary fullness or gathering required for proper curtaining - a fundamental element in curtain making. This critical oversight speaks directly to the inexperience of the staff member and highlights a lack of internal checks and balances that should exist for custom orders.

Worse still, at no point did this salesperson escalate the matter to a supervisor, nor was any effort made to restore trust or offer a meaningful resolution. Instead, I received a curt message wishing me “all the best in my future endeavours” - a dismissive and rather inappropriate gesture, particularly when I am now left with an unfurnished home, no product, and immense frustration.

I am disheartened that a company I once spoke so highly of, and to which I referred others, could allow such a breakdown in professionalism and accountability. This is not just a case of poor customer service - it is a cautionary tale of what happens when businesses fail to properly train their front-line representatives and fail to uphold their standards across all platforms, especially remote ones.

Let this serve as a reference of caution to your management and potential customers alike: when placing online or telephonic orders through Chamdor, ensure that you are working with an experienced consultant - especially for customised products. One bad interaction, unfortunately, can erase years of goodwill.

I do hope Chamdor reflects seriously on the implications of this experience - not only on individual customers like myself, but on the long-term reputation of your brand. Reputation matters!

Sincerely, Terry Booysen

A Former Loyal Customer