Poor service and unacceptable business practices

Hi,

I purchase a home office desk from Dab Tech & Electronics - order #112435 on 12 May 2021. The product was delivered, however, upon assembling it I found that it was unstable and defective. I made contact with the supplier regarding this through the form on their website, to no response. I then discovered a chat functionality on the website, where I then chatted to one of the admin people, who despite being rude and impatient instructed me to courier the product back to them as they do not collect returns, and advised that I'd be refunded for the courier charges.

I searched the net for reputable courier companies close to me, and the nearest I could find was Post Net. Post net charged a courier charge of R615 due to the weight of the product (about 10kg). Once the item was delivered I made contact with Dab Tech to find out when I would receive a replacement and the process for claiming the courier charges. When they found out the courier charge, all of a sudden I was advised that they can only pay R125 for courier services as the amount incurred was excessive. However, they did not previously advise of this, nor did they recommend preferred suppliers who courier for them for that amount.

I was transferred to the manager who explained to me that it was not their fault that I had a faulty product but the fault of their suppliers, as though I had purchased this item from the supplier instead of them. He also advised that paying me back would lead them to a loss (not sure why that is my concern since they instructed me to courier the item). He said I should have found a cheaper courier company. Note - I was not advise of the limit on the courier charges. I was advised to courier the item myself since they dont do collections. I was told I could recoup the courier costs.

Now all of a sudden, I'm told they could have fetched the item from me. But I wasnt advised on this.

This morning I was advised that they are only willing to pay half of the courier charges. This means I am at a loss for R300 due to their poor service.

It is unrealistic for them to have expected that I as an individual (not a business that regularly uses a courier service) could find a courier company to transport a >10kg item for less than R125.

I am not happy with their service and feel cheated out of my money.

I do not recommend them.