Disappointing Customer Service

I’m writing this review not to tarnish the company’s reputation but because I feel a moral obligation to share my honest experience so that others can make informed decisions and hopefully so the company will take this feedback to heart and improve its customer service and processes.

I recently spent over R24,000 on a product, paid upfront via EFT after being reassured on a sales call that the unit would be in pristine condition, delivered quickly (between Monday and Wednesday), include a charging cable and come with a proper invoice.

While I am happy with the quality of the product itself everything else about the experience left me frustrated, anxious and disappointed.

From the moment I made payment, I did not receive any written email confirmation that my proof of payment had been received. I had to follow up via WhatsApp to confirm that the transaction had gone through. During this process, inappropriate comments were made about my money being used for a “Mauritius holiday” which I found completely unprofessional given the amount I had paid.

Communication was not proactive at any point. I had to initiate every follow-up myself to get updates on the status of my purchase. Later in the week on the final day of the promised delivery window I was suddenly informed that I needed to pay extra for delivery and insurance, costs which were never disclosed prior to payment. This was extremely disappointing as I had assumed these basic costs would be covered by the company especially on a transaction of this size. I even offered to collect the unit personally to avoid any delivery or insurance issues but sadly that offer was declined.

Only after I asked for a refund did the company suddenly move with urgency, agreeing to cover the delivery and insurance which amounted to less than R800 (a mere fraction of what I had spent). This could have been handled upfront with transparency, saving a lot of frustration.

To make matters worse, I was later informed (after paying in full) that no charging cable would be included despite assurances on the sales call. I’ve since had to buy my own Apple-approved charger for over R500 from the iStore. I also still have not received an invoice with the excuse being that their hosting system was down which I find unacceptable, as a simple document could easily have been issued manually.

The overall tone of communication made me feel undervalued and dismissed as a customer. At no point did I feel like the company took responsibility or initiative in keeping me informed. Instead, I was made to feel as though I had to manage the process myself from start to finish.

While I was originally going to leave a one-star review, I’m giving two stars because the product quality is excellent. However, the customer experience fell far short of what I would expect from any business especially one handling high-value purchases.

My sincere hope is that this feedback is taken constructively. Transparency, proactive communication and professionalism are vital to building trust with customers. Unfortunately, this experience has cost the company a potential long term, loyal customer.

If you’re considering buying from this business my advice would be to proceed with caution and make sure all terms, costs and expectations are confirmed in writing before making payment.