EV
Edwina O
Active since May 2018
13
Reviews
0
Industries
Reviews
13 reviews10 months ago
High and continuous interest rates from Pep Stores.
I have a current account with Pep Stores that was dormant for some time. In April I purchased candy worth R86.00 and they immediately send me an SMS telling me to pay my installment of R35.00 by the 30th of April 2025. I got sick and was in hospital so I asked my daughter to please pay for me. Unfortunately, it was already the 8th of May and they took the payment but added charges to it which I realised when I went to the store after my release in Hibberdene where they promptly told me that my account was blocked and I must pay R75.00 immediately then go home and phone Head Office to unblock my account which was done. On the 6th of June I went to Hibberdene for the amount of R209.98 then to Shelley Beach to get a top - R226.86. The full amount was R436.84. A couple of days later I received another reminder to pay before the 30th of June 2025 R70.00 installment, When I worked this out, their interest is appauling. Really? I decided to pay the amount in full so that I do not have to get SMS's every month reminding me to pay BEFORE the 30th R70.00 besides I am not willing to pay R300 odd on interest just for so little money. I spent my ENTIRE DAY ON THE PHONE WITH THEM, CANNOT GET A MANAGER, THEY JUST IGNORE MY REQUEST. They told me on the phone from Head Office this morning TWICE with two different individuals the I owe R450.36. My friend had to go to the shop so I request that he pays the amount as I received it from Head Office. He came back with a slip to tell me that I now owe them a further R9.99. I called Head Office again to find out why this is a running interest obviously because between 11h00 and 16h00 when I spoke to this lady Jennifer where did the R9.99 come from. She kept repeating this is what my computer tells me. I lost my cool, was VERY, VERY rude with her and yelled at her that they do not know what they are doing in that place and then apologised for my behaviour. I asked her for a statement to be sent to my e-mail adress as I never received any statement from them whatsoever. Just reminders. And she apologised but she will send the e-mail within 48 hours. I was furious by then and told her I would not pay a penny more on that stupid account and that they can take me to court for that because at this rate by the time I get there tomorrow will be another R10 or R20 or R30 extra. I always received good and fast action from your group. Please can any of your wonderful staff try to get to a manager at Pep Head Office and sort this out for me please. I am a pensioner and cannot afford to keep on paying. It is just not fair. We can hard pay rent and eat never mind pay and pay and keep on paying on something like this. I look forward to feedback from you. Thank you kindly for your assistance. Regards Edwina Green.
0 replies
14 months ago
Bad After-sales service at OK Furnishers
I am a SASSA pensioner who lives in KZN and my daughter bought me a new fridge on HP at OK Furnishers in Fish hoek, Cape Town in the first week of January 2025. The lady Crystal (do not know her surname) was very helpful and she contacted Port Shepstone who in turn delivered the new fridge to my address quite promptly. After approximately 12 days it became clear that there was a problem with the freezer compartment on the fridge as it started icing up at a very fast rate. I immediately contacted my daughter who in turn took it up with Crystal, the consultant she dealt with in Fish Hoek. Crystal was extremely rude, she said "it is no longer her problem but Port Shepstone's and promptly put the phone down while my daughter was still talking to her. So she called Port Shepstone who said they will send a technician to assess and correct the problem, which they did in a couple of days. When they arrived at my door, he said he has to replace the seal as it is a factory fault and he could not repair it as he had to come and check the model first (Defy) and will call me the next day before 9am to set a time with me for repairs. About a week later, I thought I better let my daughter know as she is the one who has all the paperwork that OK Furnishers still did not come back to me. Again after her calling yet again and struggling to get OK Furnishers to pick up a phone, never mind getting hold of a Manager, she threatened to report them. Suddenly, they could immediately find the time to call me and tell me that they would deliver another fridge to me the next day and they will call before 10am to confirm. Shortly after I received a call from the Service Manager at Defy who wanted to know if that afternoon would be convenient for me as he just received the new seal for the freezer. I was upset because obviously communications broke down between OK Furnishers and Defy. When I told him about the new fridge coming he said it is fine, if they organised it, it is no problem at all. The next morning at 09h45 the Manager called to ask if the delivery could me made on the Monday (today) as it was raining. I said it was fine with me. To make a long story short, they delivered another fridge but it took a lot of promises not kept and OK Furnishers not keeping us in the loop as to what was happening for anything to happen. I would advise anyone who wants to purchase ANYTHING on HP at OK Furnishers to think twice about it as their after-sales service is definitely not up to par. Very disappointed with their service but Defy was great.
0 replies
17 months ago
Escalating consumer products
As a person who always support this retailer, I find that food and other item prices increased on a weekly basis, not only at this store but others as well such as Pick 'n Pay. I appreciate the fact that that these products have to be transported and there are always middlemen to be paid before it reaches the shelves but really, the middle class and poor people cannot afford to buy food at the rate these prices that escalated so much and continuously in 2024 and I am sure that 2025 will not be much better. A lot of perishables such as milk go sour way before the expiration date as well as bread and to the consumer it is a massive loss, especially Sassa pensioners and poor people. We are all equal and our rights should also be considered. I have personally noticed EVERY WEEK that prices continue to go up - sometimes as much as R10 or more per item. That is not acceptable. We all need to survive and surely even on pensioners, usually 4 - 15% discounts varying from store to store and on certain days, I noticed that some stores, when you go for weekly items, that they put signs on a certain product as "on special" but the price is the same as the week before. I think that people should stand up and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I hope someone will listen to the people's cry for help, especially with the high unemployment rate and the meagre pensioners payment in this country.
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24 months ago
Very, very, very BAD SERVICE!!!!!
We are now 21 days without water and no answers or water in sight. This is the longest it's been off. We normally have three days to four every week without water and when you get you must wash and shower as much as you can before they cut it again. This time however, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I saw a van and asked the man on Monday and he said the water would be on at 16h00 on Monday. This is now Friday and still nothing. Mother's day with a dirty body and no water. We may as well live in a squatter camp. The service is absolutely appalling and the heat is unbearable. I do not have their e-mail address. I will enter this on facebook so the world can see how wonderful we live in South Africa.
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24 months ago
Ugu municipality and health department
We are now two weeks without water which is totally inhumane. I am a Sassa pensioner and cannot afford to keep on buying water and carry in buckets water for the toilet and to wash my body. I have to go stand outside under the Jojo bent over wash my hair. No, this is not acceptable. The hospital in Port Shepstone is appauling, no medicine and we cannot afford to buy our expensive medicine. They just ignore you and the staff does the same. The laugh and chat and when you need them you get this faceless expression and you get short responses if any from most of the staff. Absolutely unacceptable. I worked me whole life for just such an event should it happen and I would at least get my medication. What a joke. We may as well go back to the old ages.
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24 months ago
Water situation at Ugu Municipality
Since I moved here, without knowing the situation, I discovered that EVERY WEEK the water is off for three or four days. It is now day 9, This is not humane and something has to be done about it. Really, You just have to buy water, water, water and more water to drink and cook with. I have long hair and have to stand under the Jojo for approximately 45 minutes just to wash and rinse my hair and often I do not even get all the shampoo out. I am an old woman of 66 and struggle to stand bent over like that for so long. I can hardly walk and THEN I have to take water in a container to go wash myself inside. I have to stand and wash by hand with my arthritis hands. OK that is not their fault. I had to sell my washing machine because I cannot afford the electricity and needed the money for food because due to circumstances not under my control I am a Sassa pensioner and that is my only income. I stay in a small room in people's yard and even had to give my companion away just to get a room to stay in. The circumstances for the majority of old people and the little bit of money we get is absolutely appauling and then we ALWAYS get paid between the second the 5or 6th of each month. We also have to live. We worked all our lives for a decent retirement and this is what you get, not to mention the hospitals which is so filthy that it cannot be called a hospital, the staff in KZN is especially rude and unhelpful and you are lucky if you get all your medicine. I am a high risk and INR patient. I go to hospital at 03h00 in the morning and I am lucky to get to the pharmacy before they close and then I'm told to come back the next day for my medication. I cannot afford it and I believe the hospital is in Port Shepstone, 23km away. I have not been to this hospital yet but was taken to the clinic which took us about 40 minutes to get to and they were rude but told me to go to the hospital in Port Shepstone, they do not have the medication I need for my heart, lung, BP and Lord knows what else including the Warfarin I must take for the rest of my life. They did however give me antibiotics because I had a lung infection and then they would not take me back with the ambulance - they said there was no ambulances although they were sitting in the ambulance right outside laughing and enjoying themselves. Seeing as they had no bed for me I lay down on the floor until another ambulance came in and they transferred me back to my lodgings. I don't smoke (never did) and my lungs are in bad shape due to secondary smoke and I do not drink (not that would be able to afford it if I did). The government accommodation have waiting lists of up to five years, by then I'm probably dead. I was lucky to get this outhouse and I share it with a long time friend who is also a Sassa pensioner with no other income but he can help me when I fall which is a lot. Together we struggle from day to day, We live on pasta, pap and rice. We cannot afford vegetables or meat. And then Hibberdene s****line is littered with **** artists who have cheap rooms to share with other people, you must do you own washing by hand as I do know and you have to make your own food. They do not want to take you anywhere and to take you to the shops for Sassa payouts (2km at most) they charge you R75. This situation should be addressed urgently. Us old people never expected this kind of behavior by people when they retired. I hope some company have contacts who can try to make life better for old people. We do not deserve to be treated like that. Thank you. Good day.
0 replies
29 months ago
Loadshedding
Good morning. I think by now you must have received thousands of complaints on the subject of loadshedding. I don't know about the other regions but KZN do what they want when it comes to loadshedding schedules. It is bad enough that the government did not maintain the existing power stations so that loadshedding became a way of life in South Africa. As a Sassa Pensioner I cannot replace my electronics when they break because of loadshedding. We get a schedule yes, so that one might at least try to switch off things in order to keep them from being damaged, but they don't always, often it just goes off whenever. I am busy with washing and suddenly the power goes off. A week ago my fridge broke down, I bought it second hand and previously it also broke and I had to go with the cheapest and the first one said it was working and after he left it was still not working and I could not get a hold of him. The second said he needed parts so I had to give him money for the parts and he disappeared with my money. The third time was lucky and it worked and I could not eat for a month and nobody wants to help with food parcels, they never have any food here. Then my fan broke and on a hot day AND loadshedding I feel like I want to die. Because of all this and I cannot afford to have my fridge repaired again, I simply do not have the money and the government will not repair my fridge or get me a new fan because it is not their fault. So who is responsible I ask? The previous government ran like clockwork because they maintained the existing power stations. So no cold water to drink and no fan. SASSA pensioners can not buy on HP, rightly so because I simply cannot pay any monthly installments and unless one have a sponsor to get into a decent old age home or have money set aside we can hardly live. I myself am now a vegan living on soup, rice or pap. We can no longer afford meat or vegetables and if we do not share in a small wendy or cotttage we cannot pay rent or eat a meagre meal once a day. If you want a food parcel it is forms to fill in and at the end of the day they say they have no food now and you never hear from them again. We are so malnourished that the clinic has to give us vitamins. Come on people, have a heart, all old people worked hard and I think we deserve at least a decent small place to stay which is affordable and you have your privacy and have your little cat or small doggie and still live. We are now mostly vegans like myself because that is all we can afford. We can no longer afford meat or vegetables and if we do not share in a small wendy or cotttage we cannot pay rent either and there are hundreds if not thousands of us. Just read on Facebook - there is a group called pensioners and you will read similar stories. When I go to the clinic which I have to do and I get a lift from a friend at 3am (believe me most people do not like to take someone anywhere at 3am) so that I can see the doctor first then I get out about 10h00 the patients talk amongst each other and all have similar situations with the exception of a few. I cannot drive anymore - doctors orders as I may have a heart attack, black out or have a stroke behind the wheel and endanger other people (not that I have a car anymore) so it is difficult to get to the clinic. I have serious health problems and I am on Warfarin for life so I have to go twice at 3am, once for the blood sample and the next to see the doctor for the results and to get medication . Now homeowners take advantage of the situation and just slap in a sink, a ****py shower and maybe one cupboard in the kitchen and bob's your uncle - there is exception of course where people go to the trouble of making it more comfortable but they charge astronomical prices for these these little rentals in the backyard and you cannot take your companion (a little dog or cat). In KZN you do not get any stoves already installed like in Gauteng, no, you have to buy your own and then they call it a "cottage". Average price is approximately R5500 per month (sometimes water and lights included). Sometimes you are lucky and get a cottage for R4000 but still have to pay water and lights. Some people really want to help and make their outside rooms or garage really comfortable but it still comes down to money. I understand the electricity rates are so high that most are forced to use their outside room or whatever to afford to pay their electricity. There is Government housing but some have a waiting list of up to five years, by then I already passed on. I myself worked most of my life and paid my taxes like all working people and in turn the government will assist in reasonable housing schemes and still help with taking you to the clinic and give you 3 meals a day or even just one meal a day when you reach retirement. Now that is only a myth for SASSA pensioners. Only good old age homes are doing things like that nowadays but only if you can afford it like rich people or people who saved for their old age. I myself thought I was investing my little pension because I was not the breadwinner and was ****med out of it and I hear a lot of stories like my own. I am on my own now and I only get my SASSA pension. I see many people are now coming forward trying to better our lives and we THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, I hope I will still live to see it. Good day to all. I hope they will not come and cart me off to jail because I spoke my mind. Till next time and to the people at Hellopeter a blessed Christmas for you and yours.
0 replies
31 months ago
Food Industry review
My apologies to Save Hyper, it was Usave actually, hey are in raisethorpe Pietermaritzburg. My sincere apologies again, if you would forward it to them I would appreciate it again. I shop there because I am a pensioner and cannot afford expensive food. However their prices are or par with most outlets they have many other products that is much cheaper. Except for meat which I cannot afford anywhere unless I go to shoprite who caterers for 2 persons. They however is not as cheap as usave. I had caused a commosion last Saturday morning when I got there and I only wanted 1 or 2 loose naartjies because they are now going out of season and I have a very small budget. I NEVER buy any other fresh products from them, especially those already prepacked because my lift has to take me further for me to shop there. The majority of those fruits and veggies are so cheap but when you get home and open the container or bag you find you have to throw most of them away because they hide the rotten ones in a way that it looks edible and fresh on the outside but when you open it, it is rotten so that is a waste of money. Last Saturday when I got to the veggie department which is first there was nobody, now I cannnot stand for long because I have osteoporosis very badly and had a back operation but many other things went wrong, I was in ICU for a month and are now a high risk. Now even though I have a licence I am not allowed to drive because I am in danger of having a heart attack or stroke behind the wheel. I am a high risk patient, they won't even pull a tooth because I am on Warfarin for the rest of my life. So I put my cane in the car and lean on it for support. So I waited and waited and waited and after a while I yelled "hello - anybody here to help?" - no response, so I waited some more and then lost it because everybody just ignored more, so I yelled at the top of my voice "helllo will somebody please help, still nothing so I walked to the closest teller and asked for the Manager because there is nobody in the "fresh produce section" to help". The service then turned around and the Manager and the teller ran around to get a price, offered to put my naartjies in a bag and weigh it for me". They asked me if I needed to sit down but I have to keep moving because there are no chairs and I have a trolley for support. The Manager - she said to call her 'V' ran to get me a water (on the house) and offered repeatedly if she can get one of her staff to help me with my shopping. Now that embarrass me because I look for the cheapest prices and of I have to put things back at the till, so I told her I was fine. After that they continuously checked on me while I was doing my shopping and as usual the teller was excellent with her assistance. Especially some of the other indian ladies are really outstanding and the service I then received was truly outstanding. I will go there again because they are the cheapest and also the most attentive store I ever shopped at. Thank you for your follow-up and again my apologies but I thing Save Hyper is the same store, only they do not stock for poor people and their prices is really much more expensive. Thanks again. God bless
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32 months ago
Prices going up every week
I have been shopping with Save Hyper now for years and at first (there is always specials) the prices were still reasonable. I noticed since last year (I shop on a weekly basis) that there prices go up EVERY WEEK, not all the prices but most and not just by R1 or R2 per item but from R3 upwards some as much as R10. Even when the petrol price remained stable for a 3 or 4 months, the prices still goes up EVERY WEEK on most items, especially the ones needed the most, the veggies except for potatoes, onions really are expensive and the meat prices is so high only the rich can afford it and I shopped there because I am a Sassa pensioner and when I get a lift I have a sign for old and disabled parking. The staff is outstanding, their services is really good mostly. Sometimes you get one or two who is unhelpful but that is really not the issue here. I cannot shop at any other store except Shoprite Checkers and even their prices is higher than Save Hyper so tell me how are we as pensioners going to live I eat no meat because I cannot afford it and mostly bread (dry because the margarine prices too I cannot afford). Often I found slimy (small packets of frozen veggies) which is all I can afford - one a week and I had to return several items over the course of months because it was rotten or soiled and you do NOT buy fresh vegetables from them, unless you pick them one by one yourself.
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47 months ago
Pep Stores Delivery Service Complaint
I could not go to post a parcel on behalf of a friend as I am an old pensioner and very sickly. The parcel was to be delivered to Pep Stores, Waterfall Mall, KZN. The person who tried to send it phoned me while I was in the shower and I had to and sit naked in the cold in front of my PC to find out the address of Waterfall Pep Stores. They had no list or any knowledge of Waterfall yet they stay in KZN. Where is there list of stores and contact details? I was so angry. I could not even dry myself because I had to do their jobs for them. They call this a SERVICE - in their dreams. After several call it was sent to another branch. I was angry and called head office complaints. To my shame, I swore at the poor woman on the other end of the line and it was not her fault. She listened and tried to help so I told her it was not resolved by being sent to another branch close to the one it was supposed to go to. This ladies name is Naizyoat (I think). This is obviously a problem that has to be adressed by MANAGEMENT because either the staff are NOT trained or not competent to do the work and should be moved elsewhere. Also, I suggest they remove this so-called "SERVICE" because it does not work or alternatively they should jack up their system. Even an old hag like myself will be able to do a better job. In my defense I did apologise to the lady at head office for my appauling language but if you are olf, sick, sitting naked in the cold to try and do someone else's job I am sure you would do the same.
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Review Distribution
5 Star
0 (0%)
4 Star
1 (7.6923076923076925%)
3 Star
0 (0%)
2 Star
2 (15.384615384615385%)
1 Star
10 (76.92307692307692%)