Active since Apr 2022
We were loyal and happy customers for our three pets until the recent change in ownership from Prof Hartman to the TAH chain. The vets were always compassionate, kind and helpful - as were the wonderful reception staff. After a most unfortunate incident with the Practice Manager, we moved to another vet. Last Wednesday, our 14-year-old cat had a stroke and we took our vet to TAH as an emergency because our new vet was in surgery and could not see her. By the time I arrived, my husband had been in the waiting room with our poor cat fitting in her box - for almost 40 minutes. He had been told that the wait time was 15 minutes. In the meantime, another patient arrived with their puppy and was seen because they had a scheduled appointment. The reception staff were completely disengaged from us - one was happily singing along to the Christmas songs that were being played as background music and this did not smack of much empathy to our situation. We were completely distraught. We eventually phoned Hakuna Matata vet who were able to accommodate us within 15 minutes, and our beloved Kit Kat was helped on her way across the Rainbow Bridge with the kindness, dignity and compassion that she deserved. We believe that she needlessly suffered during her time in the waiting room at TAH and that is just unacceptable. If they could not see us within a reasonable time frame, they should have advised us to go elsewhere. The question of how good a vet and the practice is comes down to how they react during moments of crisis and emergency - no matter how much you spend at a practice, no matter how good a customer you are buying expensive pet food and products from a vet, no matter how lovely the staff and vets are during scheduled appointments - it's the times of crisis that are the true measure.
We found the Fynbossie website on-line and loved the look of their furniture - so much so that we took a trip to visit their new showroom in Kuils River. We liked what we saw and thought it was very reminiscent of Ikea/Scandinavian style and looked good quality. We bought over R30,000 of furniture which required a hefty 70% deposit. Our first misunderstanding was the lead time - we understood it to be around 3/4 weeks when in actual fact it was more like 6/7. So - take care in reading the small print, because unless you can remember exactly who you spoke to, on which day, at which time, your misunderstanding will be viewed as nothing less than ridiculous. To cut a long story short - we did eventually receive our furniture and we were less than impressed with the quality. Unfinished paintwork, runners that don't run smoothly and a customised order in the wrong colour, delivered late. When the customised order did arrive it just looked like a tragic hospital trolley. Seriously, it was bad. Those wheels don't even turn properly! It's all about quality control. It just didn't happen with our order. Fynbossie offered to make good the mishaps with our furniture, but the reality was that we were so sick and tired of the waiting, mistakes and fractious discussions with the owner that we just threw in the towel, preferring just to live with it. To add insult to injury, we saw the same table that we bought (and had hospitalised with the wheels) in both PEP and Builder's Warehouse - so a unique design, it was not. Sorry, Bianca - we so wanted to love Fynbossie.
Sophies Footwear South Africa is a complete con. I ordered a pair of shoes of shoes which on the website said that a) they were orthopaedic b) made from suede leather and c) would be delivered within 15 - 20 days. All of this is fiction. Firstly, the shoes are being manufactured in China and sent to you from there. The only South African connection is the forwarding courier company in Jo'burg. The shoes took almost 5 weeks to arrive - I had to chase up on delivery, and this is when I found out that they were coming from China - not a local SA company who I would have liked to have supported. The interaction online is all sweetness and light, promising you delivery times and assuring you of their best attention. It is a myth. The reality is that they regularly sanitise the comments on their FB to remove any critical comments or questions and I doubt the validity of many of these FB accounts who wax lyrical about the company. My shoes arrived yesterday and I only wish that I could share the photos - they were NOTHING like the beautiful advert on their website. They are made from horrible faux suede - not leather. There is zero orthopaedic support inside and the base is such cheap lightweight plastic that they would blow away if left outside in a gale. On top of that, they are so ugly - nothing like the product advertised. I contacted Sophies Footwear to let them know, and again, they are full of apologies, sweetness and light - but make no mistake, this is a company who know exactly what they are doing to con you out of your R600 + footwear. DMs are always replied to in the middle of the night - China timezone. I am sure that some people may have received products that they were happy with, but I do not think that this is a reputable company worth taking a gamble with. I feel completely conned - it's companies like this who give other South African online companies a bad rap. Steer well clear of Sophies Footwear - invest in some Green Cross shoes or something from Mr Price - the latter are better quality than the rubbish from Sophies.
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