Be careful - your clothing return may be rejected without any management interaction if "the warehouse" at Superbalist.com decides it smells like perfume.

Recently, I have had an experience with Superbalist.com that has totally warned me off purchasing from them again. I have been buying from them for over 10 years and during this entire time, not a single return I made, has been rejected.

Recently, I returned two clothing items (1 x pants and 1 x dress from the two respective orders) in the same box. The return of the dress was rejected by Superbalist.com on the basis that it was “not in saleable condition due to perfume scent.” I categorically deny spraying perfume on the garment or wearing any while trying it on. The dress was tried on briefly indoors and returned with swing tag intact. I have the photographs as proof of this, but how does one proof "scent"?

During a recorded call, I requested escalation to a manager and was assured the matter would be escalated. Instead, I received repeated email responses stating that “the warehouse advised” the item was unsellable. No member of management ever engaged with me directly.

I requested that a manager explain to me how they could objectively assess scent as part of their standard operating procedure, but never received any meaningful engagement from the Superbalist.com team.

Even after I specifically indicated (to one of the several fashion assistants who only responded with the same system generated email) that I would on principal not take receipt of the dress despite their refusal to refund me, they sent it back with Dawn Wing (Superbalist has always delivered to me through takealot transport), the sender a private name (no indication of the Superbalist on waybill) in a takealot box with a large red "Fragile" sticker on.

This complaint is not about the money (it was a sale item), but about the way the process was handled and the risk involved in buying from Superbalist.com. My profile with Superbalist.com will show dozens of clothing items purchased each year - why has not a single item been rejected based on perfume scent before? Is this a new policy or change of management that suddenly gives warehouse assistants the power to reject an item based on something that cannot be proved? Lastly, I opened the box with the dress this morning - honestly, it smells like new fabric to me. But how can I prove that, right? And that is exactly why I won't buy from them again. Fortunately, this was a sale item, but it may just as well have been a R2K Mango dress, so I would rather be safe than sorry.