Amazon's shipping delays and confusing communication

I ordered the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE on December 27, 2024, with an estimated delivery date of January 11. By January 8, it still hadn’t shipped. After struggling to contact Amazon, I was assured they would "sort it out"—which meant delaying my order by over two weeks to January 27, with no explanation or notification (after multiple attempts at ascertaining the cause of the delay). I needed this tablet for an important exam, and I specifically chose it based on the estimated delivery date. Repeated attempts to get real answers led to the same generic response: "Sorry for the delay, but there’s nothing we can do." When I asked to escalate the issue, I was told it was "above my limitations" and the chat was closed. Amazon promised a shipping refund in February, but after another tedious attempt to contact them in Feb, I was told that was incorrect and Amazon "does not offer refunds." How can you promise a refund and then tell me you don't do refunds?This experience has been frustrating beyond words. Amazon lacks transparency, has poor customer service, and makes it nearly impossible to resolve basic issues. If you need something on time, don’t trust their estimated delivery dates. Their customer support feels like it is designed to wear you down, and they seem to thrive on making complaints so difficult that people give up. Is that why you don't really see negative reviews? Shall we rather stick to Takealot in South Africa or even the cheaper new e-commerce companies?