Extremely disappointing experience with Birkenstock South Africa

I am extremely disappointed — and, quite honestly, gutted by the way this entire experience has made me feel — particularly as a loyal customer who has made numerous purchases from the brand. On Friday, when the online sale launched, I placed an order for 1 x Size 5 (Narrow), High-Shine Big Buckle New Beige Arizona, advertised at R2,000. I selected the Size 5 Narrow option and successfully completed the online checkout. A few hours later, I returned to the website intending to purchase a second pair in the same size, colour and fit, only to discover that the price had increased to R3,999. I then checked my order confirmation to verify the details of my original purchase. The order reflected Size 3.5, which was obviously not what I had selected or intended to purchase. Naturally, I wondered whether this could have been a system glitch. I raised this with Nikki when I contacted customer services and spoke to her at length. I explained the situation and asked whether I would be able to exchange the shoes for the Size 5 I had originally selected. During this conversation, Nikki explained that the promotion had ended because the promotional stock had sold out. Given that the price had subsequently increased to R3,999, I repeatedly asked her whether I would have to pay the difference if I exchanged the shoes for the Size 5 I had originally selected. Nikki repeatedly assured me that I would not have to pay the difference, even telling me, “I do this all the time,” and reassuring me that I therefore would not have to pay in the difference. The calls are recorded, and I strongly encourage Birkenstock South Africa to listen to these recordings. They will confirm exactly what was discussed and the assurance that was given to me. Based on what I had been told, I proceeded on the understanding that I was dealing with the Size 5 pair I had ordered. I contacted various branches to locate a Size 5 and have one set aside for the promised exchange. It was only much later that afternoon, when Nikki contacted me again, that I was informed that the order had apparently been captured as Size 3.5 Regular rather than the fit I had selected. I was extremely shocked because, up until that point, I had been operating on the understanding that we were dealing with the Size 5 pair I had ordered. I had not knowingly selected or ordered a Regular fit and had no reason to believe that this was what was being processed. Nikki then advised that the exchange could only be processed without paying a difference for the same shoe reflected on the order. This was extremely frustrating. I had not simply changed my mind after purchasing a sale item. I had selected a specific size and fit, successfully checked out, and contacted customer service precisely because something appeared to be wrong with the order. I had also specifically queried the price difference and had been assured that I would not have to pay it. I also raised the possibility of a system glitch with Agmad when the matter was escalated. There was no real explanation or resolution offered in response to that concern. More broadly, throughout my interactions with customer service, I was left feeling as though the situation was somehow being attributed to an error on my part — almost as though I had selected something incorrectly and was now trying to obtain a pair of shoes at a sale price that was no longer available. I am genuinely gutted by this aspect of the experience. I was not attempting to take advantage of a promotion or obtain something I was not entitled to. I was trying to resolve what appeared to be an issue with an order I had successfully placed, based on what I had selected and what I understood I had purchased. I requested that the matter be escalated and subsequently spoke to Agmad. The exchange was ultimately not honoured without me paying the difference. At that point, I decided I no longer wanted an exchange. I simply requested a refund. Agmad advised that he would process the refund on Friday and said he would try to intercept the courier before the parcel was delivered. I followed up with him again this morning to confirm whether this had been done, only to be told that the refund had still not been processed. During this follow-up, I again asked Agmad to listen to the recorded conversations. He subsequently contacted me and confirmed that he had listened to the conversation and heard Nikki tell me that I could exchange the shoes for “exactly the same shoe” without paying a price difference. Agmad’s position was that Nikki was referring to an exchange for the exact shoe reflected on the order — which, as I was only informed later that afternoon, was apparently a Size 3.5 Regular. He explained that, once the actual shoe on the order was established, the exchange without a price difference would therefore apply to that same Regular-fit shoe, in a Size 5, rather than the Size 5 Narrow that I had originally selected and believed I was dealing with. My concern, however, is that I was not aware that my order had been captured as a Regular fit until Nikki contacted me much later that afternoon. Throughout my earlier interaction with customer service, I was under the genuine impression that we were dealing with the shoe I had selected — the Size 5 Narrow — and this was the basis on which I proceeded to contact branches to locate a Size 5. I therefore explained to Agmad that, given what he had now heard on the recording, I intended to proceed with posting this complaint and asked that the matter be escalated to his line manager or another senior person. I also asked that his line manager please contact me directly, particularly as Agmad himself had been involved in handling the matter. Agmad then advised me that he had already spoken to his line manager that morning about the matter and that she was aware of it. He further explained that I should not expect a call from her because she is not in Customer Service, and that he is the Customer Service Manager and had already dealt with the matter with her. I find this extremely disappointing. Given that Agmad has been directly involved in the handling of my complaint, I believe it is entirely reasonable to request that the matter be reviewed by someone more senior and independent of the initial handling of the complaint. Simply advising me that the matter has already been discussed internally, and that I should not expect to hear from his line manager because she is not in Customer Service, does not give me confidence that my concerns have been independently reviewed. I therefore request that this matter be escalated beyond Agmad to a suitably senior person who can independently review the circumstances, including the recorded conversations. At this stage, the issue is no longer simply about an incorrect order. It is about the repeated inconvenience, conflicting information, assurances that were later contradicted, and promises that have not been followed through. What makes this particularly disappointing is that I am a loyal Birkenstock customer. On the same day, I purchased four other pairs, and this is certainly not my first purchase from the brand. Sadly, this experience is also consistent with a much longer history of service and stock issues, particularly with the Birkenstock Cavendish Square branch. The brand is frequently poorly stocked, sizes are often unavailable, and I have personally waited almost eight months for shoes that were advertised and displayed in-store. There have also been repeated promises that were never fulfilled. I have supported this brand repeatedly, but there comes a point where loyalty should not mean continually having to tolerate poor service. I don't want an exchange anymore, and I certainly don't want a favour or a handout. I simply expect my refund to be processed as promised and this matter brought to an end. The recorded calls speak for themselves — and now Agmad has confirmed that he has heard the assurance I was given. I strongly encourage Birkenstock South Africa to listen to the recordings themselves before forming any conclusion about what happened. For a premium brand, the standard of customer service should be just as premium. Unfortunately, my experience has been anything but. I think “gutted” works here, particularly because you've been a loyal customer and the complaint isn't simply about the R2,000—it’s about how the whole interaction made you feel and the lack of confidence you now have in the way the matter has been handled.