Bad service

Hello Piet

Two weeks ago, my husband and I purchased a T-shirt from Bogart, Cape Town, Century City which cost +/- R3000. We bought the T-shirt for an occasion that was going to take place on the 22/01/2021.

When we were on our way to the occasion I noticed that the T-shirt was torn a bit closer to the buttons “see picture”. We then decided to take the garment the following day. I told my husband not to wash it so that the shop does not assume or say things like: “maybe it was torn during washing”

When we arrived at bogart we were informed that the head office is refusing to exchange the garment as they said that it is impossible to sell us a product with a defect. However, they are willing to send it to their tailor and the Company will pay.

We did not have a problem and were asked to wait for at least an hour. We shopped around, came back and we were told that the salesperson was waiting for our go ahead as the tailor had advised that the stitch will be visible. We Informed them to go ahead and fix it. We were asked to wait another 30min.

We waited for the 30min and when we came back it was a different salesman that attended us. A Xhosa guy to be specific. He started singing a different tune from the 1st guy asking my husband to pay the tailor as they will not be paying and we should wait another 30min. I went to ask what was going on as I saw my husband giving him money.

When I asked him why are they making us pay after they have specifically informed us that the Company will pay. His response was verbatim “First of all, you brought a T-shirt with stains. We don’t exchange dirty clothes.. it is impossible that we sold you a torn T-shirt………I allowed him to speak as it was clear that he had a lot to say. By this time customers were looking at us.

I then asked him, what was the point of us being asked to wait an hour and 30min for a T-shirt to be sent to a tailor that we will pay from our pockets. Why were we not told that Bogart is not going to entertain our complaint about an hour and 30min ago. His response was because it is their garment and has to go to their tailor. I told him what he was saying did not make sense as we purchased the garment, which means it was our property. If we were told that they could not assist us. We would have taken it to our own tailor and not wait an hour and 30min for their tailor to fix it.

At this time he was talking on top of me and informed us that what ever decision they convey are made by the head office.

I asked them if they know that they wasted our time. We could’ve done a lot of things in that hour, 30min. Instead we waited for a garment that could not be fixed. While I was talking, he started rolling his eyes and I told him that whether he rolled his eyes on me or not. It was not going to change the fact that they had inconvenienced us. The first salesman told us that he will pay the tailor. My husband informed them that he will pick it up the next day.

At around 19:15pm, we received a phone call from Bogart stating that their tailor has informed them that he/she will not be able to do garment as it will crease after it has been stitched. Mind u during the day we were told that he/she was busy with the garment. They told us that they will be sending it to the head office to be inspected. The same head office that initially said it is impossible that we were sold a garment with such defect.

No one apologised about the wasted time we were asked to wait for this garment. Instead we were treated like second class citizens. I know that we might be a grain in the sand when it comes to Bogart’s customers. However, the Company has lost a client. We thought the Company pride it’s self with quality and good service. However, when one gets such defects and service. One has to break the relationship and moves to a Company that respects its customers and not make them feel like they have done something wrong by asking relevant questions.

They are very civil with you when you bring money to them but treat you like second class citizens when that very same product has a defect.