DISGUSTING TREATMENT BY MANAGEMENT KOMATI BUCO

Buco Komatipoort and absolute JOKE!!

As a Lodge owner nearby we always have running repairs to deal with, unfortunately it is often found that the limited amount or no stock is available of essential items. Due to our location do not have many hardware stores in our area so we end up spending tens of thousands of RANDS at Buco. I had a terrible experience in October as i needed to purchase replacement taps for one of our units. I went into Town 30 kms away, asked for assistance and eventually a sales person arrived. I then selected the ones most similar to what we have and returned to install. Not been a plumber I had no idea that there are different size fittings, which was also never mentioned by the sales person. (training might be a good idea as they advise the public). I could only return to town a few days later, when entering the store I asked at the till point a very helpful young man) if i could get some assistance on returning the item and replacing with the correct size. There was a woman who seemed to be a supervisor as he turned to her and she just shrugged her shoulders and blatantly rep**** NO IT IS OPEN AND WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING THAT IS OPEN. I then politely asked to speak to manager of the store and was told she was out and would be back in 15 minutes. I asked if they could have the manager wait for me as i will return in fifteen minutes to run a few errands but due to been on a tight schedule i will be back in fifteen minutes. Upon returning to the store (exactly fifteen minutes later) i asked whether the manager was back. I was told that she was but she was now in a meeting. With my blood starting to boil over I asked that she be called as no mention that she would be going into any meeting when coming back, I was then told that she was with a Rep and I would have to wait until she was finished, to which my response was absolutely not as a customer i am certainly more important than a Rep, to which once again shoulders were just shrugged. I then impatiently waited for the Manager and she walked out of her office with the Rep and not knowing who the irrate customer even was walked past me and stated to the Rep "i have to deal with an irritated customer which i dont really have the time for" I the explained my dilemna to her and asked to do an exchange, to which the reply was blatant NO its open and I cant resell an open product. I the said but the product it totally sealed and only once open can you actually then see it is a different size and is not suitable. She said that my problem and no refund will be issued. I then asked her about any terms and conditions or whether she even knows anything about the consumer protection act, to which she rep**** that on the till slip it tells you to read t's and c's on the BUCO WEBSITE. My reply was that this is not to standard and signage should be in store and on the slip. It is not the customers role to have to search for this. She then said well she will not and cannot help and I WILL HAVE TO ACCEPT THE LOSS. This is absolutely insane and I will NEVER NEVER EVER support any Buco Country Wide and would rather drive further and pay fuel than walk into there store. As part of the Tourism Industry which supplies loads of trade to this store i will be Informing all of the other establishments of this disgusting treatment.

I hope Head Office Management will review this and have disciplinary action against the manager, because if this is the way you do business, treat customers i can only imagine where the employees attitude will go to with a so called leader like this.