Caxton Books is very good at quickly deducting full payment but are very, VERY bad at providing any service whatsoever

<p>On the 13 January I placed an order online for 4 textbooks required by my Grade 8 daughter using the Caxton Books website. I selected the books required, entered my credit card details and shortly thereafter received an automatic confirmation via email that my order had been placed. The full payment was immediately subtracted from my credit card.</p> <p>I then waited for the promised sms to let me know that the books were ready for collection.</p> <p>…………… I heard nothing.</p> <p>Three days later, 16 January, my daughter needed the one book for school so I found a copy of the text book from another source and email Caxton Books to ask if I may amend the order.</p> <p>………… I heard nothing.</p> <p>First thing 19 January I call Caxton Books to enquiry about my order. I spoke to an employee of Caxton Books called Carmen. She finds my order and advises me that none of the textbooks ordered are in fact currently available. I ask her when they are due back in stock and she says she would have to find out. I then voice my concern that my daughter needs these books for school and we cannot wait (and wait and wait). Carmen suggests that I try a bookshop in Rondebosch and that I could then ask for a credit with Caxton. I explain that I would not want or need a credit note, that I would like a refund. Carmen says that this would need to be authorised by management and to let her know if I would like to cancel the order.</p> <p>I then ascertain that I can obtain the required books elsewhere, so call Carmen to cancel my order placed 13 January. She then tells me that she has just found out that Caxton will be receiving 2 of the 4 books required on a certain date. I explain that I now no longer need any of the books because I had JUST, at her suggestion, made another arrangement and would like to be refunded in full. I get placed on hold and Jonathan Ferreira comes on the line. I explain what has transpired and ask him to please refund me. He claims that Caxton Books takes 32 hours to reply to an order. Even though Caxton Books received immediate payment from me, after WAY MORE than 32 hours I had still had NO COMMUNICATION from his business. I had in fact had no response to my email 19 Jan either. They only communication I had was when I called their business. And since I have now made an alternative arrangement, I would like to exercise my consumer right and receive a refund. Jonathan then proceeds to give me a long lecture involving advice he received from “the best” “ the top” “expert” lawyers regarding the Consumer Protection Act. He is passively aggressive, sarcastic and condescending. He then suggests that if I send him my receipt of the alternative textbooks I purchased, he would then consider refunding me in full (?) He did ask to speak to his employee, Carmen and call me back to verify the story. He called me back and said Carmen denied telling me that the books were not available and suggesting I could source them from a competitor in Rondebosch. He also said that Carmen was “poorly trained” and would have to receive more training on how to handle queries.</p> <p>At the end of a very frustrating half an hour or more, Jonathan told me he thought that the service they gave customers was very good (I think he meant that Caxton Books is good at quickly deducting full payment but are very, VERY bad at providing any service whatsoever.)</p> <p>I have been told that I will be posted a credit note for the 2 books Caxton Books apparently will be getting (at some point in time that may or not suit my Grade 8 student’s study needs) and I will be refunded for the other 2. Judging from the “quickness” of Caxton’s service, I don’t believe this will be done in a hurry.</p>