What a Shambles

It is with profound regret and immense disappointment that I feel compelled to revise all my previous glowing reviews of Cielo to a single, undeservedly generous one star.

I had been a loyal customer of Cielo, consistently impressed with their quality and service, and had enthusiastically recommended them to friends, several of whom made significant purchases based on my recommendations. However, it appears that as Cielo ambitiously shifts focus to expand into the UK and other markets, they have wholly abandoned any semblance of care for their existing customers.

My most recent experience with Cielo has been nothing short of a fiasco. They have sent me not one, but two faulty products—one of which I returned and the other I cannot bring myself to deal with, given the excruciating inefficiency of their customer service.

The Timeline of Failure Let me outline the full scope of this debacle for clarity:

No Notification of Delivery I was given no communication or delivery schedule for the items I ordered. The products were delivered while I was on holiday, and I only discovered this by sheer luck when my housekeeper was available to receive the goods. Even after multiple inquiries to their customer service team, I was fed a stream of excuses with no clarity—only to find out much later that the items had already been delivered days prior.

Delivery Without Inspection Their delivery team refuses to unpack the goods upon arrival, leaving no opportunity to check for damages—of which there were plenty. Both bookshelves were damaged in transit, and the large cantilever umbrella arrived with a broken mechanism that rendered it unusable.

The Dangerously Faulty Umbrella Upon my return, I attempted to use the umbrella only to discover that the mechanism to open and close it was broken. This left the large umbrella stuck fully open in my ocean-facing property—a location notorious for strong Cape Town winds.

This defective product became an immediate threat, turning into a massive kite poised to cause damage to my property and neighboring homes. Despite my urgent warnings, Cielo’s team took over a week to respond, during which time Cape Town’s infamous winds snapped the umbrella’s beams, tore through the fabric, and caused damage to my home’s walls. Excessive Delays and Intrusions When their technical team finally arrived, they were unprepared to act. They loitered on my property for over an hour while awaiting instructions from their head office. This is utterly unacceptable—my home is not a waiting room for disorganized management.

No Replacement, No Refund After nearly two weeks of the umbrella being removed, I had heard nothing from Cielo. Despite taking my money and delivering a faulty product that caused damage to my property, they left me with no resolution and no communication. When I finally managed to reach them, they suggested returning the "repaired" product—an absolute insult. The damage was irreparable, and I refused to accept a patchwork solution.

Endless Red Tape for a Refund After rejecting their ludicrous offer, I requested a refund. What followed was a nightmare of inefficiency and deflection. They required me to send my ID and banking details, which I promptly provided, only to face repeated claims that the documents had not been received—despite having clear evidence to the contrary. This back-and-forth continued for weeks.

The Result I have now spent over ZAR 15,000 on a defective umbrella, dealt with damage to my property, endured weeks of unresponsive customer service, and still have no product or refund.

A Warning to Others Cielo’s service has deteriorated to such an appalling degree that I can no longer recommend them to anyone. The sheer incompetence, lack of accountability, and disdain for their customers are staggering.

Unless you are prepared to:

Assemble products yourself, Keep a full-time staff member on standby for unannounced deliveries, and Exercise infinite patience to endure their chaotic and dismissive customer service, I strongly advise against purchasing from this company. To Cielo: You were once a brand I proudly supported and referred to others. This experience has not only eroded my trust in you but has left me questioning how you intend to sustain your reputation as you expand into other markets. Do better.