Bad experience with dealsdaily.co.za

Hi I would like to share a review on the terrible experience I had with dealsdaily and FedEx recently.

On the 1st of June I placed an order with them for some wallpaper for my sisters baby shower which will take place in a few days. I paid for the product as well as shipment. I immediately received an email confirming my order and payment.

I was happy and patiently waited for my parcel to be delivered. However, 2 weeks later I received a phone call from fedex customs clearance in South africa informing me that my shipment from China has arrived and requesting my email address. I had to assume it's my wallpaper! A few days later I received another phone call from them informing me that the lady who called previously took down my email address incorrectly and that I should expect an email from them soon. The email came through stating that my parcel has arrived and I should pay a customs clearance fee of R256 as well as provide them with information/details like the air waybill, bank statements for a month and the suppliers details etc. Also the email stated that my parcel will be held for 2 weeks before being abandoned to state warehouse, should I not comply by providing the payment and information required.

I was quite surprised as I had no idea that I will be required to deal directly with customs since I placed an order with deals daily which is a south African website promising to deliver my order to my door!

I immediately emailed dealsdaily informing them of the situation. I sent a few emails in succession as well as some messages on their watsapp number since they do not have a number to call them telephonically. Unfortunately my emails were ignored for at least 3 days or more. Eventually on Friday I received a call from dealsdaily advising me to ignore the email from FedEx, and that they will be directly in contact with them. A few hours later I received an email asking me to send them a screenahot of the email from FedEx and soon thereafter another email asking me to pay fedex and they will refund me. I immediately responded by sending a screenshot of the email and asked them whether I should do the payment (since I did not have the information FedEx required from me as I did not place the order directly with the supplier). Unfortunately I did not receive any response. I sent them another email over the weekend and then another two emails early Monday morning desperately begging for a response since I URGENTLY needed my wallpaper. Again no response. By mid-day on Monday I received an email from FedEx informing me that my products have been abandoned to state warehouse (just 6 days after receiving the first email from them) and that I will have to pay heavy panelties In order to have it released.

I was absolutely shocked as I expected the product to be held for another week as the email stated.

I relentlessly tried getting hold of dealsdaily as well as fedex, on the numbers which were sent to me via email - all of which were not going through. Eventually I got through to fedex by googling for their number. The manager at FedEx was quite abrupt and blunty told me that I took too long to come back with the payment and information (thanks to dealsdaily's nonexistent customer care service) and that the product has been abandoned because of instructions from the supplier! No supplier contacted me regarding abandoning my product so soon, and neither did daily deals! When I explained to him that I did not order directly from the supplier and therefore could not provide all the information they needed as dealsdaily is not responding to me, he suggested that I demand a full refund from dealsdaily.

I emailed them multiple time already, but obviously received no response. I am highly disappointed and upset at what happened and urge anyone who wants to place an order with them to think twice or rather ten times! My wallpaper is gone along with all my savings and there's not even an apology in sight from dealsdaily, forget a full refund!

It baffles me how companies can run on such terrible customer care and lack of concern.