Decofurn Port Elizabeth – Extremely poor service, misleading information, and unacceptable resolution

On Saturday 23 May I purchased a green Jett Fabric chair (R1799) and a coat rack from Decofurn in Port Elizabeth. I explicitly asked about stock availability and was told both items were in stock and would be ordered in and delivered within 10 working days.

The following week I received a call advising the shipment was delayed and would arrive Thursday 4 June. I accepted this in good faith as it still fell within the promised timeframe.

On 4 June I was then told there was yet another delay due to weather. This was fine, because delivery could still happen Friday or Saturday- I was told this was not possible, thus Decofurn exceeded their 10 working days delivery. Instead, I was informed that there were “stock issues” and limited chairs available, despite me having already paid in full weeks earlier. It became clear at this point that communication between staff was either non-existent or deliberately misleading, because I was then told the shipment in question only related to the coat rack, not the chair I had already purchased.

I escalated to a manager and was again assured I would receive both items on Monday 8 June.

On Sunday 7 June I received yet another call: there are apparently no chairs left in South Africa, and I would now have to wait until the third week of June, five weeks after purchase, for a product I was told was in stock and already secured.

As an “alternative,” I was offered the display chair from the PE store. I was told I could not receive a discount for this. After further escalation, I was offered R150 off- a completely insulting amount for a floor display item that has been handled and sat on by countless customers.

What makes this unacceptable is not just the delay, but the pattern of misinformation:

- Stock confirmed at point of sale that did not exist - Shifting explanations (weather, logistics, then “no stock in South Africa”) - Conflicting information about what was actually delayed - Broken delivery promises at every stage - A token discount that does not reflect the inconvenience or the condition of the alternative offered

This experience has been consistently ********* and deeply frustrating. I purchased in good faith based on delivery commitments that were repeatedly broken.

I strongly discourage anyone from shopping at Decofurn.