Being refused my refund after being told i would receive it.

<p>On the morning of the 14th of June 2016, i bought 2 pairs of Puma Sneakers from the Edgars Shoe Gallery at Lakeside Mall. The pair i had bought for my younger brother, did not fit him. </p> <p> </p> <p>Opted to take the 1 pair back and get my refund back of R629.30 back. Because i am currently living in Soweto and working in Johannesburg, i decided to take the pair of shoes back to the Edgars Shoe Gallery at Kerk Street in the CBD of Johannesburg. </p> <p> </p> <p>I was then told, i could not get a refund at the store at Kerk Street, as i did not buy the pair of shoes from them. When asked why, I was told that by them refunding me, i would be taking away from their Sales when i did not buy the pair of shoes from their store. </p> <p> </p> <p>I then asked them if i would get my full refund from the store in Lakeside Mall, and i was assured i would.</p> <p> </p> <p> Friday morning, on my off day, i then took 3 taxi's back to Lakeside Mall in Benoni. When i got there and asked them to return the shoes and get my refund back, i was then told that was not possible. </p> <p> </p> <p>When asked why, i was then told that Edgars Shoe Gallery does not refund cash back but only refund you in the form of a gift card. Now my problem is, i had already spent some money i had thinking i would have money later from the refund i would be getting(as i was assured by the Edgars Shoe Gallery store in Kerk Street, Johannesburg). The manager by Lakeside Mall explained their T's and C's to me very politely. I explained to him that my problem is that i spent money elsewhere, expecting to get my refund back as i was assured by their store at Kerk Street. </p> <p> </p> <p>I was then told i could wait for someone who's buying with cash then ask them to pay with the gift card they were going to give me. I refused the Gift Card and explained that i want my money back as i urgently needed it. I sat in their store, waiting for someone to buy with cash, yet we live in the 21st century and it's highly unlikely to find someone buying a pair of shoes for R600 using cold hard cash. </p> <p> </p> <p>I waited for a while then the manager asked that i rather come back later. I did not even want to pester anyone by harassing them and asking them to use the gift card and give me their cash. Asked for their head office number and the number for EdCon but then realized i could not call as i did not have airtime as i did not have money because i re**** on the refund i was assured i would receive. Asked to make a call in the store, was politely told the phone in-store does not work. </p> <p> </p> <p>After a long while of waiting, i decided to leave. The gift card only allowed me to buy from their partner stores. I then went to Jet in Lakeside Mall to see if i could get my money back. I then bought a bathroom mat and facecloth(i did not need) in order to not seem "********** or like a *****) so i could ask someone to pay with the gift card and give me their cash. A young lady agreed to pay with the gift card but she was only paying with R160 but because i did have any money, it was better than nothing. I then asked the lady at the counter at Jet, why i was forced to take a gift card from their partner store at Edgars Shoe Gallery when i bought with my Debit Card and not a credit card, the lady then assured me that they were not allowed to do that and even called her manager to assure me. </p> <p> </p> <p>I went back to Edgars Shoe Gallery but the manager was not there. I then went to Edgars and found another young lady who agreed to pay using the gift card and she had R170 cash, which again was better than nothing. </p> <p> </p> <p>Now my problem is that, i was assured by the store in Kerk Street, Johannesburg i would get my cash refund back from the store in Lakeside Mall. Which was clearly not true and i had to waste R72 on taxi's to Lakeside Mall and back to Soweto, waste my time waiting in store and also have to now walk around and ask the 2 ladies to use my gift card without seeming like a ***** or ***** and also used money knowing that i would receive my money back. </p> <p> </p> <p>Now i have R199,30 on the gift card left and i do not know what to do with it, which is frustrating me. </p> <p> </p>