Descriminatiin, Ill treatment and false allegations at EYEQ CANAL WALK.

This is to share with you my worst experience, mis treatment and defamation of character, I went through when I decided to purchase a set of spectacles at Eyeq Canal Walk, Cape Town.

In my life I have never been treated and reduced to a level of a stray dog like what I was made to go through by EyeQ Canal Walk. So, in 2017, I walked into their shop, I simply wanted an eye test. Which after the eye test, I was woodwinked and coerced to buy a set of spectacles plus and extra pair for back up. As much as the results showed that I needed a new set of spectacles, it was not my intention to buy from them due to their inflated prices.

Firstly, he reception was poor, I spent about 15 minutes roaming in their shop from 1 frame stand to another without being attended to, but all attendants were running and colliding over 1 customer or who would then be considered a "real person" according to their own grading by skin colour. So 2 white customers came after me and they were saved before me and 1 indian- like coloured customer as well. At that point it affected me but I decided to control myself because I needed help, their fellow competitors in the same mall had long winding queues on this particular day - so I opted for EYEQ for a quicker service because there was no queue - but it turned out to be a horrible experience.

After waiting aimlessly I decided to interrupt one gentleman and told him that I had waited for 2 long I just want to know if they do eye test? He explained a few things and made me sit on a chair for my turn. I decided to stand to view more frames. A lady attendant uttered disturbing words in Afrikaans probably believing that I do not understand Afrikaans. She said - in her real words - "YOU MUST CHECK FIRST THE PEOPLE YOU RECOMMEND FOR EYE TEST, I DO NOT THINK SHE WILL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THE EYE TEST. CHECK IF SHE HAS A MEDICAL AID AND IF IT IS VALID. YOU KNOW AFRICANS WANT THINGS THEY CANNOT AFFORD, PLEASE CHECK NOW BEFORE SHE IS CALLED IN".

In my humbleness I kept quiet again. The gentleman swiftly came through to me and interrogated me and asked for my medical details, which were said to be appropriate.

Now here starts the story. After the eye test, I was coerced to get a pair of spectacles and a spare set - and I was told that they had checked and the medical aid would cover for both. I refused at first but perpetual coercion led me to agree. So I got 2 sets of the spectacles. Believe me people, I have never worn the second set of specs that I bought from this shop since that year - it is in my wadrobe in ths same package new as it was. I did not need it - that is the truth but they needed to make money out of me.

About 5 months later in 2018 I got a call that I owed them about 9000 rands and my question was how come? And I was THEN told the medical aid covered for 1 set of spectacles - not the other. 1. This is my problem No.1 with eyeq canal walk. They **** to me that both spectacles were covered and they had checked it prior to my purchase.

Anyway, shocked as I was, I did not argue. I then requested for a detailed statement of purchases to present to my Medical Aid to understand what was going on. I was promised that this would be sent to me. Guess what friends, I phoned in 3 more times for the statement between March - July 2018 and each time she would take my email address down and promise to send immediately, but not do so.

Towards end of 2018, over a year later after my purchase - I still had no statement sent to me - but another call came to remind me to pay or make a payment plan. My reuqest was the same - send me a statement of my purchases for me to resolve it - another empty promise again - it never was sent. So I also kept quiet. Tell me, who on mother earth just jumps to pay for what has no proof? So months went by - 2019 February-March another call came from a Lady called Melanie, who happens to be the manager at the shop - make a payment plan- I did not refuse - but I requested a statement of purchases. As usual Melanie told me the same lies. I was told it is on its way before end of day. End of day came - I did not not receive the statement of purchases. Months went by again - no progress, no statement.

And to my shock, August 2019 - I received a call from some purported attorneys who were very rude and unproffessional as well and would not even listen to what I was telling them. They started bombarding me with threats of arrests and would not get weary phoning me. Still then, I was still in bit of my senses I decided to email Melanie - now me - starting to look for her. My request remained simple - send me a statement of my purchases. She did not reply to my email, she avoided my calls, and through the reception lady in their shop - she told me that she had seen my email she would return my call before end of day and send me statement before end of day - guess what - it was yet another false promise - Melanie did not return my call- did not send me the statement - even until today I did not recieve the statement. Then I recieved an sms from *** - telling me that Melanie would definitely get in touch with me to resolve the matter - guess what Melanie never did get in touch with me.

The so called attorneys continued to charge on me night and day, despite that I had not done anything wrong. I JUST WANTED TRANSPARENCY OF MY PURCHASES AND PROOF THAT THE MEDICAL AID HAD NOT PAID - THIS WAS TOO HARD A REQUEST TO EYEQ CANAL WALK.

I got so infuriated and cross, but maintained my calm, while the so called attorneys breathed in my neck with endless threats. I decided to email Melanie again, after about a month requesting the same thing - she did not respond. Until today there has not been any correspondence from eyeq concerning this matter, no statement of purchases - but just charged attorneys - trotting on my toes. And guess what the most barbaric part of the whole issue is, I then said to the so called attorneys where is the statement - they sent me an altered blacked out statment with deleted transactions. I could not see exactly what i was paying for. All blacked out using a permanent marker, left for my details and the actual balance. The rest of the transactions were not visible.

THIS IS MY BEEF WITH EYEQ CANAL WALK 1. I was descrimitated by race the first time I appeared in their shop, just for an eye test. Cruel words were uttered against me by the female attendant.

2. I was coerced to buy a second set of spectacles that I never wore until today because I did not need them. They needed money and they decided to lie that I would not lose anything, the medical aid would pay for both.

3. They are very unproffessional, my requests for a statementnof purchase were fruitless until today. What type of a business fails to provide an invoice/ statement to resolve a query? For about 3 years I have been reuqesting for a statement - they still cannot provide it.

4. Defamation of character: Melanie went on to share my name and details with unknown people, without even warning me or notifying me of the step she was about to take. To make matters worse, this was done with false allegations that I had refused to pay - which is a blutant lie. I requested for clarity and a statement and she could not support me with these. This actually is the most cruel thing that Eyeq Canal Walk did to me through their manager Melanie. Probably, with same perception from 2017 - that I am an African I would not pay, so I must be treated like a ********. I should not be consulted for dialogue, judgement must be done for me- because Africans want what they cannot afford. To make matters worse and to prove her hatred, she could not engage with me at any point despite my repeated efforts, instead she instructed the unknown people to continue with threats. So unproffessional indeed.

5. Hi levels of unproffessionalism, lies and false promises. I requested a statement for almost 3 years and each time I was being **** to that it would be sent before the end of the day. I was also made to expect calls that never came.

6. I was treated like a ********, simply because I am an African. Very unreasonable indeed. None of them, or even the attorneys stopped to think that the shop its self was not supporting me with what I wanted - just a statement.