Appalling first-time experience: Bait stock levels, undisclosed fees, and altered product pages

I recently placed my very first order with Futureama, and the entire experience has been a masterclass in terrible customer service and ******** trading practices.

When I placed and paid for my order online, the website explicitly indicated that the item was in stock. Shortly after payment was processed, I was contacted and informed that the colour I had selected was actually out of stock—a clear case of bait-marketing where stock levels are not accurately maintained.

To make matters worse, I was then slapped with an additional, unexpected demand for R398, with the company claiming "shipping restrictions" app****. When I rightly pointed out that no such restrictions or additional fees were calculated or displayed on the product page or at checkout when I paid, Futureama retroactively updated the product page to include the restriction text, and then falsely claimed to me via email that it had always been there.

This is a direct violation of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of South African law. A supplier cannot alter the pricing or terms of a binding, completed transaction after checkout has been finalised and payment accepted.

Because I refused to be bul**** into paying an unadvertised, post-purchase fee, I requested a cancellation. Futureama then attempted to complicate the process further by demanding a formal bank confirmation letter just to process a refund for an online payment gateway transaction—an unnecessary administrative hurdle.

As a first-time customer, I am deeply disappointed by this dishonesty and lack of operational integrity.

Potential buyers, be warned: take screenshots of your checkout pages when dealing with this company, as they have proven they will alter their website after the fact to justify undisclosed charges.