Breached their own contract and refuse to refund me despite initially apologizing and admitting they were at fault

I would rate them 0 stars if it was possible. I would urge anyone thinking of buying from Homzy to first read this thorough review of the experience I had with them. I do not recommend this business at all!

My factual review of Homzy: They breached their own contract and have refused to provide me with my deposit back, despite numerous attempts. They have also breached Section 19 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) which provides for the consumer's right with respect to delivery of goods or supply of a service.

What was supposed to happen: On 5 May 2025 I ordered the Nicholson Armchair for R4999 and paid a deposit of R1750 (35%) - order confirmed as #21273. The chair was meant to be complete by 3 June 2025, after which I would have a courier collect it and pay the remainder of the balance (cash on collection as agreed by Homzy).

What went wrong: On 19 May I checked in to see if the chair was progressing - I was told everything was on track (they flagged no issues with the contracted timeline). By 3 June (past the 21 business days timeline of the contract) I messaged again since I had heard nothing. They did not respond that day. On 4 June they sent a screenshot from the manufacturer stating that only the under frame had been built. I asked if there was any indication on when it would be done (updated timeframe). I got no response. I decided to then follow South African Law regarding online custom made products, according to the Consumer Protection Act by immediately informing the business in writing, that due to them breaching the contract, that I would like to cancel the order and receive a refund (email sent on 4 June 2025 at 13:44). This would mean that no customization should be done. I received acknowledgment from the business with the following “You're absolutely right to expect better, and we acknowledge that we have not met the promised timeline or provided the service level you deserve. While our policy normally states that custom-made items are non-refundable, we understand that failing to deliver within the agreed timeframe is a breach of that agreement. We are urgently escalating your case to management for review. Please allow us until tomorrow to respond with a final decision regarding your refund or a clear and immediate delivery resolution.” Thus, I was meant to hear from them on 5 June, but I did not. By 7 June 2025 I still hadn’t heard from them, so I emailed again - this email was ignored. On 10 June I followed up again which was also ignored until 12 June where I received an email stating that the chair was ready. Thus, the business proceeded to complete the “custom chair” despite me informing them immediately that they should not proceed further than the under-frame since they did not fulfill their terms of the contract. There was no communication with me about the proposed resolution of completing the chair and not giving me the refund, as requested and to which I am entitled to by law (CPA sections as follows - Cancellation Rights: If the supplier fails to deliver as agreed, the consumer can cancel the purchase without penalty. Refund: Upon cancellation, the consumer is entitled to a full refund of any money paid. Unsolicited Goods: If goods are delivered after the cancellation of the agreement, the consumer can treat them as unsolicited goods.). Homzy attempting to provide me with the chair after cancellation is defined by law as unsolicited goods and therefore can legally be refused, while still allowing me to my full, entitled refund. I communicated this to the business on 11 and 12 June. The business did not respond. By 9 August they sent a message on WhatsApp to ask if I still wanted to collect the chair. I sent them proof of the business acknowledging their breach of the contract and that I was entitled to a refund (again). At 16:06 on 9 August I was asked to provide my banking details for my refund (this constitutes an agreement to provide said refund), which I sent immediately. They then stated I had only paid a 35% deposit and that deposits are non-refundable (this was not stipulated in their terms and conditions at all). Nonetheless, I reiterated that they had breached their terms of the agreement first, that I had followed the law by immediately cancelling as a result of that breach (failure to deliver in specified timeframe), which was acknowledged by the business and that I was entitled to any money paid (even a deposit). Business agreements cannot supersede South African law. The business did not respond and have still not refunded me to this day.

How it could have been better: Homzy could have followed through on their apology where they acknowledged the breach of their own terms of the contract and paid me the deposit back. By asking for my banking details they agreed to pay the money back to me. They could have also communicated better with me throughout the process by flagging delays early and proactively communicating with me - not waiting for me to follow up all the time. Especially after acknowledging and apologizing, I’d expect them to flag my case as a high priority for resolution and therefore would stick to their timeframe from the apology email - instead I only heard back from a full week later after repeatedly contacting them. This means they failed in the second timeframe set out by their apology email as well.

This has been a huge disappointment and I acknowledge that in my previous reviews I let my anger and frustration with the situation prevail when describing what happened. I apologize to the Hello Peter team for not following the content guidelines (which I have now fully read and adhered to with this review). I am also willing to send all proof to the Hello Peter team of all communication I had with Homzy (email and WhatsApp messages - timestamped and dated, corresponding to all the facts laid out in this review).

I would not recommend doing business with Homzy at all!