Extremely Disappointed with House & Home Credit Application Process

My 25-year-old son recently moved into his first apartment and was excited to furnish it with his very own lounge suite. He chose to go to House & Home—not just because of convenience, but because of brand loyalty. As a family, we've always supported House & Home. I’ve personally bought most of my furniture from your stores over the years.

My son was pre-approved for credit, which made us think the process would be smooth. Unfortunately, the very next day he was informed that he needed to go to the police station to do an affidavit confirming he is renting the property. In addition, he was told to go to the municipality and obtain a statement—despite the fact that the property and utilities are not registered in his name, but in the landlord’s.

Here’s where House & Home got it completely wrong:

My son has a legally binding lease agreement with his landlord. That should be sufficient proof of residence.

He cannot go to the municipality to request an account in his name for a property he is only renting. That request is unreasonable and unrealistic.

He was willing to pay a R6000 deposit—a clear sign of commitment and financial responsibility.

He has a permanent job with a high income.

His credit rating is very good (B-rated).

He requested and was willing to pay for delivery to the address listed both on his application and the lease agreement.

House & Home, your processes are outdated and unnecessarily complicated. You are chasing loyal, financially sound customers away with red tape and inflexible requirements.

We are extremely disappointed. If this is how first-time, responsible customers are treated, we will definitely be taking our business elsewhere—and encouraging others to do the same.