Do not deal with Hyundai Promise KZN

I recently purchased a secondhand vehicle from Hyundai Amanzimtoti, and my experience has been nothing short of a nightmare. I bought the car at the end of May 2024, and despite being told I’d receive my number plates and spare key within two weeks, it took six weeks of me constantly reaching out to get any sort of response. On numerous occasions, I was told by a specific individual that he had the spare key in his possession, but it never materialized.

After six weeks, I was informed that my vehicle needed to go for another roadworthy test (COR) because the permit expired—on my time, no less. Once the roadworthy test was done, I was told I would get my number plates that evening. However, this was pushed to the next day due to licensing department issues. Finally, I was able to pick up my number plates on Friday afternoon, only to be told that the previous owner had lost the spare key, and I would have to wait for a casing to arrive from Cape Town.

Weeks later, I was still chasing after them for updates. On July 23rd, I had enough and contacted Marc, the General Manager for Hyundai KZN, expressing my frustration. A manager from Hyundai Pinetown reached out on July 25th who informed me that Marc was unavailable, and only to tell me Marc was at a seminar in Cape Town. I insisted on speaking to Marc directly, The dealer principal at Hyundai Amanzimtoti contacted me within an hour of Hyundai Pinetown. I explained my grievances, and he promised to investigate and get back to me—he never did. I even had to threaten to escalate this issue to the ombudsman before I finally received the casing for my spare key. The key was eventually cut and programmed, but only after much back-and-forth and hassle. (4 days later)

To make matters worse, the entire purchasing process was riddled with problems. After multiple requests, I finally received the 125-point check from the workshop manager, but to this day, I have not been given a clear explanation as to why the document is dated June 6th when my vehicle supposedly underwent the check on May 28th. Additionally, my car had visible scratches and bumps, which I was told would be taken care of by a panel beater. I was promised the car would be ready by 3 pm on May 31st. Yet, after sitting through a rushed financing process where I was misled about my monthly premium, I waited until 6:30 pm that day, only to find out that the paintwork wasn’t even completed. I had to cancel personal plans, losing out on prepaid tickets, just to receive a half-finished car that I was asked to bring back for more work.

Since then, there has been no further communication from Marc or anyone at Hyundai Amanzimtoti. This entire ordeal has been nothing but stressful and deeply disappointing. I strongly advise anyone considering doing business with Hyundai Amanzimtoti to think twice. The lack of communication, broken promises, and poor service have left me regretting my decision to purchase from them.