Shocking and disgusting customer service. Buses are unreliable and Intercape don't care.

I booked a ticket for someone travelling from Maputo to Johannesburg on 8 August, and then returning back on 11 August.

We have been using Intercape for the past 4 years, and at one stage were booking return tickets every month.

Now, travel at your own peril - you have been warned!

1) On 8 August, the bus from Maputo to Johannesburg broke down outside of Nelspruit. Intercape called two mechanics to try and fix the problem before even requesting a backup bus, which had to come from Pretoria. The bus eventually arrived 6 hours late!!! People missed connecting trips, flights and other arrangements and commitments.

2) Intercape then REFUSED to let passengers get their luggage until they had been given an "apology" letter, which included a 25% Discount off the NEXT ticket purchased with them. I would have expected a full refund, but Intercape obviously thought that a 6 hour delay on a trip that already takes 10 hours is quite acceptable.

3) When we called to book the return trip on Sunday 11 August, we were told that we were not eligible for the "25% Discount", and that we had to call the "Help Centre" the following week to get the actual discount voucher, which could be used for the **following** ticket purchase.

4) Upon booking in at Park Station at 21:45 (which is 45 mins prior to departure time), my friend who suffers from motion sickness requested a window seat. The lady booking in promptly told that her request could not be accommodated as all of the window seats had already been "taken". We were one of the first people booking in but were told that these had all "been reserved". When asked how this could be, she said that when people call in to make booking, they can reserve their seats. Yet whenever I have booked online there has never been an option to reserve a seat, and when we called into today to book the return ticket, we were not asked if we wanted to reserve a seat or if there was a preference.

Shocking and disgusting customer service, with no sense of loyalty to their paying customers.