Complaint: Incorrect Cancellation, Miscommunication, and Lack of Stock Transparency

On Saturday, I bought two Samsung TVs online from Makro at R9,999 each. Immediately after the purchase, I noticed that the collection branch was incorrect. I phoned Makro right away to change the collection point, and the operator confirmed that the branch would contact me.

Instead of a call, I received a notification stating that I had requested a cancellation for one of the TVs, with a refund to be processed in 5–14 days. I did not request any cancellation — all I asked for was a change of collection branch.

Because of this incorrect cancellation, I had to rush to my local Makro store and buy another TV to replace the “cancelled” one. Then Makro phoned me later to inform me that both TVs had actually been cancelled. On the Makro app, only one cancellation was shown, but Makro confirmed that both orders were cancelled internally.

I explained clearly that I needed two TVs, and now I am out of pocket because Makro took payment for stock they clearly did not have — with no indication on the website that the item was out of stock. I cannot afford to pay another R9,999 while waiting up to 14 days for refunds on cancellations that were not done by me.

A representative named Eugene contacted me and said they would email me requesting my bank confirmation letter, ID, and PayShap details to process an immediate refund for the second TV (the one still showing as “active” on the app even though it was cancelled). That email did come, I submitted all the requested documents immediately, and yet the promised immediate refund still never happened.

Makro’s system failures, incorrect cancellations, and lack of stock transparency have cost me money, time, and the ability to take advantage of Black Friday deals elsewhere. This is completely unacceptable, and I expect urgent resolution and accountability.