Shocking returns service from Makro Online

I purchased an airfryer at Makro online on 20 April 2024, which carries a 2-year guarantee and was delivered to my son who is studying at Stellenbosch University. The airfryer recently stopped working.

Cooincidentally, I had first bought an airfryer with the same specifications as his. It also recently stopped working and I returned it to the Silver Lakes Makro last Saturday. The Silver Lakes, Pretoria Makro Store Manager, Thabang, was very helpful and has sent my airfryer to the supplier to be assessed.

Siyabonga tried his best to assist me to submit the request for the return of my son's airfryer. The staff confirmed that his airfryer is still under guarantee (it has a 2 year guarantee), but advised that Makro's policy did not allow for it to be collected. They called Makro Marketplace, but even the Makro staff did not have success in logging the return and requesting that it be collected.

A customer in the same service area advised that he has had many such experiences with Makro Online.

After spending last Saturday afternoon at Makro Silverlakes, frustratingly unable to get the return processed, I have now tried to process the return online.

The return message "The order/item cannot be returned" displays.

My son, a student in Stellenbosch, now is left with an airfryer which doesn't work. As I explained to the consultant, the reason I made use of Makro's online store, is to avoid him needing to take time off his studies to go shopping. In order to return the airfryer, he will now need to take time off his studies, drive to the nearest Makro which I am advised is in Cape Town, an hour from Stellenbosch, and will need to deal with their service department, which I expect will also not be able to assist him.

Makro Online's customer service is shocking! The return policies and procedures are not provided to customers and when there is clearly a problem with an appliance, there seems to be no recourse for customers to easily take up the guarantee.

I am now left having to spend more wasted time trying to get Makro Online to honour their guarantee and resolve the issue. It is hugely inconvenient and frustrating, and is very harmful to Makro's reputation.