Parfatek

Unprofessional Disappointing Experience with Parfatek

I had an extraordinarily poor experience with Parfatek that I feel compelled to share. My B2B order was ultimately cancelled - not due to any misconduct on my part, but apparently because I asked too many questions about their fragrance oils. Yes, you read that correctly: showing genuine interest and asking product-related questions was deemed problematic. From the start, interactions were uncomfortable. The owner, Talha Motala, subjected me to an interrogation about my personal background, business details, and origins - highly inappropriate questions for a simple sample collection. I only met him because I was forced to when collecting samples from their assistant, Nisha, who displayed consistent passive-aggressive behavior and couldn’t answer basic fragrance questions. When I requested to speak with a manager about this, I was met with resistance. After weeks of R&D work with their samples, I attempted to place a small order. That’s when I discovered Nisha had blocked my number without explanation. I had sent perhaps a handful of messages—hardly excessive - yet was treated as if I’d committed some offense. I sought an alternative contact route, which was initially welcomed, then abruptly shut down. I even asked my legal advisors to review our communications for any evidence of misconduct on my part. There was none. Every question I asked related directly to fragrances and product specifications. The manager I eventually reached, Timothy, boasted extensively about recruiting “ex-Givaudan heavyweights” and staff from IFF, and about their “millions of rands worth of machines.” Yet when I asked to speak with him directly after our initial meeting, I was deflected back to Nisha. Then came the Saturday morning call at 10:00 AM. Timothy informed me my order was cancelled because the staff - described as “young girls” - felt uncomfortable with my questions. Again, these were purely fragrance-related technical questions. I’ve since had identical conversations with both global and local manufacturers with zero issues whatsoever. What this experience revealed was an embarrassingly low standard of customer service and professionalism. The passive-aggressive treatment was palpable throughout. While I hesitate to make reductive accusations, the manner in which I was treated certainly raised questions. This is Parfatek - selling fragrances for R80 - behaving as if they’re a heritage luxury house like Creed. The dysfunction clearly starts at the top. I cannot recommend doing business with this company.