Parkhurst Interiors

Dishonest shop owner stole our money

In April 2026, we purchased a couple of Chinese "antique" chairs from Parkhurst Interiors for R18999,00. They were displayed in the showroom upstairs, where the dim lighting purposefully doesn't let you see the details, faults or defects of the items. Upon completing the transaction by card, the shop owner offered to have the chairs delivered to our house (only a few blocks away). As the driver and the shop owner's daughter unloaded the chairs from the truck, my partner noticed that both the chairs showed signs of leg repairs (wood glued and painted over the breaks). We immediately took pictures, sent them to the owner via WhatsApp and requested to return them for a full refund. She accepted, but mentioned that she would not be able to issue a refund until the payment cleared because we paid with an international credit card. We agreed to wait until the payment cleared and sent her our South Africa bank info so that she could refund us in rands. We then returned the chairs to the shop (30 minutes after they had been delivered). The shop owner was "gone", but her daughter (who had delivered the chairs) accepted the return (writing "Returned" on the invoice and signing it). Two days later, the shop owner messaged us on WhatsApp. She said we broke the chairs and that we needed to come and collect them as there would not be any refund, even though we proved that she knew of the previous repaired damage and had accepted the return. It is now August 2026. Over three months have passed. Our lawyer sent the shop owner a letter of demand requesting she refunds us. But nothing happened. Our advice: do not do business with this store. Shop for antiques somewhere else.