Complaint Regarding Defective Meal and Poor Service

On Sunday, we ordered the Viva Meal and the Chicken Paella with quarter chicken. Upon arriving home, I noticed that the rice had a very unpleasant smell and was completely inedible, even after attempting to mask it with salad. Unfortunately, I had already given my 9‑month‑old baby a s****ful before realizing this.

My husband and I had to get dressed again and return to the shop. When we arrived, the manager was dismissive, condescending, and showed no empathy for our time, the inconvenience, cost, and effort involved. Instead of acknowledging the defective product, she treated us as though we were attempting to deceive the store and reduced the matter to money.

This was never about R50 it was about accountability. We expected a simple apology, a refund, or a replacement. Instead, the situation was escalated unnecessarily, and we were embarrassed without the manager even inspecting or tasting the rice.

Furthermore, when I attempted to submit a complaint through the online portal, I repeatedly encountered an error.

Even though I was also informed that the rice is cooked daily, but there has to be room for error due to cross‑contamination and general human negligence.

We request that this matter be taken seriously, with appropriate acknowledgment and corrective action.