Refusal to refund deposit or return calls

My complaint is for Pembury Lifestyle Group on behalf of my mother who paid R18,000 in advance for a one-month stay in one of their residential homes in Johannesburg. No contract was signed. Her stay was disastrous and after two days she wanted to leave. . She made a effort to make it work but had to leave after two nights. Since then, we have been writing and calling Pembury to refund her R18,000 minus the three days / two nights she spent there. They have not responded to a single email or call. We were told by one employee at Pembury's holding company that the CEO is rarely in the office and that we cannot speak to him by phone. We have received no response to the many requests made to get the refund. My mother needs these funds urgently. She broke her hip and needs the money to pay for further medical care Pembury's behaviour is reprehensible and ********. No contract was signed with the residential home and as such they are obliged to reimburse her payment. My mother is protected under the Consumer Protection Act and the company be forced to reimburse her and apologise for the hardship they have cause and for their flagrant refusal to respond to emails, letters and calls. <br>