Appaling service!

I am writing to formally escalate a very serious complaint regarding my Pick n Pay asap! order today. What occurred was not a simple delay, but a complete breakdown across both the Pick n Pay Melkbos branch and the asap! call centre, resulting in false assurances, financial loss, distress to my children, and total abandonment with no communication.

This issue began early in the day.

I placed my first order at 12:00. When I checked the app at 13:50, it indicated that there had been an error with the order. No one contacted me to explain or resolve this. I was therefore forced to place the same order again at 13:50, already losing time through no fault of my own.

After re-placing the order at 13:50, the app indicated an expected delivery time of 16:00. This delivery time passed with no order and no communication.

From this point onward, all follow-up calls (except one) were made directly to the Pick n Pay Melkbos branch, not the call centre.

At 17:00, I phoned the Melkbos Pick n Pay branch and was told that my order was already packed, even though the app still reflected that the order had not yet been packed. This was the first instance of incorrect information provided by the branch.

At 18:00, I called the Melkbos branch again. During this call, I clearly explained that my child’s dinner was included in the order and that the ongoing delay was now affecting my family. I was explicitly told not to worry, that the order had been prioritised, and that a driver was on the way and would arrive within 20 minutes. I was guaranteed delivery and reassured that I did not need to make alternative arrangements.

Relying on this guarantee from the branch, I stayed at home waiting.

When no driver arrived, I called again at 19:00. At this point, I was informed — again by the Melkbos branch — that there was no driver available at all, and that the order was not on its way. This directly contradicted the earlier guarantee and confirms that I was provided with false information.

At 18:14, I made one call to the asap! call centre. I was told that the delivery fee would be refunded, and that this was “all they could do.” The agent was unhelpful, offered no solution, no escalation, and no assistance regarding the wider impact this situation had already caused.

Since then, no one from either the branch or the call centre has contacted me with an update. I have continued trying to call, but no one is answering. I am now completely in the dark.

As a direct result of these failures, misrepresentations, and lack of communication:

- My child went hungry and had to be sent to bed with only a sandwich after I was assured his dinner was coming - I had to Uber my other son so that I could remain home waiting for a driver who never arrived (R178 spent) - I used over R30 airtime repeatedly trying to get updates - I missed an important event, leaving people waiting for me - I now do not have dinner for myself, and I am unable to safely order alternative food because I have no idea whether this order will still arrive, risking further waste and expense

This situation has left me stressed, angry, and completely unsupported. What is most unacceptable is that had I been given honest information at any stage, I could have made responsible alternative arrangements for my children and myself. Instead, I was repeatedly reassured, guaranteed delivery, and then abandoned.

I formally request:

1. A written explanation for the initial system error that forced me to re-order 2. A written explanation for why the Melkbos branch told me the order was packed, prioritised, and guaranteed for delivery when no driver was available 3. Confirmation of the refund of the delivery fee 4. Refund consideration for additional costs incurred due to misinformation 5. Immediate clarity on the status of my order 6. Escalation of this matter to store management and regional asap! management

It is now late in the evening, and I am still left without answers, food, or support. This experience has completely destroyed my trust in the asap! service. I expect a serious, written response.