Pathetic Pick n Pay

I am writing about the unacceptable handling of my PnP asap order placed for delivery at 08:00 on Saturday. The order value was R940. I placed the order the night before to ensure timely delivery. On the morning of delivery, I received a call from the driver stating that he was at my gate. This was incorrect — the driver was not present. I waited outside for approximately five minutes, after which the order was automatically cancelled online without any verification or further attempt to deliver.

What followed was extremely disappointing: I was informed that the refund would take five working days, which, due to it being a Saturday, effectively means a seven-day wait. I contacted ASAP customer care three times, and each call was dropped. I went in person to the La Lucia Pick n Pay store (where my orders usually originate). While staff attempted to assist, they confirmed that no one — neither in-store nor at call-centre level — had the authority to release the items, issue an immediate refund, or offer any form of temporary credit. Every interaction resulted in the same scripted response: “wait five working days,” with no empathy or consideration for the circumstances.

This situation has caused real financial hardship. I did not have additional funds available to make a replacement purchase, meaning I was left without essential groceries due to an error that was entirely outside of my control.

What is most concerning is not just the error itself, but the complete lack of accountability, compassion, and escalation authority. A driver’s incorrect claim resulted in an automatic cancellation, yet there was no mechanism in place to fairly resolve the issue for the customer.

I have been extremely disappointed by this experience and the lack of customer care shown.