ShowSpace.co.za is a horrible online store!! Avoid at all cost!!

I was excited to discover ShowSpace.co.za - as I had been looking for a particular Bosch appliance that no one else seemed to have in stock. Their website and app are very well presented with a large inventory - you'd be convinced that these guys are as big as Takealot (they're not! I'm now 90% certain that it's a one-person show in there but more on that later). The customer reviews, which I’m now convinced are very ****, were also very good. You can read them for yourself on this platform.

Their website has a massive banner that says four days to deliver items in stock. The appliance that I was particularly looking for also showed “available in stock”. Perfect! Plus I was moving into a new apartment in a few days. As I'm about to check out, I notice that a shipping charge of R600 is added and an additional R400 for delivery - a whole R1000 for essentially delivering the item. Scary, but I’m desperate, I need that elusive Bosch badge in my kitchen, so I go ahead and make the purchase. I made the purchase through PayJustNow - I typically do this for sites that I do not necessarily trust because PayJustNow will step in to protect their reputation and that of their merchants. PayFlex provides the same service. Follow me for more life hacks.

Anyway, my order goes through, and I get confirmation with an order number from ShowSpace. This was on the 24th of April. On the 28th of April, I notice that my tracking information is not updated, so I pick up the phone to follow up. My call is answered by someone who tells me that they are a line manager - wow! a whole line manager for a business of this size? Ok, I guess all hands are on deck in this place. He tells me that they are experiencing delays due to the KZN floods crisis and that my order will be delayed. I asked how come no one informed me, and how come my order status was not updated to reflect the latest information. Why did I have to pick the phone myself to get updates? Takealot has spoiled us a lot! Anyway, he apologises and tells me to expect my order before the end of the following week. I can't believe my eyes, well ears cos I was on the phone mos. I politely request that they cancel my order immediately - and that I'm sorry about the supply chain issues that they're experiencing but I am no longer interested. He tells me they will charge me a handling fee of 15%... What? In 2022 an online store charges 15% for cancelling or returning unused items. I am shook! But it's also my fault for not reading the T&C’s right? I contest and tell him that the 15% must be waived due to the delays on their part and given that the item was not even shipped at the time of my cancellation. He tells me to write an email to their support team - which is probably the same guy.

Without delay, I write a nice long email requesting an immediate cancellation and a refund. I also ask that the 15% be waived, due to the reasons already covered above. I click send but I don't get an immediate reply - hmmm but why? 30 minutes pass and I get a notification in the showspace app and in my email. Guess what the update reads? “YOUR ITEM HAS NOW SHIPPED AND WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU IN A FEW DAYS”

How convenient that after I request a cancellation for an item that was tied up in some supply chain crisis, but all of a sudden is now shipped?

I send another email informing them that I see their tricks. At this point I'm raging with anger, I once again request confirmation of my cancellation, and again I don't get a reply. I pick up the phone and phone them, someone picks up and I immediately start ****ting on the man on the other side of the phone - this is not something I'm proud of. He tells me that they only reply to email late in the afternoon before close of business. How odd? but okay I have no choice but to wait now. Lo and behold I get an email from them late afternoon as promised - the email states that they will charge me a 15% handling fee and with the remaining funds I can either get store credit for future purchases (like I would choose this option after this experience) OR I can get a refund through my payment method used for the sale - I am told this will take 7-10 working days. I immediately respond and ask for a refund and again I do not receive a reply.

To this day I have not received my refund, I have emailed them daily since the 7-10 working days have lapsed to no avail. I have reached out to PayJustNow to assist but have not been successful thus far. I am now drafting a letter of demand through my attorney and will update this thread in due course.

The lesson for you, avoid ShowSpace.co. Za, if you can. Save yourself the pain. There are many other good stores out there.