Package gone missing along with the customer service

Takealot returned a cellphone to me (after being sent back for an exchange) via Skynet. After waiting for a month for them to sort out the return (another matter which I will review separately), I email customer service to find out what's happening.

I am informed that the parcel is being sent back to me with the waybill number ********** 61302. When I track the waybill, it says that the package was received by the Pretoria branch on the 10th of October and then sent to Johannesburg on the 11th - where it has been ever since.

I got worried and sent them an email via their website query service on the 23rd of October. After receiving no reply, I sent an email again yesterday. No reply. I looked up the branch phone number today and phoned the branch. After waiting on the line for 5 minutes, I am redirected to a lady with very poor English in a very noisy room. I read her the waybill number. She sees the problem and says that she will put me through to someone else - and then cuts the line.

I phone back. A different lady in the same noisy room answers. She gives me a number with which I can contact the Johannesburg branch. She also gives me the names of people who might help me, Errol, John and the Manager Eliot.

I phone the number. A lady picks up and puts me through to John. It is noisy and John cannot speak proper English. I read him the waybill number four times - he does not understand the number 3 and keeps saying it is number 2. I make him repeat the number back to me so that he gets it right. He tracks the parcel and sees the problem. Now he doesnt understand, "because it has been a long time now". Yes, John, it has indeed. He mumbles something incoherent and eventually I gather that my package has gone missing. I ask to speak to the Manager, Eliot. John backtracks and says he will rather give me another number that I should call to sort the problem out.

I phone this new number. And it rings and rings. I have phoned it a few times since and no one has picked up. My Truecaller identifies the number as "Anna Sky Loss Control". I phone the number I have to speak to John. The lady puts me through but John never answers. I phone the same lady again and ask to speak to the Manager. She sighs heavily, but puts me through.

It seems that the worse your English, the higher your employment at Skynet. Eliot's English is next to non-existent. I say hello, he mumbles something, I ask him to repeat what he just said a few times until I gather he is looking for the waybill numer. It takes a few minutes for Eliot to get the waybil down. Ah, yes, he sees the problem. It has been a long time. He will have his superiors phone me back. He ends the call.

I try the Anna Sky Loss Conrol number a few times more, to no avail. It seems there is absolutely no customer care to be found at Skynet, which should not be surprising since they cannot perform their main function (logistics) either.