Unable to Access Course Material, Denied Receipt of Payment Despite Written Confirmation from Payfast

I enrolled with SMT Training Centre and paid for my course through the payment facility provided on their website.

The issue began when I was unable to access the online learning material that I had paid for. When I contacted SMT Training Centre for assistance, the matter eventually developed into a payment dispute.

I supp**** the automated payment confirmation generated by their website as well as proof of payment from my bank. Despite this, I was repeatedly informed that no payment had been received.

To assist in resolving the matter, I contacted Payfast directly. Payfast subsequently confirmed to me in writing that the payment had been successfully received and that the funds had been paid out to SMT Training Centre. They further confirmed that the funds were not being held by Payfast.

Despite this written confirmation from their own payment provider, SMT Training Centre continued to maintain that no payment had been received and repeatedly requested that I continue liaising with Payfast on their behalf.

What I found most concerning was the lack of accountability and professionalism throughout the process. Rather than investigating the matter directly with their payment provider, I was expected to act as the intermediary while providing the same information multiple times.

Communication deteriorated further during the process. Emails often went unanswered, and telephone conversations became increasingly unproductive. As a paying customer, I found the overall experience frustrating and unnecessarily time-consuming.

Ultimately, I was forced to open a dispute with my bank. Following their investigation, the dispute was resolved in my favour and the funds were credited back to my account.

My dissatisfaction is not simply because a problem occurred. Payment disputes can happen. My concern is that even after written confirmation from Payfast that the funds had been received and paid out, the matter was not handled in a professional, transparent, or customer-focused manner.

Based on my experience, I would not recommend SMT Training Centre.