Don't order from the Swatch Group South Africa online store

I ordered a watch from Swatch online on the 27th of Aug 2022 for my daughter's birthday - which is on Saturday the 24th of Sept. According to the site there was stock of the particular watch I ordered and it would arrive in time for her birthday.

I decided on a Swatch because my very first watch was a Swatch and my daughter's only birthday wish is to have her own "real" watch.

The reason for my upset is that Michael Thlapi informed me on Thursday last week that "unfortunately the watch was not included in the shipment they received and they will investigate and I should now choose something else. How come no one advised me? I had to find out when I followed up on when I can expect delivery.

He sent a couple of links to alternative options - none of them look like the one I ordered.

I rep**** to him saying that I am very unhappy about the situation as no one took the trouble to inform me in a timely manner- I had to follow up on them and it was quite a shock to realise I have no gift for my daughter's upcoming birthday!

I also asked him what can be delivered to me in time for my daughter's birthday and now he is not getting back to me with a reply.

Buying her a Swatch was my choice (which I regret now) but the problem is I won't have anything to give to her on her birthday and she is turning 9!! This is totally unacceptable and I expect Swatch to sort this out. I want to make my little girl's dream of owning her very first 'real' watch come true.

The Swatch team will have to get their act together and sort me out with the watch I ordered or something that is at least similar and acceptable to me. I find it very misleading that they advertise the watch as available and they take my money for it, promise to deliver it within a few working days, and now I must just be happy to go with something else that is not even similar to what I ordered and I don't even get a reply whether whatever watch will be delivered to me in time for her birthday.