Account Deleted After Refund, Two Faulty Phones, No Help for Months – Shocked by Takealot’s Service

I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with the shocking service I have received from Takealot. In December 2024, I purchased a mobile phone from Takealot. When it arrived, the device could not switch on. I returned it for an exchange, only to receive a second device with the exact same fault. I then requested a refund in the form of a Takealot voucher so I could buy a different phone. I received a notification that the refund had been credited to my account — but the moment I tried to log in, I got an error saying my account had been “flagged for delete.” Here is the sequence of events:

Bought a phone in December 2025 from Takealot. Phone arrived faulty — it would not switch on. Exchanged the phone — the replacement phone had the same issue. Requested a refund to my Takealot account. Received refund notification, but could no longer log in.

Error message: “Account has been flagged for delete.”

Logged a ticket and was told the matter was escalated to the Data Compliance team. Despite contacting Takealot repeatedly, no one assisted me. By late January, the error changed to “Account does not exist.” Even today, I still cannot access my account, meaning:

I have no refund, no phone, and no access to the account I’ve used for years.

To make matters worse, I’m now being told that I “bought airtime” — which is impossible because I have not been able to log in since the refund was issued.

I have emails from agents confirming escalation, including the following message from Nabeel (Takealot) on 11 November 2025, confirming that my account was flagged and deleted, and that only the Data Compliance team can assist — yet no one has ever contacted me, and my issue remains unresolved. Takealot has:

Failed to honour my refund Deleted my account without just cause Sent me from pillar to post for months Left me with no product and no money

This experience has been unacceptable and far below the standard expected from South Africa’s biggest online retailer. I want immediate resolution: ✔ Restore my account OR confirm its status ✔ Provide the refund that was credited ✔ Confirm what happened to my data and account ✔ Provide written clarity from the Data Compliance team I have been patient for months. I now expect urgent action.