Before Buying Your LG Product from Takealot / takealot.com - Read This First

Please note - The real issue here isn’t the microwave - it’s the service handoff failure and the lack of ownership from the retailer side. That’s what people need to understand before buying. And honestly - I'm through with Takealot - Amazon, here I come.

Dear Reader, I want to be very clear from the start: My issue is not with LG. My issue is with Takealot’s handling of a legitimate product fault and their lack of meaningful customer support.

This review is written so that other customers understand what may actually happen if your product arrives faulty.

This is my account of what transpired:

I purchased an LG microwave through Takealot. Shortly after delivery, I noticed a clear fault: The clock runs faster than real time and cannot keep accurate time.

I tested it multiple times to confirm the issue before contacting Takealot. I did not ask for a refund - only a replacement of a faulty unit.

Seems simple enough - doesn't it? I mean, it was that straightforward.

Yet, instead, here’s how it unfolded with this major online supplier:

#1 The First Red Flag - Misclassification of the Problem Takealot initially advised that the return should be logged as: > "Not What I Ordered"

That is factually incorrect. I just wanted a working microwave. I received the correct item but the item was faulty. Why do I have to misrepresent that the product received was incorrect?

#2 I Provided Everything Requested - Immediately I responded promptly and professionally, supplying:

* Replacement request (not refund!!) * Pickup preference * Full address * Photographs of the faulty unit

Exactly as requested.

At this point, the process should have moved toward a replacement - I mean everything seemed to go in that direction.

Alas.. Instead…

#3 The Responsibility Was Pushed Onto Me

Takealot then proceeded to informed me that:

> The item needs to be handled directly with the manufacturer.

Excuse me? Come again? Let’s pause here.

I did not purchase from LG. I purchased from Takealot.

When you buy from a retailer, the expectation is simple: The retailer owns the customer experience.

Passing the customer directly to the manufacturer - without structured support - is NOT service. It’s outsourcing responsibility.

#4 They Provided a Mobile Phone Number for this process I need to undergo with LG - Again No Real Support was intended by Takealot.

After requesting assistance, I was given:

* A single phone number * No contact person * No escalation reference * No written guidance beyond generic steps

Naturally, I tried to call.

Result:

* Calls went straight to voicemail * The voicemail mailbox was full * No way to leave a message * No alternative contact method provided

This left me stuck right where I started. Joy.

#5 No Ownership

When I expressed frustration, the response was:

> This is standard operating procedure. > Contact the manufacturer and return with a credit note.

And that may be their policy, but here’s the problem: Policy without support equals ...? Nothing Giving me a so called policy to follow which leaves me with NO OUTCOME - is not a policy at all.

I believe a large retailer should at the very least:

* Facilitate the warranty process * Assist escalation * Provide reachable contacts * Maintain at least some accountability

Instead, I was handed a number and told to figure it out.

This complaint is not about the product but gross accountability failure.

Besides the fact that Takealot:

❌ Misclassified the fault ❌ Did not manage the warranty process ❌ Passed responsibility to me, the customer ❌ Provided unreachable contact details ❌ Offered no fallback solution when the number failed ❌ Took no ownership of resolution

Gave no proper customer service. And I am truly disgusted and so very disappointed with Takealot. This experience erased any trust I had in the brand.

I hope this review finds Future Buyers - so that you are well aware of where you'll stand should your purchase not be up to par.

If you're buying electronics from Takealot understand this:

- If the product is faulty, you may very well be required to manage the manufacturer process yourself.

That includes:

* Calling manufacturers * Waiting on unreachable support lines * Navigating warranty systems independently * Returning to Takealot only after you obtain documentation

That’s a significant operational burden placed on the customer. And nowhere in the purchasing journey is this risk made sufficiently clear.

My Advice:

Before purchasing electronics from Takealot:

- Understand their warranty workflow - Confirm who handles faults - Ask how replacements are managed - Be prepared to contact manufacturers directly - Document everything from day one

Because once the fault happens, you may be left holding the logistics baton.

I hope I have saved at least one person from this frustration.

Takealot markets itself as a premium online retailer. But premium logistics without premium customer ownership is just branding. (So job well done to the marketing department) Customer service isn’t tested when things go right - It’s tested when something goes wrong.

And in this case.. Takealot failed that test.. and this experience has placed them among the least responsive service providers I have dealt with.