multiple times orders placed on items on special and in stock, 2 weeks after i have placed the order and paid i do a follow up only to hear the items is no longer in stock or the price has suddenly changed.

Takealot has basically the worst customer service of any online retailer in SA, but what is surprising is that this was not always the case.

on 8May 2017 i placed an order on their website for an item advertised as a ASUS GTX980Ti, i paid the item immediately as it was in stock and waited. 2 weeks later i checked and the order was still listed as waiting for stock. When i followed up with takealot, i merely get an email stating they had the item listed incorrectly and that it was no longer in stock. no effort was even made by takealot to recommend something else or similar, just the order cancelled and the amount credited. i requested a refund be made as i was already upset with takealot to wait 2 weeks before telling me they cannot fulfill my order, and then the refund takes another 7 days.

on 21 june i place another order for 2x GTX1080's which is in stock, again i wait 2 weeks and do a follow up, exactly the same outcome as with the 980ti.

on 4 september i place an order for 5 items (dog food and a cable). everything is going well, i check the order and it is sent for delivery. on 8th september it gets delivered, however 2 items are missing from the order. i follow up with takealot and i get feedback that they will be investigating. i explain to them that it is not critical, however i will be on leave from the 13th until the 25th september and that they need to communicate this with the courier company as i will not be at home to receive the order. on the 14th i receive calls from the courier to deliver and explain i cannot as i am 500km away from home, 15th same thing, 18th same thing, 19th same thing, 20th same thing. finally i had to ask one of my work colleagues to go to my house and receive the order on my behalf from the courier. The worst is that ever since my last communication from takealot that they will give me feedback on the status and why it was not shipped together, i only received feedback from them today 9 october again after asking them for an update.

25th september i order and pay for a 3d printer and filament for the printer that is on special and in stock, expected lead time for stock is 7-10 working days. giving takealot the time, today i follow up with them. i simply receive an email that the printer is no longer in stock but they will send me the filament for the printer. again 2 weeks has passed and i had to request an update on the order before being told sorry we cant fulfill your order. furthermore, takealot would like to give me the consumables for the 3d printer that i ordered but not the actual printer that is required to use the consumables.

it seems that takealot is very quick to advertise their specials or stock as available and to take your money , but then keep quiet on the delivery as they cannot provide you with the ordered items, probably hoping you would forget about it. further, their pathetic customer service, which i have told them numerous times about, where they would not even take 2min to phone a customer and explain the situation even how absurd it may be. do they not understand that a 2 min phone call can defuse a persons anger and frustration within seconds no matter how bad the mistake they have made. basic customer service. and my last concern is the fact that they do not actually give you feedback, they wait for you to contact them every time, otherwise they do not see that there is a problem.

i have been a loyal customer at Takealot for the past 6 years, recommending them to colleagues. companies, friends and family. Personally spending over R250 000 with takealot in that period, but with service like this and lately cheaper competitors, i doubt i would even spend another R5 with takealot ever again.