********* practices utterly unacceptable

I am highly unsatisfied with Takealot's customer service and the ********* practices I have experienced. Here is a detailed review of the service I received and why I find this situation utterly unacceptable.

I ordered a few items using a coupon code I received as a new customer. The coupon was worth R250 but had a R550 minimum spend. I selected items valued together just above R550, including a car FM player to enable Bluetooth in my car. This item was a piece of broken garbage when I received it. I went through all the necessary steps to return it and selected the option "refund to original payment method" as my preferred refund method.

Upon reviewing my tax invoices after the purchase, I noticed that the coupon was deducted from only two items in my cart: a book and some eyeliner, both specifically "sold by Takealot" and not by an independent seller on the platform. The invoice for the broken FM speaker stated it was R179, with no coupon deductions made from this item. When I completed the return process, I received an email stating the refund was concluded, leading me to assume that the refund would be processed and reflected in my account within 3-5 working days. This was on the 15th of May.

Six working days later, with no refund reflected in my account, I contacted customer service. I was informed that the refund had not been issued and that the matter would be escalated to the credit team, who would apply credit to my account. I reiterated that I requested a refund to my original payment method, as indicated on the tax invoice I attached to the email.

The response I received stated that a refund coupon of R179 had been issued on my ticket. However, no coupon was issued on my account, nor did I receive any email with such a coupon. I then received a survey to rate the support I had received, and I provided negative feedback, stating that the representative did not understand my request for a refund, not store credit.

Subsequently, I received an email from the same representative, providing more clarity on the situation. They explained that since I used a R250 coupon, any item returned or canceled would first reissue the coupon, and any remaining amount would be refunded. Since the return was R179, within the R250 coupon value, a new coupon was reissued on the 15th of May, expiring on 31st May 2024.

This was news to me, as I had never received any coupon on the 15th of May nor any credits on my Takealot account. I was led to believe that the refund would be processed to my bank account within 3-5 days. I understand the policy of deducting the coupon value from goods and refunding the remaining amount. However, I do not understand the ********* practice of applying the coupon to returned items when the tax invoice does not reflect this.

Additionally, I am highly dissatisfied that the coupon issued expires within the same month, forcing me to make a purchase quickly rather than at my leisure. This is unfair, given that I was sold a defective product.

I have sent an email to the customer service agent handling my case, including all the tax invoices showing the coupon application. While I am not upset with her, as she is just doing her job, I am still awaiting a response.

My satisfactory outcome is to have the full R179 refunded to my bank account. This is the only acceptable resolution, as the tax invoices do not reflect the actual practice. If the coupon amount was not deducted from this item, why should the refund reflect a coupon?

To add insult to injury, I found an item on Takealot for R149 with a collection shipping fee of R30, totaling R179. Exactly the amount of the coupon! However, upon checkout, I discovered that the coupon only deducts the item amount, and I still need to pay an additional R30 for shipping. This means I have to give Takealot more money after receiving a coupon for returning a defective item, experiencing horrible service, and being deceived.

Get it together, Takealot. I feel **** to and deceived.