Takealot sold a Faulty iPhone and won't refund or send my device back to me.

Takealot has basically ****** R18 999.00 from me, to say it bluntly...

I bought a brand-new iPhone 13 Pro Max from Takealot, and from day one, the battery was faulty — randomly dying and restarting, with the phone warning that the battery wasn’t genuine or properly installed.

Takealot collected the iPhone on 16th of May 2025, and since then, it’s been with the supplier. I was only told on 11th of June 2025 that my refund was rejected, blaming a charger cable — even though the issue was clearly the battery.

I’ve had no proper follow-up. One vague email said there were “collection issues” and no one on customer care can tell me when I’ll get it back, i managed to briefly get in conntact with the supplier and they stated that Takealot keeps getting the wrong address, how do you repeatedly get the wrong address for 11 days now, as one of South Africa's largest retail platforms I'd think they should know how to deal with an address issue if it is really just that. I'm begining to think that there are some underlying issues with the iPhone that Takealot is trying to hide and that's the reason they won't send it back to me.

In the begining I was reassureed countless times that if the device is at the supplier for 21 days that Takealot will personally give me a refund, now that it's been over 21 days, when I ask about the refund they say they awaite an update, this was never the agreement. So they promise you a refund and after the 21 days when it's time for them to put their money where their mouth is they can't help you. Try phone customer care, all they can do is "esculate" the situation which is what they have been doing for the past 11 days bringing us nowhere. This is unacceptable.

After more than a month I still don't have my prodcut, clarity, delivery tracking or a full refund as they promised I would recieve if I don't recieve my iPhone within 21 days. Once I recieve my device, if I ever do, I'll have to spend R1200.00 on a new Apple battery — for a phone that was faulty when sold to me.

I’m highly disappointed and extremely frustrated with the service and lack of accountability from Takealot. I will not recommend Takealot to anyone.