*********, ********** sales, which would usually just put more profit in their own pockets!!

So, have just had issue after issue with an order, with some extremely dodge doings on TAKEALOT side. So i ordered a Lenovo Laptop after calling TAKEALOT and making sure there was stock of the model i wanted, and i even paid the extra R95 for next day delivery as it was urgent.

So, next day it is delivered, i was not there but someone was handed it, since no paper work, no signing, nothing, which is already not a good thing. The person who received it, with nothing to reference the product was correct, etc as well as the fact it would have passed 3 to 4 different departments on its way from the supplier, to the driver, the warehouse and then the next driver who delivered it.

Thats where the whole issue is, NOT 1 PERSON ON THAT WHOLE PROCESS EVEN CHECKED THE PART NUMBER, and what was delivered to me was to most peoples eyes the same thing, it was a different model number but it had identical specifications, my problem was i wanted a model that could take a NVMe M.2, and had done my research. The model they had sent although was identical specs was a lower model and didnt have all the same features, like a M.2 slot. This also meant that this model was cheaper than what i had ordered.

What is scary about that is, it was not an overly expensive laptop, and it was for my mother, who does not keep up with technology and all, and well i am sure there are many people just like her going for this deal what did look well priced, had it been the correct model.

So when i got to the laptop, and without really thinking i needed to check the model number, got started on recovering my mothers other laptop that crashed. While cloning the old HDD to the new SSD, i decided to check settings so i knew the clone would work, turned it on and... Model Number comes on the screen, the wrong model number.

Contacted TAKEALOT first thing the next day as it was already late since i was busy all day with a server install. The arrangement to collect the laptop had to be moved to my fathers house up the road, and after 5 attempts to give the address details and maybe 7-8 emails with the new address, i thought they must have got these details, yet the next day i am called while i was at a client, cause the driver is at my gate, i tried to call the driver and explain my father was 2 minutes drive from me as we needed to get this credit so we could buy another laptop ASAP.

I also called the TAKEALOT consultant, who promised me he would get the device collected later that day, which was one of many recorded lies from this whole ordeal. Bear in mind since TAKEALOT makes the clients request invoices from 3rd parties, even though TAKEALOT was the one that took my money, meaning they should have some proof to say money was received and item was therefore paid for by TAKEALOT to the third party, and well, it took almost 2 weeks just to get the invoice, and that driver came the next week Monday, even though i was promised that day, a Thursday, as well as for the Friday, and the Saturday, that it would be collected.

So now the laptop was at TAKEALOT, who then informs me it takes up to 2 days to return to supplier, and then up to 5 working days for investigation, even though the part number i ordered and what i received WAS INCORRECT. Since they were now messing me around and we needed a laptop urgently we had to spend more money elsewhere. Hoping the money would be paid back soon. I called daily and emailed daily with false promise after false promise coming back. I had also asked for the results of the investigation, as this whole thing was getting more and more dodge, especially since i have email proof from TAKEALOT who contacted the 3rd party supplier to check stock and was told there were almost 10 units left... Add the multiple checks where the staff missed something so important like a PART NUMBER, which is usually what a driver / collections crew would have to make checks with to make sure they have the correct items...

Anyways, now i was trying to get my refund back as soon as possible, and i sent my credit card details, the same details used on TAKEALOT to purchase the items, 4 times by email, twice over a whats app account i was given to speed up the process and even gave the details over a recorded call. And no matter what the next day i would be asked again. After a week of this i was fed up and gave them a last ultimatum, or i was going to go open a case of theft and *****.

On the day of the promised refund / ultimatum they informed me they had refunded and i must check my account in 2 days. Which then started it all up again, checked after 2, which was before a long weekend, and i knew would have been done in that way so they could blame the long weekend. I waited therefore till the following Tuesday to allow the banks time to run through transactions in their business hours. And when it was still not there, i called once again, only to be told that after i sent the bank details for the exact same account / cc they had done the purchase on, so many times they had no excuse to say they didnt have the details as i had delivery receipts and read receipts for most of the emails as well as my recorded call as proof... And what am i told... THEY CREDITED MY ACCOUNT, so i have a credit on my TAKEALOT account.

As you can imagine, this has wasted so many hours of my life already, their response to that issue now, was it takes up to 5 working days now again for the refund to be moved from the TAKEALOT account to the bank account, and yes, THEY ASKED ME TO SEND THE DETAILS ONCE AGAIN.

That refund finally came in a week and a half later, or in business days it was 7 days and well, i thought it was over, but have still asked at least twice a week for a credit note, since we need this for our records.

Reading the invoice 3 days ago i noticed an issue with the VAT amount on the original invoice, which i now need changed for my companies records, so that my side is done correctly and yes, i still need a CREDIT NOTE with the correct details on as well, as this is a requirement of SARS and is the law. Yet people at TAKEALOT seem to not follow these laws and as it stands they overcharged on VAT, so it would have helped them to do this all correctly so they can resolve their accounting issues so they dont have SARS problems on their side.

I do also still believe, since i was **** to, in order for me to place the order which was not the correct item, as well as made all the above issues, they should refund the delivery charges as well, i will be sending the relevant incorrect invoice, with the VAT discrepancy to SARS since i am still pretty much ignored by TAKEALOT, and after wasting over 3 hours just this week, trying to speak to someone at TAKEALOT, to try resolve this issue, and not even talking to 1 person since i guess they either have lost their respect for their clients or somehow have become like one of the countries SOE's and only care about themselves now.... Which is a very bad turn for what seemed like a very good ethical company once before, just shows how a country's people can only follow the paths, of those they see as leaders!