Unnaceptable customer service

I ordered a 10kg bag of dog food and two other items from Takealot on the 30th of November, 2025 and paid for next day delivery as I needed the dog food urgently. A small parcel arrived the following day (01 December), but there was no 10kg dog food. I immediately logged a query with Takealot.

The next day (02 December) I opened the small parcel, expecting to only find the two non-urgent items. To my surprise, I discovered Takealot had sent a 1kg bag of dog food. I immediately contacted Takealot and even offered to take the bag myself to their local warehouse for an exchange, but was informed this was not possible. Instead a replacement was logged. I later called Takealot and instructed that the return be refunded (along with the next day delivery fee) as I had purchased the necessary food elsewhere as I could no longer wait for Takealot to get their act together.

Takealot eventually collected the 1kg bag for return (03 December) and promised to mark the item for refund, but then dispatched a replacement on the 5th of December. Again, I immediately contacted customer service to inform them that a refund had been promised, but was told to wait for the item to be delivered before I could return it for a refund. Takealot delivered the item on the 8th of December to my partner, but did not inform me. I then logged a return on the 9th of December.

On the 10th of December, Takealot then proceeded to try collect from an address I have not used for over a year. This further delayed things. The return request had to be cancelled and a new return request was logged. The item was eventually collected on the 11th of December.

The refund was eventually processed on the 15th of December, however, when the funds reflected in my account, no delivery fee had been refunded. I then contacted Takealot on the 18th of December to inquire why the delivery fee had not been refunded only to be told I hadn't paid for next day delivery. On the 19th of December, I emailed proof of next day delivery having been paid, along with a bank statement showing the amount paid. Takealot eventually responded on the 22nd of December to say their records now show I had indeed paid for next day delivery and that the refund would be processed in the next 3-5 business days.

Having still not received a refund, I then contacted Takealot this morning (05 January, 2026) to get an update, only to be informed that because a partial delivery had been delivered on the 1st of December, they would not be refunding my next day delivery fee.

In amongst all of this, Takealot have blamed the supplier for putting the wrong barcode on the 1kg bag of dog food, making them unable to distinguish between a 1kg bag and a 10kg bag. Not only are the bags different weight, but also different sizes, so I cannot accept this weak excuse, even if the barcode was wrong.

Takealot have also issued me with a "sincere apology" for the "frustration and inconvenience" and that they "understand that an apology does not correct the situation". They also stated "We are definitely looking at ways we can provide a better service to our customers daily, and it's our customers' feedback that leads us in the right direction. We hope that this does not hinder your relationship with us, as we value you as a customer." This is just lip service and a weak attempt to try put a positive spin on what has been absolutely appalling customer service.

I will no longer be purchasing from Takealot following this ordeal as they clearly do not value me as a customer. I suggest others also reconsider their support of this company.