Unreliable platform- Repeated Delivery Failures, Cancellations & Extra Fees

I am extremely disappointed with Takealot's delivery service. This is no longer an isolated bad experience — it has happened repeatedly across multiple orders.

With every single order I placed, I specifically used the location filter and ticked Johannesburg and Durban because I wanted stock from those locations only. I did this deliberately to avoid ordering stock from other locations and to give myself the best chance of receiving my orders within the advertised delivery timeframe.

Despite this, I have repeatedly experienced delays, orders not being delivered when promised, and situations where I only find out on the day the order is supposed to be delivered — or after I have already been waiting — that it is not actually going to arrive.

I have had multiple orders that I eventually had to cancel because of these ongoing delays and the lack of reliable communication.

The latest situation is particularly frustrating. After another delivery problem, I was advised that Takealot would cancel the order and reorder the item so that it would come from Johannesburg. But Johannesburg was already one of the locations I had specifically selected when placing the order. In fact, I had done exactly the same location selection for this order as I had done for all the others.

So why was the original order not simply fulfilled from the locations I had specifically selected?

To make matters worse, the replacement order resulted in me being charged an additional delivery fee. I therefore ended up paying more because Takealot cancelled and reordered the item — and I still did not receive the item as expected.

This is incredibly frustrating as a customer. I have repeatedly done my part: I select the locations I want, choose products based on the availability shown, place the order and pay for it. Yet I am repeatedly left waiting, only to discover at the last minute that Takealot cannot deliver.

The lack of communication is one of the worst parts. If Takealot knows that an order is not going to be delivered on the promised date, why is the customer not told as soon as that becomes apparent? Why allow someone to wait for days, plan around a delivery, and then only tell them when the delivery date arrives that it isn't coming?

At this point, the problem isn't simply "a late delivery." It is the repeated combination of unreliable delivery dates, poor communication, cancelled orders, having to cancel orders myself, reordering, and even being charged additional delivery fees — without actually receiving the items when promised.

I used to rely on Takealot because I expected that the delivery information provided at checkout meant something. After these repeated experiences, I simply cannot rely on those delivery dates anymore.

Takealot needs to seriously address its stock-location system, fulfilment process, delivery estimates and communication with customers. Customers should not have to repeatedly chase orders, cancel orders, reorder products and pay additional delivery fees because Takealot cannot fulfil an order that was placed according to the options provided on its own platform.

This has been an extremely disappointing experience, and the latest order has completely destroyed my confidence in Takealot's delivery service.