Poor service and communication

Dear We Buy Cars,

I am writing to express my disappointment with the overall experience I had during my recent interaction with your company. While I encountered several challenges throughout the process, I believe it is important to provide feedback in a constructive manner, highlighting areas where improvements can be made.

From the very beginning, my experience with We Buy Cars has been far from satisfactory. After finding a car I liked online at your Silver Lakes branch, I decided to proceed with the purchase. I went through the necessary steps and paid a R10k deposit online to reserve the vehicle, clearly stating my intention to add a deposit and finance the outstanding balance. Following this procedure, I promptly received the invoice via email.

However, after waiting for approximately two days, I had not received any communication from We Buy Cars. Upon reviewing the invoice, I noticed that Sipho from the Silver Lakes branch was designated as my sales agent. Despite my numerous email attempts to reach out, I received no response whatsoever. Frustrated, I resorted to contacting Sipho via WhatsApp, and even then, it took an excessively long time to receive a response. Only after this extended delay did I receive a request for the necessary documents, including proof of residence and ID. However, further days passed without any clarity on the progress of my purchase.

Eventually, feeling increasingly dissatisfied with Sipho's lack of assistance, I reached out to your customer care department and requested a different sales representative. Fortunately, the new sales agent, Gerrie, was somewhat helpful and managed to move the deal forward. I requested that the car be shipped to the Western Cape, where I planned to collect it. This request presented its own set of challenges. The manager at the Silver Lakes branch, Francois Venter, seemed unfami**** with the process of a finance deal for a car being delivered to a different branch. Consequently, I found myself guiding them through the necessary steps, including the transportation of the car to the Western Cape, scheduling a viewing, and even dealing with the car's lack of fuel for a test drive. Furthermore, I was disappointed by the overall condition of the vehicle upon arrival, as it was dirty and not properly prepared for delivery.

Since I am based overseas, I entrusted my partner to check the car and collect it on my behalf. He had to follow up multiple times a day to ensure effective communication between the sales agent, the F&I team, and the branch managers, just to keep the sale progressing. It became evident that we had to micromanage your staff and essentially perform their job responsibilities on their behalf. This was an unexpected burden, given that we were relying on your team's expertise and professionalism.

At the end of the day, we received a vehicle that was unacceptably dirty and had no fuel, contrary to the expectation set by the delivery fee, which supposedly covered the fuel costs. Additionally, the entire deal took over a month to complete, largely due to a lack of effective communication and unprofessionalism displayed throughout the process. It is disheartening to share that my partner had a disappointing experience when he called Annelee from the F&I team, as he felt disrespected by the laughter he encountered, which is far from the professionalism one would expect.

On a positive note, I must mention that Jonte from the Brackenfell branch was extremely helpful throughout the process. He was available and willing to assist my partner with viewing and test driving the car, showcasing a level of service that was greatly appreciated.