Online order disaster!

I am so very annoyed and disappointed by the service I have received from woolies for over a month now, and still my funds have not been refunded.

Here is what has transpired: 17 December, whilst out of the country, I placed an online order order number ********** 670 totaling R9654.77 I asked that it be delivered on 20 December - I was going to be in town for 2 days before leaving for a further 2 weeks. Due to the busy season and my limited time-I relies on the CONVENIENCE of having the bulk of my shopping for the trip delivered at home by Woolworths. I received an sms notifying me that the order was going to be delivered later on the day, not in the time slot originally requested-which is common. The only part that was delivered was the xmas decorations and gift, NO GROCERIES. 21 December, STILL NO GROCERIES, nor confirmation message on when I can expect it: I physically went to Cavendish Woolworths to follow up on when the order was going to arrive There was a lot of confusion around who picked it and who was busy picking it and no one could answer why it was not delivered, NOR whether it was on its way or GOING to be delivered on that day! I made it VERY clear that i was leaving the following morning at 8am and there it was CRUCIAL that i had the items on that same day so that i could pack. I asked if i could cancel the order and simply start over and do the entire shop whilst i was there I was told the order cant be cancelled as it was already processed. I asked if, considering that i was there, I could then at least ‘pick my own order' and either take it with or have them deliver it I was told it was already picked-but no-one knew where it was or who had picked it or when it was due for delivery. Various managers were trying to get to the bottom of this and I received calls from the online shopping department. Eventually, I was assured that the order would receive urgent priority and attention and that it WILL DEFINITELY be delivered BEFORE the end of the day-The delivery arrived later that evening. But, my relief was short-lived. Only a FRACTION of the order came! There was not even a delivery note, invoice or list for the driver to check what was correct. We placed everything on the kitchen floor and had to take photos of it as the only reference! The driver contacted his department and tried to get to the bottom of this. I received more apologetic phone calls-Offers were made that the pickers will pick my order at midnight and that it will be delivered first thing the next morning. But, by now, I had lost all faith in some picker unable to correctly pick the items on my list (there was a mix up with some of the items AND an entire cooler box containing every cheese I DID NOT ORDER-which I rejected) I insisted that the order simply be cancelled, my funds made available again so that I can take matters into my own hands and go buy the items intended for my trip I was left so compromised: all the planning and thinking ahead i had done by placing this order was in vain! I had to reconcile what i received with what i ordered, compile yet another shopping list, Postpone our travel plans so that i could go and do the shop, again at the nearest Woolworths

I arrived at woolies Constantia at precisely 7am and spend another R9500 odd on groceries. When the funds were still not available in my account by 26th of December I started getting really annoyed as month end was coming and I have literally spent almost R20k with woolies and only had half the value to show for it, not to mention the stress and wasted hours! I received more calls, but they said that the order was not processed or completed on the system - the items that were delivered needed to be totaled and charged to my card-but with no documentation, the final amount could not be determined - the only reference was the picture of the few items on my kitchen floor. I understood that those items needed to be invoiced. I insisted that woolies needed to keep in mind that many of the items I ordered were part of the current promotions/specials run at the time-these discounts/credits could or was not app**** due to the promotion qty not having been delivered correctly!

After a few days, I looked at my statement and the amount that was originally reserved for the grocery part of this order was available again. so…I thought, Ok, this is woolies trying to make a mends, by actually NOT charging me for any of the items that WERE delivered that fateful evening (maybe to the value of between R1000 or so) I felt this was actually fair-I got something out of the whole ordeal- the fraction of the groceries that were delivered were ‘given’ to me, without charge! I put the whole experience behind me and have spend at least another R15k on groceries at woolies, since... Now, I am back at work and catching up on admin, and I came across an amount of R 8797.28 DEDUCTED from my Card for an online order! I look at my emails…on 4th of January—the SAME ORDER- is being PROCESSED AGAIN! So now, I have OFFICIALLY been charged for the order - tax invoice attached…money out of account, NO DELIVERY! I made it VERY clear that I did not want this order, as i have already gone and bought it myself. and-it is VERY obvious that the items that were invoiced WERE NOT DELIVERED EITHER... So why on earth would the order be processed 2 weeks after it was meant to be delivered? Please all check your accounts regularly, just incase woolies decides to process an order without any proof of Delivery???

Not only have I had to spend triple the time on the same order-once online, second checking and making yet another list as to what i need to get when the order was not delivered correctly, I had to endure busy shopping malls and long waits in queues when i was supposed to be spared that by ordering online. To make things even worse! I have to spend my time typing this email and try and get my money refunded!!! I am a big woolies fan and spend A lot per month at your stores, but this has really left my enthusiasm for woolies in tatters! Today, 27 Jan....I still don’t have my money refunded and I have to endure incompetence as woolies is trying to ‘figure’ out, what has happened!!! This is theft, incompetence at best and simply unnaceptable! I will now lay a charge of theft at SAPS against the magnets and Directors in their personal capacities if this is not sorted out in the next 6 hours. I expect a competent director (I have my doubts) to sort this out.