Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Zara in South Africa draws sustained criticism across almost every touchpoint. Customers consistently describe refused returns on garments that failed after one wear, refunds that never reach their bank accounts, online orders stuck on processing for weeks, and store managers who dismiss complaints. A recurring theme is the absence of any phone or email channel, leaving shoppers reliant on chat agents who redirect them back to stores.
Top Strengths:
- •Product Quality & Value: The strongest theme only in relative terms. Customers praise the design and styling of new collections and a few report amazing quality and accurate sizing, but peeling leather jackets, pilling hoodies, shrinking linen and collapsing shoe soles dominate.
TrustIndex
1.9
NPS Score
-80
Recommended: Unlikely
Oct '25 - Sep '26
Frequently Asked Questions About Zara
What do customers say about Zara?
Based on recent customer reviews, Zara in South Africa draws sustained criticism across almost every touchpoint. Customers consistently describe refused returns on garments that failed after one wear, refunds that never reach their bank accounts, online orders stuck on processing for weeks, and store managers who dismiss complaints. A recurring theme is the absence of any phone or email channel, leaving shoppers reliant on chat agents who redirect them back to stores.
What is Zara's biggest strength?
Zara's biggest strength, according to Hellopeter's AI analysis, is Product Quality & Value. The strongest theme only in relative terms. Customers praise the design and styling of new collections and a few report amazing quality and accurate sizing, but peeling leather jackets, pilling hoodies, shrinking linen and collapsing shoe soles dominate.
What are the most common complaints about Zara?
The most common complaint about Zara, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Delivery, Fulfilment & Logistics. Online orders repeatedly sit on Order received or Being processed for weeks, with delivery dates pushed two or three times, orders cancelled the day before arrival, drivers claiming addresses do not exist and parcels dropped at stores without notice.
Is Zara trustworthy?
Zara has a TrustIndex of 1.9 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 52 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Zara across 982 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (52)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Feb 2018
Zara Menlyn has employees that are not interested in helping or assisting
Zara Menlyn has employees that are not interested in helping or assisting. Poor people skills, no diligence, extinct sense of urgency. They don’t mind a customer leaving and not purchasing due to their poor customer services. For a clothing brand that offers value and luxury the employees there are the opposite. Please take those ladies to training
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2018
Zara Menlyn has employees that are not interested in helping or assisting
Zara Menlyn has employees that are not interested in helping or assisting. Poor people skills, no diligence, extinct sense of urgency. They don’t mind a customer leaving and not purchasing due to their poor customer services. For a clothing brand that offers value and luxury the employees there are the opposite. Please take those ladies to training
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2016
ZARA shocking service - beware return policies!!!
Firstly I should be a VIP customer at Zara SA online - for the amount I spend each month! I buy for my family as well as myself. ... not joking. I purchased 3 boxes of underwear for my son it arrived today. No one opened the boxes as he said he doesnt like Zara underwear, something about the material. Anyway his preference. Went to return/exchange unwanted unopend purchases and Manager said it was against policy. Nothing he could do. BEWARE SECRET POLICIES....
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2016
ZARA shocking service - beware return policies!!!
Firstly I should be a VIP customer at Zara SA online - for the amount I spend each month! I buy for my family as well as myself. ... not joking. I purchased 3 boxes of underwear for my son it arrived today. No one opened the boxes as he said he doesnt like Zara underwear, something about the material. Anyway his preference. Went to return/exchange unwanted unopend purchases and Manager said it was against policy. Nothing he could do. BEWARE SECRET POLICIES....
1 reviews | Active since Aug 2026
Refund withdrawal
I bought 2 dresses at Zara Menlyn on the 14th of August. Yesterday (19th of August) I went to the store to exchange one of the dresses for a bigger size, and other one I returned for a refund, the cashier who was helping me with the refund then called a guy named Jabu for authorisation, he then withdrew my refund, claiming I returned an item that is in an unsellable condition. He claims the dress has stain marks and the store policy does not refund if the item bought it was not in the condition it left the store. My frustration is that I never wore the dress and I was returning it because i realised that I don’t like the dress. It makes no sense to me that a dress that I never wore is in an unsellable condition. While I was engaging with Jabu, he kept saying any complaints I have should be logged onto the website, there is no direct communication between the store and I, I asked for an email address or a way that I can contact to customer care and he kept referring me to the website. I cannot not even add their email address below because they don’t have one. For further information you can contact me on ***, my email address is ***.
1 reviews | Active since Aug 2026
Refund withdrawal
I bought 2 dresses at Zara Menlyn on the 14th of August. Yesterday (19th of August) I went to the store to exchange one of the dresses for a bigger size, and other one I returned for a refund, the cashier who was helping me with the refund then called a guy named Jabu for authorisation, he then withdrew my refund, claiming I returned an item that is in an unsellable condition. He claims the dress has stain marks and the store policy does not refund if the item bought it was not in the condition it left the store. My frustration is that I never wore the dress and I was returning it because i realised that I don’t like the dress. It makes no sense to me that a dress that I never wore is in an unsellable condition. While I was engaging with Jabu, he kept saying any complaints I have should be logged onto the website, there is no direct communication between the store and I, I asked for an email address or a way that I can contact to customer care and he kept referring me to the website. I cannot not even add their email address below because they don’t have one. For further information you can contact me on ***, my email address is ***.
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2019
Defective Goods
Heartbroken 💔 Bought this Zara suit for my birthday 28/07 to wear in Europe. FIRST wear and it tore. Tags were STILL ON. Never washed. Went back to Zara [Kungwini store] and the manager refused a refund + was rude. Contacted Zara online and they ALSO refused. Under the Consumer Protection Act I deserve a refund for defective goods. @zara_sa @zara please do the right thing. #ZaraSA #CustomerServiceFail #ZaraRefund
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2019
Defective Goods
Heartbroken 💔 Bought this Zara suit for my birthday 28/07 to wear in Europe. FIRST wear and it tore. Tags were STILL ON. Never washed. Went back to Zara [Kungwini store] and the manager refused a refund + was rude. Contacted Zara online and they ALSO refused. Under the Consumer Protection Act I deserve a refund for defective goods. @zara_sa @zara please do the right thing. #ZaraSA #CustomerServiceFail #ZaraRefund
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2021
Zara Missing Order
I placed my order on the 31st July, it is now the 17th August. Nothing. It keeps being delayed. No contact number to call for Zara, no email. Nothing. Where is my order: ***? I want a refund. Janine
1 reviews | Active since Aug 2026
Zara bad service Verusha Hardwal
I was at Zara Gatway Durban yesterday and had the worst experience that Verusha Hardwal refused to resolve. She is the GM apparently that was too busy on her phone to resolve a customer issue. I requested and waited for her until I left. She kept saying she was busy on the phone and would call me another time. I was standing right there, why could she not call whoever back!?? I attempted to buy a jacket priced R769 on the floor but the till price read R1699, I was returning another item and because I didn’t have my husbands card in me, I opted to exchange it and purchase the jacket, it was only when they saw the price tag that they called the manager Bandile and he refused to sell me the jacket, I had no way of getting a refund except to exchange. He too refused and that’s when I asked for the GM and was denied that too. I had to leave with a voucher I didn’t want and a handful of “No’s” from all the staff. According to CPA I was entitled that jacket and instead was told that they made a mistake and that they couldn’t refund me either. I find it unfair that Zara staff can treat customers like this and simply say they will call you rather than dealing with the issue. I did inform them that I would be laying a formal complaint. This is step one. I am expecting a response only with a solution. If I do not get a response I will take my complaint elsewhere, where I will be heard.
1 reviews | Active since Aug 2026
Zara bad service Verusha Hardwal
I was at Zara Gatway Durban yesterday and had the worst experience that Verusha Hardwal refused to resolve. She is the GM apparently that was too busy on her phone to resolve a customer issue. I requested and waited for her until I left. She kept saying she was busy on the phone and would call me another time. I was standing right there, why could she not call whoever back!?? I attempted to buy a jacket priced R769 on the floor but the till price read R1699, I was returning another item and because I didn’t have my husbands card in me, I opted to exchange it and purchase the jacket, it was only when they saw the price tag that they called the manager Bandile and he refused to sell me the jacket, I had no way of getting a refund except to exchange. He too refused and that’s when I asked for the GM and was denied that too. I had to leave with a voucher I didn’t want and a handful of “No’s” from all the staff. According to CPA I was entitled that jacket and instead was told that they made a mistake and that they couldn’t refund me either. I find it unfair that Zara staff can treat customers like this and simply say they will call you rather than dealing with the issue. I did inform them that I would be laying a formal complaint. This is step one. I am expecting a response only with a solution. If I do not get a response I will take my complaint elsewhere, where I will be heard.
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2021
Disgusting Online Service
I am writing to formally express my disappointment and frustration regarding my order placed on 03 July. Since placing the order, I have experienced repeated delays, with the delivery date being postponed twice. More concerning is that one of the items in my order remains stuck on "Being Processed" and has shown no progress whatsoever. I have made numerous attempts to obtain an update through your customer service channels. Unfortunately, the agents have been unable to provide any meaningful information regarding the status of my order. I have also reached out via your Instagram direct messages, yet I have not received any proper feedback or explanation. What is particularly frustrating is the possibility that my order may be cancelled after weeks of waiting. I purchased these items for specific plans and occasions, and the continued delays and lack of communication have caused significant inconvenience. I find the level of service and lack of accountability from Zara's online store unacceptable. Customers should not have to chase updates for weeks without receiving clear information about their purchases.
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2021
Disgusting Online Service
I am writing to formally express my disappointment and frustration regarding my order placed on 03 July. Since placing the order, I have experienced repeated delays, with the delivery date being postponed twice. More concerning is that one of the items in my order remains stuck on "Being Processed" and has shown no progress whatsoever. I have made numerous attempts to obtain an update through your customer service channels. Unfortunately, the agents have been unable to provide any meaningful information regarding the status of my order. I have also reached out via your Instagram direct messages, yet I have not received any proper feedback or explanation. What is particularly frustrating is the possibility that my order may be cancelled after weeks of waiting. I purchased these items for specific plans and occasions, and the continued delays and lack of communication have caused significant inconvenience. I find the level of service and lack of accountability from Zara's online store unacceptable. Customers should not have to chase updates for weeks without receiving clear information about their purchases.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2026
I purchased a "leather jacket" from Zara Man at The V&A Water Front Cape Town a couple of years ago which is now fraying and peeling
I purchased a "leather jacket" from Zara Man at The V&A Water Front Cape Town a couple of years ago which is now fraying and peeling. Genuine leather should not do this. I have tried emailing them, calling them and all they have available to communicate is a Bott chat site which is useless.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2026
I purchased a "leather jacket" from Zara Man at The V&A Water Front Cape Town a couple of years ago which is now fraying and peeling
I purchased a "leather jacket" from Zara Man at The V&A Water Front Cape Town a couple of years ago which is now fraying and peeling. Genuine leather should not do this. I have tried emailing them, calling them and all they have available to communicate is a Bott chat site which is useless.