Rek Your Cheque: Pay back my money, TFG!

Left in the lurch as store cancels online purchase

I have been waiting for a refund from The Foschini Group (TFG) for over three weeks now.

Their service is downright disgusting!

On 15 November, I paid R999 with my debit card to The Foschini Group for a takkie bought at Sportscene.

After no communication from them, I called them on 19 November only to discover that they didn’t even have stock of the item when they took my money, and didn’t have the decency to notify me.

The consultant I spoke to didn’t even know their correct order procedure and delivery times as stated on their website.

TFG sent me an email on Friday, 20 November 2020, confirming that they had cancelled my order in an email which stated: “If you paid with a TFG store card or credit/debit card (I paid with a debit card) the funds that were reserved with the order will be reversed. We will be in touch shortly regarding refunds.”

*Reserved actually means debited/taken out of your account.

To date, I have spoken to eight representatives of TFG, two of whom are managers.

I have spent over 120 minutes of my own personal prepaid airtime trying to get my refund.

I have written an extensive email, naming everyone I have spoken to, detailing every interaction, listed the time and duration of every call – and I have received nothing but an automated response to say that my email has been received.

TFG is not sticking to their conditions of sale, delivery or refund policies as advertised on their website, and I am sure that I am not the only one that this has happened to.

Legislation to protect consumers shopping online:

The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA), governs consumer transactions, and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA), covers electronic transactions for the purchase of goods.

Both these Acts have been put in place to protect consumers and to ensure that the proper process is followed by suppliers and purchases when goods are bought, transactions are cancelled and items returned.

An important provision of the ECTA in respect of online shopping is the provision which requires suppliers to disclose pertinent information which allows consumers to make informed choices.

Two TFG representatives have now told me that their refund process for me to get my R999 back is as follows:

• They have to send an email to the TFG refund department.
• This department then emails me a letter.
• I then have to take this letter to my bank and request that the refund be done.

I asked one of the consultants if they expected me to go and stand in a line at the bank in this time of rising Covid numbers to get my refund – and they said yes.

I have noted the names and times of these calls in my email to TFG. They are welcome to listen to these calls.

Now, had TFG put up this refund policy anywhere on their website or in their communication with me, I would never, ever have purchased anything from them online. They didn’t, and now I am left R999 out of pocket with no goods to show for it!

The bigger picture:

This isn’t about me and my R999 refund, but about the person who has had a horrible 2020, yet saved up enough money to purchase something special online only to be disappointed.

This is about the mother who worked overtime to buy her child a birthday gift, only to have TFG just not bother to stick to their delivery or refund timeframes as advertised on their website and in their correspondence.

This is about the person who trusts that they will be refunded when the company (not them) cancels a sale.

This is about the person who can’t be put on hold for over 10 minutes listening to music, and who doesn’t have 120 minutes of prepaid airtime to try and get their money back from TFG.

More than anything this is about the person who might have needed that R999 refund to be made (in the timeframes as promised by TFG) as they had budgeted it for necessities like food, electricity or rent.

I will never buy anything online from any retailer that falls under TFG. Their lack of respect for their paying consumer, flouting of regulations and crappy attitude of some consultants and managers is disgusting.

I have already decided if TFG ever refunds my money, I will donate the R999 to The Saartjie Baartman Centre for abused women and children.

So if you know of anyone who works for TFG please ask them to pass this on to management and maybe tag TFG on social media.

Perhaps The Saartjie Baartman Centre can receive a boost of R999 before Christmas 2020.

Don’t ever buy anything from TFG online.

Their service SUCKS!

*Moeshfieka Botha is Head of Research and Consumer Education at National Debt Advisors.

For more debt and personal finance information visit www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za