Woolworths South Africa
Reviews and Complaints

I'm so upset. I'm so upset.

The experience I had at the store when I went to make a payment onto my card turned into a horrid and horrendous one that caused me to miss a client meeting.

The store called me back into the store. That was just another blow after a stressful experience.

The worst part was that no one considered my time, how late it was, and how dangerous it was for me.

I was called back into the store without any explanation as to why I was called back into the store after they did processes incorrectly. I found out that they were calling me back because of their incompetence and irresponsible actions by not knowing how to resolve their problems at the right time.

Returning back to your store made me miss an important client meeting

I was unable to sit down and have dinner

Almost choked from having to eat while returning back to the store.

This was the worst experience of my life. I couldn't even begin to describe my level of frustration and anger over the fact that choosing to do a basic transaction in store turned out to be what ruined my day. Merely deciding to give you my money and being a local customer turned into the worst customer experience of my year.

You know, the disgusting part is when the girl who caused all of this didn't even say thank you or sorry.

A simple 'Thank you for taking the risk to leave your safety in the middle of the night to help me with my till, which is short of money, and now we are trying to balance it my wasting your time and balancing your till.

Not a thank you for helping,

Not a thank you for wasting my time or even considering my time and my business.

The only time they said thank you was when you were wasting my time.

How embarrassing. Imagine a customer in the store even asked me if I was lost or okay and if I needed help because I was standing there for so long, not even being updated on what was happening.

They took my card away from me in store and went away from where I can see what actions were being completed and no one told me what was happening when my card was away. You are not supposed to take my card away from me outside of my eye reach.

Then the manager says, 'don't worry, I'll compensate you after I told her that I do not want to be there at night, not considering anything that could happen to me, as though being compensated will keep me safe in the middle of the night.

Who compensates me for having to return from my house back to your store?

I missed a meeting because I was standing in the middle of Woolworths sorting out your problems, you had the audacity to chase me with a packet of Chuckles saying you are compensating me for losing 499.0 USD.

As a result of your incompetence and the putrid capacity of your team, I put myself in danger in this rape culture world.

This has really ruined the relationship I have with Woolworths, I've been with you as a loyal customer, and even now I was making a payment I did not need to make at this time.

I'd really appreciate it if you could.

Balance my account, run a debit order for everything, and close the accounts.

I'm good.

I was at Woolworths Airport Cape Town International

Thulisa Peter

On the 11th of November 2022, when I went to Woolworths Cresta Mall to credit a Levis jean that was bought by my wife. The management told me that this is not heir jean, and it was worn, therefor they won't exchange for me. I tried to explain to them that it was bought there on the weekend. With confidence the manager told to take that jean to where I bought it,

I was really humiliated and harassed in front of the customers and Woolworths staff. I never thought that would happen to me especially at that store as I always do my shopping there, I am really disappointed with the management.

I always do my shopping at the same Woolworths, when I went there to report it look like my case was not taken seriously. Therefore I have decided to consult with my lawyers maybe they will take me seriously.

Good day, I purchased a packet of chicken rashes from the woolworths in malvern (engen garage) durban, on the 09-11-2022 the sell by date is 17 november, I fried the packet yesterday morning for my family breakfast and the product tatsted sour and off, please bear in mind this is a firm favourite in our household and I was very dissapointed with this. Thankfully I tasted it and didnt serve it to my kids, who would of probably suffered from food poisoning. I am extremely upset and digusted. Please can you call me to further discuss the matter. Thank you

In the last month, I have purchased Woolworths pies from the Chatsworth branch. The first time I purchased the chicken and mushroom pies. The eating of the pie was a disappointing experience as the pie had mainly gravy and hardly any chicken.

On my second trip to the same shop,I decided to try out the roast chicken pies to see if it was any different. Again my expectations were not met. The pie had mainly gravy and a few pieces of chicken.

Woolworths products are meant to be a cut above the rest especially with the high price tag yet its disappointingly ordinary. I can say that the pies we buy from the Breadmill Essenwood are well worth their expensive price. Feeling extremely disappointed,I will not be purchasing pies from your store again.

Hi there, I am a regular Woolies customer branch Woolworths Queensquarters. I purchased Soya cultured yogurt on 8 November 2022 and when I got home that evening and the next morning I noticed that the yogust was gone off. Looked at the expiry date and it w 2 or 4 November 2022. I took it back to Woolworths yesterday, 9 November 2022 with my receipt and obviously the staff was embarrased as apparently this has never happened. They said that either they can refund the money or I can take a new product to that value R46,99 each got back R94.00. I informed the Manager that if it was another store and on the discretion of the manager (and as agreed by a couple of the staff at Woolworths) that the product would be given free and my money would also be returned. The manager refused to do so and I informed them that I will put this on faceback/social media. I even though I did not make a fuss but there were other customers that was aware of the fuss going on and some of them turned back and looked and smiled. The manager just shrugged his shoulder and worked away while the supervisor at the front desk (by the cashers) assisted me. Even though this did not happen and the reason why I did not make a scene or fuss at the store is because they are the nicest staff members but I hope that this does not happen again as next time it could be a very irate customer who could be different to me.

Oh good luck and this would not stop me from shopping there as I am diabetic and some of my products I buy from Woolies and as I leave about 5 minutes away this is the ideal place to shop. PS : Don't stop selling your wonderful soya cultured yogurt products as Woolies is the only store I can get them from.

Please note that I am not complaining but it is the principle that counts as of the Manager's attitude. Also please check your products, especially the expirty date/s on the the shelves and fridge.

All the best and have a wonderful festive season and holidays. Good luck and God Bless

A few months ago, I purchased 2 sets of 3 pure cotton socks from 2 different Woolworths stores in different towns. See the attached photos. I was not in need to wear them immediately. I used a pair after a while and yesterday took out another pair to wear. After wearing them I noticed a hole in one of the socks. See attached pictures. These are expensive socks and am thus requesting a refund for the pair.

Norma Loate employee number 7160098. You dont deserve to be part of woolies stuff. This employee thinks she is making customers favours by collecting thier approved already store cards just to collect. She made wait for 2 hours just to collect my card because of my green id booklet being lose. Rude and has a attitude forgetting she is on duty to help not create problems. I had to ask for assistance from the manger , which he was so helpful. Lastly would like to thank kelebogile matlabyana for saving the day, woolies need such employees who love what they do. She toke over and i got my card within 2mins, after being delayed for 2 hours from a very rude and so wena be a manger Norma and think its her family shop and thinking she can treat customers with no respect. She will be the course woolies lose customers acting like she is in charge. Again woolies i really appreciated stuff like kelebogile . She is an asset and keeps woolies name flying high. Woolies in Northgate mall

On 09/10/22 I ordered 4 x Rye Bread, 2 x Probiotic Yoghurt and onion flakes. 3 Items which cost me R60.00 to have delivered.

When the goods arrived the yogurt was not there nor was it replaced with a similar item as I instructed.

I look after a 82 year old bedridden lady with severe food intolerances and these are of the few foods she can take.

The driver informed me that everyone he is delivering to is shouting at him because half their orders are not being fulfilled.

The online woollies service has progressively been getting worse for the past 3 months, to the point where half the goods you order are not in stock and are not replaced - no matter what instruction you give on the delivery section. I have tried to get them to call to substitute but nothing.

Last month I ended up shopping at another shop rather than supporting them.

I have submitted a query online @ 12:20 on 10/10/22 and as at 21/10/22 there has been no effort to solve the query. Just passing the buck from one service desk clerk to another.

The online agent replied I should have chosen to have substitutes with out even looking at my order. The tone of the email was so condescending.

4 service agents later and they finally admitted that they have checked and I did in fact do as much.

For 4 days now they claim to have escalated it to a manager whose name they don't know, to an email address they cannot provide and still no call from said manager. The agent kept fobbing the issue off on the store.

No accountability has been taken in any way! None. They cannot even escalate it to their own internal department.

Buyer beware of them. Avoid at all costs if possible.

I will keep emailing on a daily basis, since it's the principle that counts.

I will not let this go.

How many other people are primary caregivers stranded looking after sick family members who cannot be left alone and they need what they order?

I am sure I am not alone, and for them I will fight this.

Hi,

So I have a credit card with woolies that I have being paying consistently. On the 26th of Sept I missed a payment, which I take full responsibility of.

However, on the 5th of Oct a consultant from their customer care, gave me a call to arrange a once off debit order of R1955 which went through successfully and reflects on my bank account.

When I go onto the woolies app, there’s nothing there. Shows no payment at all.

Can I tell you what, since then I’ve been receiving calls from every from everyone there, from different departments annoying me about a missing payment. I was asked to email proof of payment to “*********** which I did the whole entire week and also spoke to numerous unprofessional untrained call centre people with no manners.

Everyone tells me they cannot allocate my payment.

One the unprofessional people that I spoke to was Zaida Peterson…this one new nothing and sounded so tired and sleepy. I also spoke to a guy that had said he will log a fault to finance and another girl that said the same thing and many others. I have not had my email acknowledged nor received a single call for that nonsensical finance department. I have been told that the payments take a couple days to reflect from Absa bank and that finance takes a couple of days to respond too.

This morning, about an hour ago…I received a call Pamela Adonis that was also querying a non payment. I’m still in shock that she said there were no notes 😳 after I had spoken to almost 10 people. What a disaster 🚮

This Pamela was so apologetic and claimed she will have her manager call me straight away…clearly the politeness was fake and pathetic and I had told her that if I don’t get a call, I’m going to send a complaint. Obviously she didn’t care. No one cares really!

I am angry and frustrated! You guys are the most rude and unprofessional people. You lack customer service!

Yesterday I received an email from Nawaal Gladen asking me to send a proof of payment clearly he never read my other email. I’m just so frustrated that admits 2 weeks later my payment still forms f reflect. What kind of a business does that?

I received my bank statement as well which now shows that you guys will debit 2 payments.

I purchased the Raspberry & White Chocolate Mousse cake to serve at a dinner party on Saturday, 27 August.

The picture of the cake on the box was very inviting with a healthy filling of White Chocolate Mousse.

That was not the experience when we opened the box.

Attached are two photographs: One of the box lid and the other of the actual slice that was inside the box.

It was most disappointing.

I bought a 1kg bag of onions on Sunday the 14th of August 2022, I then opened bag on the 15th of August and took an onion out only for it to be rotting on the inside... I find this absolutely disgusting for the Woolworths promise. It is a long period of time before the expiration date, this is truly unacceptable. I am a constant shopper at Woolworths and have never experienced such. Also the lack of items is frustrating. You advertise special and when one arrives at the shop there's no stock. Woolworths standard is not as it use to be.

I placed an order online for a "so called special" that they were having for 1.5lt milk on 02-08-2022. The order was placed successfully and my money was debited. Delivery was to take place on 03-08-2022. I then get an email on 03-08-2022 to say my order has been cancelled and my money will be reversed after 7-10 days. They try call me on Sunday 07-08. I missed the call, so I call back, only to be answered by a rude, unprofessional impatient "customer service" agent. I explained to her I am trying to log into my emails to get my order number as she required it. The agent keep asking me in a rude manner, " I need the order number" and after telling her to be patient while I get it, bare in mind I'm using my own airtime to call this company, she then hangs up. I call back again, they tell me to then call my bank to release the funds. I then call my bank on Monday, who tell me that Woolworths needs to send authorization to release the money. I call Woolworths again and Gershon Fischer says he sent the request to the finance team to release the funds and it will take 5-7 days. I then get an email to rate the service on Wednesday which I did. Today, Friday, Aereen August calls me and apologizes and says that Gerschon did not send my details for the funds to be released. At this point, I'm so sick of Woolworths. Just release my money! I did not request for my order to be cancelled! YOU cancelled it because the product was out of stock, which should already be updated online before a customer purchases. This is such an inconvenience because I need my money, to purchase what I was purchasing online.

The Woolworths branch in Pretoria east - Faerie Glen (no.424) is being mismanaged.

The "waste" products that should be available for staff purchases is not being made available from 10am daily, and not being rescanned to the according reduced prices.

If the "waste" products are not sold then charities are not being contacted to collect and the products stay at the branch for 3 to 4 days at a time.

In addition, the management staff is rude and inconsiderate to pensioner staff that arrive to purchase the "waste" products.

Please see to it that this issue is resolved as soon as possible.

The second Woolworths branch in Pretoria east - on Atterbury road is completely neglected and is missing stock on the shelves for a long time.

The staff answers "we do not know" if asked where the missing products are or when will they be ordered again. (Some shelves are almost completely empty.)

22 July 2022

Purchased a cheeseburger for R56.99.

The quality of this does not meet Woolworth's standards, or the standards one would at least expect.

There was barely any sauce on the burger. the tomato and gherkins were so old looking, I removed them, yuk!

And the roll was DRY and days old. the best before date said 25 July. I could not imagine eating that 3 days later, it was already dried out and hard on the 22nd.

That was the worst burger I have ever bought.

Total ripoff !

I am utterly disgusted with Woolworth's Foods. Your roast chickens was R79 before Covid started. Since then your price went up to now currently R99.95 and this is for medium roastery. How on earth is this a reasonable increase in price? Your prices has always been higher than the average, but I buy from you as your quality is really good, but his is no excuse to push up your prices so high. You are forgetting the man in the street does not get increases like this. If anything you should attempt to rather lower you price as you prices are ridiculous. Also the Frozen Coffee Latte, I swipe my Woolies card to get the discount, last week it was still R38.95, now it is R40, and the assistant at the counter asked me if I want the slip, since when is that even a question, why ask, I am supposed to get a slip for everything I buy? Woolworths needs to start to listen to their customers as this is unacceptable. Also why do you only have the 2 roast chickens special price on Sunday.? You do not respect your clients religious believes either, that does not shop on a Sunday. It is clear you do not have your clients best interest at heart.

Being a huge fan of chuckles, finally decided to try chuckles ice cream which has been quite highly regarded. Yesterday I tried the ice cream, it was the most bland ice cream I have ever tasted. As it is my first try, I am.not sure if this is the std way you make this particular flavour , ..if you compare this to woolworths tin roof or any other ice cream it has no comparison. It has less sugar , no flavour and leaves you completely unsatisfied...I had to waste the ice cream which is quite disappointing as the price doesn't even compare.. I would have bought a pick n pay brand and been more satisfied. Being an ice cream lover, I really wanted to provide feedback on this flavour..I would.pay any day for tinroof which is quite delectable.

Good Day.

I purchased a bag of onions from Woolworths Cresta on 09th July 2022, with the label on the bag stating that the sell by date was 14th July 2022.

However, when I cut into an onion from the bag, it was horribly rotten and therefore had to throw out the whole bag. We cut into the onion a day after buying it and it was kept in a vegetable rack with no other vegetable, so there was no way of it being contaminated.

After applying for a credit card (already have active store card) I have been given the run around. Asking for my documents that they already have. I have been back & forth 3x times and now they said my application has expired. Even saying there was no designation on the police affidavit and I must go back yet it was there already. Disgusting malicious service

i blocked my credit card with woolies , but card was used in 2 other cites, that i was not in.

i want the transactions reversed.

i want to log a dispute form

i was a fraud case opened.

i want to close this account as woolies is authorising unauthorised transactions on my account.

i called the call centre and the agent were unable to give me a fruitful response.

the last lady i spoke to in frauds RUWAIDA, WAS RUDE AND CUT THE CALL.

I WAS ON THE CALL WITH 3 woolies agents, in those calls. it was cut 2x and was on hold for more that 15 minutes.

1 of the agents said hes working from home and cant refer me to manager/ supervisor after he could not resolve my issue