Pick n Pay
reviews and complaints

On the 30th of april at 6h00 in the morning, we saw an explosion outside our house and on our electrical fencing. If it was not for our neighbors and husband quick response our house could have been on fire. The delivery truck drove off and a few of the community members confronted him, at first he denied it, but then admitted to driving into the pole, his actions has caused numerous families and houses left without electricity. The driver refused that we took a picture of him. Our refrigerator, wifi, food can go off, we have no idea how long we will be without electricity, we are unable to cook. Hence our community being against rosmead pick pay opening up here in the first place.

The staff at Pick n Pay Tableview are downright rude. They do not greet, they do not smile, and do not want to talk to customers. The one in particular yesterday, only spoke to her colleague, the one packing, in their own language. They obviously have had no training, otherwise they would not be acting as they do. They seem to be clueless about customer service and how to behave. This is not the first time either!
We have thus decided not to visit the Tableview branch again. Staff with that kind of attitude are will simply chase customers away.
Indeed a sad state of affairs!
Pierre Marais.

This it such a dissapointment! Finally found a nappy I'm really happy with in canparison to the price. But lately I will rather pay more and buy another brand! I have submitted a complaint about this already and no feedback! For the 5th time in 2weeks I have had to wake up my sleeping one year old to clean her and dress her in dry clothes and clean the linen. Because your nappies just simply go open in the sides at the first sign of fluid! Causing all the urine and gel to pour out and wet everything and the gel gets stuck all over. I change my baby 2 times at night to make sure she is always dry. After urinating only once the nappy goes open on the sides and its a mess! I still have 4 closed packs that I need to use! I wil not recommend this product to any mom nor will I ever rate your service as satisfying! No feedback and you just don't care anymore!

On the 24th of March i went to pick n pay River Park in Kuilsriver to buy toilet paper. I took them with the price that was writtten on the shelf but when i get on the tills the price went higher. Since the cashier was not having a till packer she asked me to fetch the price so that the supervisor can assist. I went to fetch the price and the cashier called Supervisor to assist the supervisor by the name Amanda was so rude and accused me of changing the price on the shelf. She said she does not have a proof that the price i took was on those toilet papers so i changed it. Was so angry after i have waisted my time and the wrong pricing on the shelf she accused me of changing the prices. I stay in Kuilsriver and i do my shopping there i mean i am a regular customer now how can i just change prices on the shelf? I think its about time i take that pick n pay to news papers as it is for the 2nd time i had a complaint there.

I bought a paw patrol Skye shirt for my daughter yesterday. When I opened the packet now, I saw that they did not remove the dye protection. I am in KZN on holiday and I so not have transportation of my own. I feel this is geosst negligence on the PNP staffs side and now I have to arrange another Uber at my own expense to go back to correct their error. I spend so much time and money at PNP wonderboom junction because I generally love PNP products, but after this experience I promise that PNP will never see me again

Bought a pie at your Cavindish outlet 20 March 2019 in the middle of the day. It was dreadfully stale pastry was was like cardboard. My complaint is how can you rip the consumer off like this. Was in a rush to get to film shoot no time to return it. Normally I get pies at the small family store in Kenilworth main Rd, but couldn't find parking. The pies there are always good.
Thx Barrie Elliott [protected]@gmail.com Ph [protected]

So I shopped at pick n pay vangate and I had discounts loaded on my pick n pay card. I swiped my card and the R9 for each pack of fillets did not come off. Smart shopper was sent a email with the details and they said they will load it into my card. It is about 2 weeks already and nothing was loaded. I don't know why I have to complain everytime. I don't think this is on. It takes up of my time to write a complaint everytime before something gets done and I don't even gets compensation for my time. I don't think this is fair. If someone could assist please.

Good day,

I put in a query to Pick n Pay Lemon Tree and still have not had a response from them. If this matter is not addressed, I will take it further. Below is the response from them and to date, nothing further.

Email was dated 14/03

Hi

Will chat to my butcher and get back to you

From: Tania Steyn - DSV [mailto:tania.[protected]@za.dsv.com]
Sent: 14 March 2019 09:51 AM
To: GP Family Newmarket Email
Subject: OUKRAAL GRILLER WORS

Good day Cindy/Jason

Please can somebody assist me with this product.

I would like to know what MEAT (75%) is used in this product - OUKRAAL GRILLER WORS

I purchased the product last night for consumption and it had a weird taste to it.
I just want to make sure it doesn't contain something that I don't eat.

I sent this to FREDDY HIRSCH and below is their reply to my mail;

Dear customer

It is important to note that Freddy Hirsch only supplies the dry ingredients and possibly the casings to the butchers to make up this sausage. The butcher/ retailer then makes the sausage you show in the pictures, over which we have no control.

You have to take the product to the butcher/ retail outlet where you purchased the product and complain, showing them the pictures you took.

They will then investigate their side, and contact us with the batch details should they feel that the spice or our casings were at fault.
We, unfortunately, cannot investigate any fault our side without batch and product code details used in the make up of this particular product as we produce tons of this product per month, sold to thousands of different stores.

We are disappointed that you had a bad experience with the product you purchased and I'm sure the store where you bought it would want to know the details of your dissatisfaction

Kind Regards,

Rowena Boyes
eCommerce Administrator
IT

Freddy Hirsch Group (Pty) Ltd.
Please note that I did not supply pictures of the product. I merely want to determine what meat was used for this product please.

Kind Regards,
Tania Steyn
DSV Road

DSV Road (Pty) Ltd
5A Combrink Street
Alrode
Gauteng
South Africa

+[protected] Tel
tania.[protected]@za.dsv.com

My wife and have always been regular shoppers at Pick n Pay Ottery. We were always faced with the inconvenience of purchasing meat such as texan steaks or sausage which has always gone off. My wife prefers not buying meat at the store and has always warned me about the poor quality of Pick n Pay meats in Ottery. We have never had this experince with chicken though and have always continued to buy chicken at the store in Ottery along with the rest of our groceries.
On average we spend about R6-R8000. 00 a month at that store.
We experienced horrendous service from a so called manager named Miguel. We bought chicken approxmately 2 weeks ago at the Pick n Pay in Ottery. When my wife defrosted the chicken in the microwave it had a off smell even after rinsing it. To cut a long story short we returned the chicken in the original packaging to Pick n Pay. The lady at the returns dept asked off a slip which I find absurd as who keeps till slips for groceries bought 2 weeks ago. She dialled the manager who advised we cannot return the item without a slip. She said we can go and speak to the manager at Customer Service. We spoke to the managerMiguel he was very arrogant when we approached him and showed no empathy. His attitude towards my wife and I stinked like the chicken we brought back. He told us they keep their meats in cold storage at the correct temperature. When my wife told him of our past experience with the steaks and sausage his reply to us in a very abrupt manner was his referring to the chicken only. Miguel said Pick n Pay Ottery keeps their chicken in the correct temperature and once its puchased what happens after that they have no control over even after my wife told him we freeze our meats immediately after buying them.
He ifnormed us that he will refund in this case but will not be able to do it in the future if this should ever happen again. By the way Miguel addressed us shows us that he has no managment and customer service skills.
As a staff member of Pick n Pay he represents the face and brand of the store and if he is the manager that I would have to face all the time then Pick n Pay has lost a loyal customer. He needds to go for management training and educate himself with regards to the TCF (Treat custers fairly) act and the
consumer rights. He treated us in a hostile this hostile manner and it makes me think how does the treat the staff or an illiterate/ uneducated customer who has no knowledge of their consumer rights?

Dissapointed Mr Mudaly

Good day team,

I was very happy with your new online-shopping-R40-delivery slot-service and spending R40 is now worth it to have my goods delivered.

I chose a morning slot on Thursday, 14 March 2019, but did not receive an sms as to when my goods would be delivered, so I waited at home from 9am until my delivery arrived at 12:50pm.

Anyway, please see my attachments.

My credit card was charged with R699.25, but your summary shows the cashier only rang up goods valued at R600.28.

That is a difference of R98.97 that I was charged.

Please advise as to how I go about getting this amount of money returned or credited to me or to my PnP smart shopper card?

I logged a complaint directly with PnP with reference number of 124548. I have not yet received any feedback to my query logged on Thursday, 14 March. It is now the 17th of March.

Thanks and regards,
Lara Livesey

I'm extremely disappointed in the service that I received from Pick 'n Pay in Claremont today. Firstly, I took a packet of rice cakes from the shelf. Someone who walked past me made me aware of the big hole in the bag. I don't know why I didn't see it initially.

Then I got to the till. I asked for a R600 cash back. The cashier gave me a R300, but the slip stated R600 plus my other goods. I asked for my R300, and the cashier said the other cashier will bring it. So I waited, and waited, and waited. The cashier didn't take note of me, until I asked her for my R300. She looked at me as if she didn't know what I was talking about. Then she started chatting to her colleague in their language, without telling me what's going on. She walks past me straight to the security guard then after chatting to the security guy for a bit, went to the back. I asked the security guard what's going on. He said she wants to see the footage to see if the money she gave me was correct. She just stayed away until I asked to speak to the manager. The manager was very kind and I got the balance of my money, but the cashier gave me attitude. Subsequently, I missed my bus and had to wait 1 hour for the next bus and missed my next appointment too. My entire day was disrupted by this woman's disrespect towards me.

Good day I complained about the doughnuts I bought over and over from. Pick pay cycad and the owner send me a r200 cm voucher whe I have been buying from pick pay cycad for over 10 years and then I bought a carrot cake and a madeira cake that ws so dry we could nt eat it then I complsinwd again the owner phoned me hana ws rude and irritated with me offered no apoligy whatsoever he even said why am I comolaing i'm. A customer I have spend slot of money at your store and yiu going to treat me like this he even told me he knows what his doing like really this guy has no customer skills and does nt am deserve any customers to be loyal to him at all his hot a chip on his shoulder what a shame i'll ne er but at his store again

Good day I would like to complain about servise, on the 24 of feb I went into pick and pay linton grange getting more than one item, when I saw the flasher stating marlon's shampoo on special assorted it stated, so I took the tick and flea one coz it was with the others. After going to the till I see its r68 and not 38. I requested the manager and they were extremely rude and not helping at all I stated to them its the wrong price they started atgueing with me in front of the other customer and I of cause started arguing as well, instead of saying sorry sir its our fault the short black haired one was keeping on arguing. Eventually he asked the other for the retail price. Needless to say I was so upset I told them to leave it, now I would like to know what's gana be done about this behavior?

Good day,
Today, I was @ Pick n Pay Newton Park, Port Elizabeth at around 12:30pm to buy lunch, but the service was HORRIBLE! When I wanted to order some chicken nuggets and chips from your Hot Foods Counter, the lady who served me (Her name badge said Leigh-Ann) was absolutely rude! Firstly, she did not even greet me, just said, what do you want? Then, when I asked her for my chips and nuggets, she first did my chips, did not even ask me do I want spice, she just decided for herself I wanted some on, then slammed the packet on the counter while doing the nuggets. I asked for R30.00, but then I received R30.50, now I know R0.50 is nothing, but this is NOT what I asked for. This is not even about the R0.50, this is about the HORRIBLE SERVICE!

I come there often and spend at least R300.00 at your store per day, as I stay around the corner, but I now wonder if I should not move stores!

This is really extremely bad service and some sort of feedback will be appreciated!

-Very dissapointed Customer
[protected]
[protected]@capechem.co.za

I bought a Pick n Pay brand fruit juice (G**** & Apple) flavor at Wonderboom Junction Shopping mall.

The expiry date is not visible at all, I tried to open the juice bottle and it exploded in my face causing damage to my left eye and painful ears from the loud banging sound when the bottle exploded.

When the bottle exploded it was obvious from the horrible smell that the juice was contaminated which must have built up gas inside the bottle and caused it to explode when I tried to open the juice bottle.

I request that Pick n Pay Wonderboom Junction contact me urgently in this regard as this was an extremely dangerous incident that caused physical damage to my left eye.

I called the Manager this morning to question why I could not get bacon in the Tokai Pick n Pay and was told that it was because Moslems do not like it. The Manager cut me off before I finished speaking to him and before he gave me an answer. I tried calling again but no one picked up. I would think that supermarkets are not controlled by religion though you can cater to religious needs but not neglect the other people. If Moslems have the say in what supermarkets should not or should have then it is unfair and this calls for human rights to intervene. this is a free country not ruled by Moslem religion so why is Pick n Pay doing this. I would like to take this further and involve all If the organizations of human rights and get people to sign and march the streets if it comes to that. You can solve this. Just put in a new counter that caters to Moslems and a different one that caters to people like me who like their bacon. If I had got another reason why you had not bacon which was not a religious one, then I would have ignored this. We are a nation that has freedom for all and I believe it includes our supermarkets too.

Here is a copy of your mission and values

Pick n Pay Holdings Limited and Pick n Pay Stores Limited are investment holding companies listed on the JSE since 1968. Pick n Pay Holdings Limited's sole purpose is the holding of the controlling shareholding in Pick n Pay Stores Limited. Pick n Pay Stores Limited, through its subsidiaries and associates, operates in the retail sector on the African continent.

Pick n Pay is the quintessential family store focused on the customer. Since 1967 when consumer champion Raymond Ackerman purchased the first few stores, the Ackerman family's vision has grown and expanded to now encompass stores in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Mauritius, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Additionally Pick n Pay owns a 49% share of a Zimbabwean supermarket business, TM Supermarkets. Our offer to customers focuses on groceries, clothing and general merchandise, but also includes additional value-added services to cater to our customers' expectations and evolving needs. To ensure a convenient and accessible shopping experience the Group operates across multiple store formats, both franchised and owned.

For the past 5 years, the Group's core focus has been to strengthen its strong South African retail businesses under the Pick n Pay and Boxer brands, while adopting a systematic approach to expanding into adjacent areas, including geographical growth through the African continent.

As a major retailer in Africa, the Group strives to address socio-economic challenges through the supply of high-quality, affordable food for all customers, while providing significant employment and economic opportunities across its value chain. The growth and success of Pick n Pay is attributable to 3 basic principles, which form the cornerstone of the business: Consumer sovereignty; Doing good is good business; and maximizing business efficiency.

Mission
We serve
With our hearts, we create a great place to be
With our minds, we create an excellent place to shop

Values
We are passionate about our customers and will fight for their rights
We care for and respect each other
We foster personal growth and opportunity
We nurture leadership and vision and reward innovation
We live by honesty and integrity
We support and participate in our communities
We take individual responsibility
We are all accountable

I have called Pick and Pay more than once, have sent more than one email (received zero response) I have logged a complaint on HelloPeter.com... the best was that on the latter they "responded" to say they will investigate and contact me...? How...? They don't have my problem info... so clearly it is just a standard bs reply where they anyway intend to do nothing.
I lost my respect completely for Pick and Pay. This company has no intention to resolve customer complaints. Useless... pathetic.
I teach my children and family and every kid, this is a good example of a bad example. A company who does this to its clients... is useless. No morals. Lip-talk if they say they care - there response and attitude is the answer.

I went to Pick n Pay Wonderpark mall on the 10th February 2019, there was a promotion in store, the R100 promotion, it clearly said any 5 for R100 next to the sunlight liquid soap products, I bought 5 and to my surprise I was charged the full price of the product(R29.99 x5), I went back to the store the next day to enquire and I was told the special actually applies if you buy t3 Handy andy and 2 sunlight, I showed the supervisor the sign, and it was still there, she then asked me if I want to bring back the products for exchange and they will refund me the difference, the problem is that it will cost me more to bring back the products compared to the refund, there is just no care and consideration given now I need to pay for Pick n Pay's mistake.

Yet again we stood in a long queue at Pick n Pay, Paarl Mall branch this Monday, morning 11th February 2019. A young mother with a tiny baby called the manager over querying this and I overheard him say that there was a shortage of till operators due to absenteeism. Well I have heard that excuse before. Surely in the climate of unemployment in South Africa today there are thousands of people waiting to be employed - what is the matter with Pick n Pay, Paarl Mall branch? Does Pick n Pay not value its customers?

Good day,

Sent the below email to the customer service "customercare@pnp.co.za" email address found on the website, still havent received any response, absolutely pathetic service!

Date of purchase 27 jan 2019

Email dated 30 jan 2019 below:

Good day pnp,

Re: outdated pastrami purchased at your canal walk outlet.

As you can see I purchased the pastrami on sunday, 27 jan and to my shock monday when I opened the plastic, it was extremely smelly as you can see it's the colour blue in colour. I must add - the chicken pastrami was ok however not the freshest either.

Normally I would simply bypass taking time to write an email and decide to instead discard of goods im unsatisfied with as the stores are usually too far out of reach, but one can simply not continue dismissing these issues since it's a lost to the customer and always a gain to the store.

My email reaches you in hope that you would encourage your deli staff to check the goods on display and ensure that the best "fresh" quality cold meats are always supplied, it was most disappointing and quite a learning purchasing from the deli, as I would normally find myself purchasing the vacuum packed goods at the halaal area hence most pnp's lack accommodation for halaal preference.

I hope to hear back from you and that your best efforts will reassure quality delivery.

Kind regards