A Disappointing and Suspicious First-Time Experience with Superbalist As a first-time online shopper, I approached Superbalist with high hopes, only to be met with frustration, incompetence, & what I suspect to be deceptive practices. My experience was marred by two major issues: a deeply flawed app that cost me unnecessary delivery fees and a concerning data breach that Superbalist refuses to adequately address. Issue 1: App Malfunction or Deliberate? When I attempted to purchase 3 cushion covers, the Superbalist app consistently showed only 1item available, preventing me from adding all 3 to my cart. This restriction meant I couldn’t meet the threshold for free delivery, forcing me to incur R150 in courier charges across multiple orders. Astonishingly, each time I completed a purchase for 1 cushion cover, another would ‘miraculously’ become available on the app. This happened 3 times in a row within a few days. For eg, after purchasing the first cushion cover, a second became available; after purchasing the second, a third appeared. I then experienced a ridiculous situation where if I wanted the third cushion it would have arrived the same day as the second cushion with possibly the same courier but I would have to pay another R75 for delivery. This pattern is too consistent to be a mere glitch- is it a deliberate tactic to manipulate customers into paying additional delivery fees? Superbalist’s failure to address this issue, despite my repeated complaints, only fuels my suspicion of a scam, possibly in collusion with their courier partners. Why should I bear the cost of their app’s malfunction or, intentional design? Issue 2: Data Breach and Evasive Responses Even more alarming was the data breach that occurred immediately after my purchase. This was my first-ever online purchase, and within 24 hours of receiving an SMS from Superbalist confirming that my order was with their courier, I received a fraudulent message from an entity claiming to be “TheCourierGuy” (not affiliated with Superbalist) demanding additional payment for delivery. This could only have happened if my personal information—provided solely to Superbalist—was compromised. Superbalist’s response, through representatives like Nishaat, Ashla and Mishka, was dismissive and insulting. They claimed no breach occurred, citing compliance with POPIA, & suggested the scam originated from MY side. This is absurd, as no one else had access to my private email or details. The timing & specificity of the scam point to an inside job/breach, either by a Superbalist employee or their courier partner. Superbalist’s refusal to investigate how my information was leaked, who had access to their database, or how it was shared with their courier company is unacceptable. Their responses were superficial, ignoring my demand for a serious investigation and failing to address why their employees never followed with information about the App and resultant delivery charges etc. up despite my repeated outreach. Customer Service: Incompetent and Unresponsive Superbalist’s customer service was an exercise in frustration. My emails to Nishaat went unanswered, & responses from Ashla & Mishka were vague, evasive, & failed to address my core concerns. They repeatedly sidestepped the app issue & the data breach, offering generic assurances about POPIA compliance without providing concrete answers about their data-sharing processes or internal checks. I subsequently requested my account be deactivated. This level of incompetence from management suggests a lack of accountability at Superbalist My experience with Superbalist was a nightmare. The app’s suspicious behavior cost me R150 in unnecessary delivery fees, & the data breach exposed my personal information, leading to a scam attempt within 24 hours by someone purporting to be a courier company & asking for outstanding delivery charges with an attached link. Superbalist’s refusal to take responsibility, investigate the breach, or address the app’s flaws suggests either gross negligence or intentional misconduct. I advise potential customers to beware of Superbalist. Their practices are dubious, their service is incompetent & they cannot be trusted with your personal information.