BA
British American Tobacco SA
Verified Business
BA
AI Review Summary
Based on recent customer reviews, British American Tobacco SA is facing significant dissatisfaction from long-standing loyal smokers across multiple flagship brands including Pall Mall, Peter Stuyvesant, Dunhill, Rothmans, and Kent. Customers consistently mention concerns around product quality, with recurring complaints about unexpected flavour changes in menthol and boost variants, large chunks of tobacco, uneven burning, broken cigarettes, and pre-popped capsules. A prominent recurring theme is frustration over premium pricing not matching delivered quality, alongside difficulty reaching customer service channels to lodge complaints or receive resolutions.
Performance(last 12 months):
TrustIndex
2.4
Ranking
#220
in Retail
NPS Score
-100
Recommended: Unlikely
Review Distribution
1.1|22 Reviews
Jul '25 - Jun '26
Recent reviews (22)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your ExperienceA
Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
15 May 2026, 18:35
STUYVI BLUE - HORRIBLE
Been smoking Stuyvi Blue literally 30 years.. and I smoke a pack a day!!! I have proof on my bank statement where I swipe my card every 20 days fora carton.. Been complaining numerous times to customer services on the number from the box. Cigarettes burn too quick.. if I stop puffing for a minute it goes off.. are you guys linked to the lighter company now?? That we got to light 1 cigarette about 4 times everytime?? There isnt just tobacco in the cigarette, the are pieces of wood or whatever hard thing is in it.. I burn almost every time.. burnt my clothes.. coz when you ash, its not ashes, its a burnt piece of stick which I got use my finger to remove or sc**** it on something to remove.. Then the damn cigarette doesnt burn evenly... it tastes horrible compared to the smooth flavour it once used to have. As much as I cant see myself leaving Stuyvi blue, I have to mention that I tried Philip Morris Chesterfield Blue and it was really nice. Nice flavour, smooth, did not burn the throat and burnt evenly. Oh and i lit it just once.. BAT - should you want us to stay, up your game. Give us the quality of cigarettes we used to get without any short cuts. Like I said, Philip Morris and JTI are not hard to move to.. but we are LOYAL to you. And don't send an automatic response you are working on the problem.. I complained a few times in the last one year and NOBODY got back to me!!!
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
15 May 2026, 18:35
STUYVI BLUE - HORRIBLE
Been smoking Stuyvi Blue literally 30 years.. and I smoke a pack a day!!! I have proof on my bank statement where I swipe my card every 20 days fora carton.. Been complaining numerous times to customer services on the number from the box. Cigarettes burn too quick.. if I stop puffing for a minute it goes off.. are you guys linked to the lighter company now?? That we got to light 1 cigarette about 4 times everytime?? There isnt just tobacco in the cigarette, the are pieces of wood or whatever hard thing is in it.. I burn almost every time.. burnt my clothes.. coz when you ash, its not ashes, its a burnt piece of stick which I got use my finger to remove or sc**** it on something to remove.. Then the damn cigarette doesnt burn evenly... it tastes horrible compared to the smooth flavour it once used to have. As much as I cant see myself leaving Stuyvi blue, I have to mention that I tried Philip Morris Chesterfield Blue and it was really nice. Nice flavour, smooth, did not burn the throat and burnt evenly. Oh and i lit it just once.. BAT - should you want us to stay, up your game. Give us the quality of cigarettes we used to get without any short cuts. Like I said, Philip Morris and JTI are not hard to move to.. but we are LOYAL to you. And don't send an automatic response you are working on the problem.. I complained a few times in the last one year and NOBODY got back to me!!!
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
16 Apr 2026, 06:07
Paying Premium Prices for Substandard Peter Stuyvesant Boost
I’ve been a loyal customer of Peter Stuyvesant Boost for years, and honestly, this last purchase has been incredibly disappointing. Considering how much I spend on your cigarettes, I expect a certain level of quality—but the carton I recently bought from Checkers was far below standard. The cigarettes were stale, had large chunks of tobacco inside, and burned unevenly, making the smoking experience unpleasant. On top of that, some of the menthol capsules were already popped before even lighting up, which completely defeats the purpose of buying Boost. Paying over R54 for a pack of 20s and not being able to enjoy the product is frustrating and unacceptable. What makes it worse is that there seems to be no clear or accessible way to contact you to raise these concerns. Very disappointed, and seriously reconsidering continuing to support this brand.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
16 Apr 2026, 06:07
Paying Premium Prices for Substandard Peter Stuyvesant Boost
I’ve been a loyal customer of Peter Stuyvesant Boost for years, and honestly, this last purchase has been incredibly disappointing. Considering how much I spend on your cigarettes, I expect a certain level of quality—but the carton I recently bought from Checkers was far below standard. The cigarettes were stale, had large chunks of tobacco inside, and burned unevenly, making the smoking experience unpleasant. On top of that, some of the menthol capsules were already popped before even lighting up, which completely defeats the purpose of buying Boost. Paying over R54 for a pack of 20s and not being able to enjoy the product is frustrating and unacceptable. What makes it worse is that there seems to be no clear or accessible way to contact you to raise these concerns. Very disappointed, and seriously reconsidering continuing to support this brand.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
20 Dec 2025, 18:56
Pall Mall blue
I smoke Pall mall blue and always come across these big chunks of tobacco in the cigarettes and it burns out before finishing. Sometimes it falls onto the ground or onto my carpet . If you don't want us to smoke your brand then continue with the way you manufacture your products
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
20 Dec 2025, 18:56
Pall Mall blue
I smoke Pall mall blue and always come across these big chunks of tobacco in the cigarettes and it burns out before finishing. Sometimes it falls onto the ground or onto my carpet . If you don't want us to smoke your brand then continue with the way you manufacture your products
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
7 Dec 2025, 17:07
Pall Mall cigarettes
I can't find an email address for them, so I am lodging a complaint here. This is now the 7th week that I buy Pall Mall and it has a horrible taste that burns your soft pallet and tongue and smell like Menthol and wet hay all of a sudden. It tastes like the old Gunston Plain.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
7 Dec 2025, 17:07
Pall Mall cigarettes
I can't find an email address for them, so I am lodging a complaint here. This is now the 7th week that I buy Pall Mall and it has a horrible taste that burns your soft pallet and tongue and smell like Menthol and wet hay all of a sudden. It tastes like the old Gunston Plain.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
4 Dec 2025, 12:58
Why is there hard pieces of wood in each cigarette?
Been smoking rothmans for over 20 years , it use to be the affordable yet good brand . Over the last few months buying from different shops 20 plus packets of rothmans red each and every cigarette dies because there is large hard pieces of what looks to be wood or branch, a massive chunk I have to pull out of every single cigarette , it's just not smokable at all . I have videos I have taken over the last month's and thought I won't complain but it's now been 20 plus packets already where every single cigarette has it in. It's no longer a cheap cigarette yet the quality is getting worse and worse.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
4 Dec 2025, 12:58
Why is there hard pieces of wood in each cigarette?
Been smoking rothmans for over 20 years , it use to be the affordable yet good brand . Over the last few months buying from different shops 20 plus packets of rothmans red each and every cigarette dies because there is large hard pieces of what looks to be wood or branch, a massive chunk I have to pull out of every single cigarette , it's just not smokable at all . I have videos I have taken over the last month's and thought I won't complain but it's now been 20 plus packets already where every single cigarette has it in. It's no longer a cheap cigarette yet the quality is getting worse and worse.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
21 Nov 2025, 11:33
POOR QUALITY
I would like to lodge a complaint regarding the poor quality of the Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes I recently purchased. I have been a regular customer for some time, but my latest purchase was extremely disappointing. The cigarettes have an unusual taste, burn unevenly, goes of and feel different from what I am used to. This raises concerns about quality control and consistency. For a premium-priced brand, I expect a reliable product, but this batch was far from acceptable. I Thank you.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
21 Nov 2025, 11:33
POOR QUALITY
I would like to lodge a complaint regarding the poor quality of the Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes I recently purchased. I have been a regular customer for some time, but my latest purchase was extremely disappointing. The cigarettes have an unusual taste, burn unevenly, goes of and feel different from what I am used to. This raises concerns about quality control and consistency. For a premium-priced brand, I expect a reliable product, but this batch was far from acceptable. I Thank you.
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
11 Nov 2025, 10:52
Dunhill Courtleigh
Dear BAT Team, I have been a loyal Dunhill Courtleigh smoker for the past 20 years and usually purchase a minimum of three cartons each month. However, I’ve recently noticed a significant decline in the quality and taste of the product. The last two cartons I purchased—each from different retailers who have confirmed they source directly from BAT—have been noticeably different. The cigarettes no longer have the same smoothness or rich flavor that I’ve enjoyed for years. Instead, they taste lighter, almost as if I’m pulling air, and they don’t provide the same satisfaction as before. To confirm it wasn’t an issue on my end, I tried a different brand and found no problem, which suggests the issue lies specifically with the recent batches of Dunhill Courtleigh. Could you please look into whether there has been any change in the tobacco blend, production process, or supply source? I’d appreciate your feedback, as this has been my preferred brand for decades and I’d like to continue enjoying it as before. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Kind regards,
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
11 Nov 2025, 10:52
Dunhill Courtleigh
Dear BAT Team, I have been a loyal Dunhill Courtleigh smoker for the past 20 years and usually purchase a minimum of three cartons each month. However, I’ve recently noticed a significant decline in the quality and taste of the product. The last two cartons I purchased—each from different retailers who have confirmed they source directly from BAT—have been noticeably different. The cigarettes no longer have the same smoothness or rich flavor that I’ve enjoyed for years. Instead, they taste lighter, almost as if I’m pulling air, and they don’t provide the same satisfaction as before. To confirm it wasn’t an issue on my end, I tried a different brand and found no problem, which suggests the issue lies specifically with the recent batches of Dunhill Courtleigh. Could you please look into whether there has been any change in the tobacco blend, production process, or supply source? I’d appreciate your feedback, as this has been my preferred brand for decades and I’d like to continue enjoying it as before. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Kind regards,
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
7 Nov 2025, 21:30
Disappointed with Dunhill Boost
I have been smoking Dunhill since it was Cravan A and I'm very disappointed with the new Dunhill Boost because it's a switch of which you can only switch 10 out of.a 20 pack !!!! And not to mention how expensive it is 😪 I'm very disappointed and losing a whole lot of money in the process please rectify this or I'm going to be trying another brand...
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Anonymous
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
7 Nov 2025, 21:30
Disappointed with Dunhill Boost
I have been smoking Dunhill since it was Cravan A and I'm very disappointed with the new Dunhill Boost because it's a switch of which you can only switch 10 out of.a 20 pack !!!! And not to mention how expensive it is 😪 I'm very disappointed and losing a whole lot of money in the process please rectify this or I'm going to be trying another brand...
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