WR
Woolworths Retail South Africa
Claimed Business
WR
Woolworths Retail South Africa
Claimed Business
1,292 Reviews (last 12 months)
Does not respond to reviews
Rated in:
Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Woolworths Retail South Africa
Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Woolworths Retail South Africa is facing significant customer experience challenges across multiple service dimensions. While the brand retains pockets of excellence in individual staff interactions and product quality reputation, customers consistently report systemic failures in complaint resolution, online order fulfilment, app functionality, and operational consistency. The premium positioning is increasingly being questioned by long-standing loyal customers who feel quality and service standards have declined materially.
TrustIndex
2
Jul '25 - Jun '26
Based on recent customer reviews, Woolworths Retail South Africa faces significant challenges across all core service themes. Customers consistently describe breakdowns in delivery fulfilment, account management, and complaint resolution, with a notable decline in product quality. While isolated staff members receive warm praise, the overall service culture, digital platforms, and refunds processes are described as frustrating, slow, and lacking accountability.
The most common complaint about Woolworths Retail South Africa, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Customer Service & Support. Customers describe unresponsive call centres, dismissive store staff, dropped calls, and complaints closed without resolution. Named managers occasionally provide warm service, but escalations routinely go unanswered and follow-up callbacks rarely materialise across multiple branches.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
Too often the fresh produce purchased at Woolworths is rotten, or has fungus. The raspberries in particular, never last past a day of purchase. I recently purchased avocados, and cut them open immediately, only to find them all rotten on the inside. The raspberries had fungus and rotted a day later. I sent the receipts and pics to Woolworths who promised to refund the wasted purchase. However weeks later, several emails later (all of which go ignored), as well as several calls later, my query goes unresolved, and unresponded to! Shame on Woolworths. They brag about freshness in quality which is often untrue!
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
Too often the fresh produce purchased at Woolworths is rotten, or has fungus. The raspberries in particular, never last past a day of purchase. I recently purchased avocados, and cut them open immediately, only to find them all rotten on the inside. The raspberries had fungus and rotted a day later. I sent the receipts and pics to Woolworths who promised to refund the wasted purchase. However weeks later, several emails later (all of which go ignored), as well as several calls later, my query goes unresolved, and unresponded to! Shame on Woolworths. They brag about freshness in quality which is often untrue!
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I purchased clothing from Woolworths at Greenstone Mall on 27 May 2026. After my child wore the item the principal at her school discovered that there was a pin underneath her foot of which she was crying all morning but didn’t notice what was going on. This is extremely concerning because it shows a serious lack of quality control and poses a safety risk, especially for children. As a result: My child was injured We experienced distress and inconvenience I had to deal with the aftermath of an unsafe product I have supporting evidence including: Photos of the item and the pin Photos of the injury Proof of purchase I am requesting: A formal explanation of how this happened A proper investigation Compensation for the injury and distress caused Assurance that this will not happen again I expect Woolworths to take this matter seriously and respond urgently.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I purchased clothing from Woolworths at Greenstone Mall on 27 May 2026. After my child wore the item the principal at her school discovered that there was a pin underneath her foot of which she was crying all morning but didn’t notice what was going on. This is extremely concerning because it shows a serious lack of quality control and poses a safety risk, especially for children. As a result: My child was injured We experienced distress and inconvenience I had to deal with the aftermath of an unsafe product I have supporting evidence including: Photos of the item and the pin Photos of the injury Proof of purchase I am requesting: A formal explanation of how this happened A proper investigation Compensation for the injury and distress caused Assurance that this will not happen again I expect Woolworths to take this matter seriously and respond urgently.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I placed myself on debit review and court order was granted.During the processes of my debit review i missed few payments and Woolworths Financial Services terminated their contract with me beginning of thus year.For the past 5 years i paid them R56 000 and when they terminated i had a balance of R 11 000 now they handed me over to the collectors with the amount of R81 000.When i call and my counsellor communicates with them they are falling to explain to us why the balance.It is frustrating me becaude i am closer to finishing all my debts yet the want me to start a debt from scratch
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I placed myself on debit review and court order was granted.During the processes of my debit review i missed few payments and Woolworths Financial Services terminated their contract with me beginning of thus year.For the past 5 years i paid them R56 000 and when they terminated i had a balance of R 11 000 now they handed me over to the collectors with the amount of R81 000.When i call and my counsellor communicates with them they are falling to explain to us why the balance.It is frustrating me becaude i am closer to finishing all my debts yet the want me to start a debt from scratch
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I am a Woolworths VIP member with over R36,000 in spend and my rewards account reflects R0.00 cashback, 0 plays, and 1 voucher — a 10% discount on bulk vegetables. That is the sum total of my VIP rewards. I submitted a formal complaint over a week ago with zero response. When I followed up by phone, I was told to email the same address. No escalation, no acknowledgement, nothing. The Woolworths Rewards programme promises VIP members at least 24 vouchers, cashback, early promo access, and exclusive benefits. None of that is reflected on my account. I feel outright misled. R36,000 in loyalty deserves more than a vegetable voucher and a wall of silence.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I am a Woolworths VIP member with over R36,000 in spend and my rewards account reflects R0.00 cashback, 0 plays, and 1 voucher — a 10% discount on bulk vegetables. That is the sum total of my VIP rewards. I submitted a formal complaint over a week ago with zero response. When I followed up by phone, I was told to email the same address. No escalation, no acknowledgement, nothing. The Woolworths Rewards programme promises VIP members at least 24 vouchers, cashback, early promo access, and exclusive benefits. None of that is reflected on my account. I feel outright misled. R36,000 in loyalty deserves more than a vegetable voucher and a wall of silence.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I just had a bad experience at Woolworths tygervalley. And it almost feels like a humiliation ritual. I was returning an online order. I had both my delivery note and invoice with me. Then supervisor comes to authorize but then another lady comes, she makes a phone call not knowing it's about me. After she was done, she says no they had to confirm it was me. Now what's the point of the 2 documents? When she made the phone call to customer services she didn't say to them she has the documents. She just told them she wants to confirm the order. So when I got home. I phoned Woolworths customer services and they confirmed what I know. If you don't have those documents that's the time they phone customer serive. What makes it worse is i was with my colleague (a white lady) who was also returning an online. They never made a phone call for her. I was returning at Country Road and she was returning at Witchery. Question now is it about color? Cause what the hell
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I just had a bad experience at Woolworths tygervalley. And it almost feels like a humiliation ritual. I was returning an online order. I had both my delivery note and invoice with me. Then supervisor comes to authorize but then another lady comes, she makes a phone call not knowing it's about me. After she was done, she says no they had to confirm it was me. Now what's the point of the 2 documents? When she made the phone call to customer services she didn't say to them she has the documents. She just told them she wants to confirm the order. So when I got home. I phoned Woolworths customer services and they confirmed what I know. If you don't have those documents that's the time they phone customer serive. What makes it worse is i was with my colleague (a white lady) who was also returning an online. They never made a phone call for her. I was returning at Country Road and she was returning at Witchery. Question now is it about color? Cause what the hell
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I am extremely frustrated and disappointed with the service I received from Woolworths regarding my recent online order. I have ordered online from Woolworths before without issues, but this time the courier service claimed they could not find my address or contact me to verify it. No proper attempt was made to reach me until I later discovered that my parcel had already been returned to the warehouse. I repeatedly contacted customer service to arrange a redelivery, only to be informed that the parcel had already been unpacked and that I would instead receive a refund. My concern was specifically whether the refund would be processed back to Payflex, as I am now left with a Payflex debt for items I never received. Instead of resolving the issue properly, Woolworths issued me with an electronic voucher. To make matters worse, I have now visited two different Woolworths branches and both advised me that their system is offline and I cannot use the voucher. So currently: • I do not have the items I paid for. • I still have an outstanding Payflex debt. • I cannot even use the voucher provided because of Woolworths system failures. This entire experience has been stressful, inconvenient, and unacceptable. I expect Woolworths to urgently resolve this matter by ensuring the refund is correctly processed to Payflex or by providing a working solution without further inconvenience to me as a customer.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I am extremely frustrated and disappointed with the service I received from Woolworths regarding my recent online order. I have ordered online from Woolworths before without issues, but this time the courier service claimed they could not find my address or contact me to verify it. No proper attempt was made to reach me until I later discovered that my parcel had already been returned to the warehouse. I repeatedly contacted customer service to arrange a redelivery, only to be informed that the parcel had already been unpacked and that I would instead receive a refund. My concern was specifically whether the refund would be processed back to Payflex, as I am now left with a Payflex debt for items I never received. Instead of resolving the issue properly, Woolworths issued me with an electronic voucher. To make matters worse, I have now visited two different Woolworths branches and both advised me that their system is offline and I cannot use the voucher. So currently: • I do not have the items I paid for. • I still have an outstanding Payflex debt. • I cannot even use the voucher provided because of Woolworths system failures. This entire experience has been stressful, inconvenient, and unacceptable. I expect Woolworths to urgently resolve this matter by ensuring the refund is correctly processed to Payflex or by providing a working solution without further inconvenience to me as a customer.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I am a loyal customer at your store and buy confidently so thinking I am buying quality. I recntly bought shoes at you Queenstown Nonesi mall store shoes that i wear to work. I travel by transport to work and from work. This is the state of the shoes in two weeks of wearing them. I work at an offside lodge and town is far from me. I am making your store aware i will be returning the shoes for a full refund, but I might be late due to the struggle of getting to the nearest store as I have mentioned. I have attached a slip and the fault in the shoe. This is dissapointing i must say. You can contact me on 084 318 2056. I go to the store in Greenacres and i tell thrm i do not want to get a gift card and i do not trust to buy another pair and it does the same thing. I am told i cannot get cash because they were bought on account and the account is not mine. I needed shoes for work, my aunt is in a different town as me. The manager Jill told me that and left me there. I am done with buying at woolworths and i will advise anyone to keep their receipts because things like this happen. Now I must spend money which i do not have.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I am a loyal customer at your store and buy confidently so thinking I am buying quality. I recntly bought shoes at you Queenstown Nonesi mall store shoes that i wear to work. I travel by transport to work and from work. This is the state of the shoes in two weeks of wearing them. I work at an offside lodge and town is far from me. I am making your store aware i will be returning the shoes for a full refund, but I might be late due to the struggle of getting to the nearest store as I have mentioned. I have attached a slip and the fault in the shoe. This is dissapointing i must say. You can contact me on 084 318 2056. I go to the store in Greenacres and i tell thrm i do not want to get a gift card and i do not trust to buy another pair and it does the same thing. I am told i cannot get cash because they were bought on account and the account is not mine. I needed shoes for work, my aunt is in a different town as me. The manager Jill told me that and left me there. I am done with buying at woolworths and i will advise anyone to keep their receipts because things like this happen. Now I must spend money which i do not have.
Woolworths Retail South Africa has a TrustIndex of 2 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 1,292 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Woolworths Retail South Africa across 16,933 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →