Customer support policy

1. Response times (SLA)

We commit to the following response times during business hours (Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00 SAST):

• Live chat / WhatsApp: under 10 minutes
• Phone: picked up in under 60 seconds
• Email: initial reply within 4 business hours
• Trade Assurance disputes: case opened within 2 business hours, decision within 2 business days

Out-of-hours messages are queued and replied to on the next business day before 11:00.

2. Support channels

Choose the channel that suits you:

• Contact form — best for non-urgent enquiries with attachments
• Phone — for urgent matters during business hours
• WhatsApp — fastest for quick questions; you can send photos
• Dashboard tickets — best for order-specific issues (auto-attaches order details)
• Email — [email protected]

3. What we help with

• Pre-order product questions and specifications
• RFQ assistance and bulk pricing
• Order status, tracking and delivery issues
• Returns, refunds and warranty claims
• Account, billing and tax invoice queries
• Trade Assurance disputes
• Supplier onboarding and listing help

4. What we don't help with

• Product use, repair or installation beyond what the manufacturer documents
• Customs/duty queries on goods bought outside BestDealz (only your own purchase orders)
• Third-party warranty servicing on used goods
• Tax advice (consult a tax professional)

5. Escalation

Not satisfied with a response? Escalate by replying to your ticket with the words "escalate to supervisor". A senior agent will pick up within 1 business day.

For Trade Assurance disputes that exceed 5 business days unresolved, ask for an operations manager review — decision within 2 business days.

For unresolved complaints, you may also contact:

• SA Consumer Tribunal: thenct.org.za
• Ombudsman for Consumer Goods: cgso.org.za
• National Consumer Commission: thencc.gov.za

6. Languages

Support is available in English and Mandarin (中文). We can assist in Afrikaans, isiZulu and isiXhosa on request.

7. Fair use

We treat every customer fairly and expect the same in return. We reserve the right to limit support to customers who:

• Use abusive or threatening language
• Submit repeated frivolous complaints
• Have a history of fraudulent claims or chargebacks