Manicaa.com, the online store that has left a string of fuming customers who have been cheated of their refunds after being sold “out of stock” products and goods, appears to be a scam and doesn’t even have offices.
Sowetan Consumer can confirm that Manicaa.com doesn’t have an office despite advertising its address as Old Pretoria Rd in Halfway House, Midrand, on its website. When we visited the area as shown on Google maps it turned out to be just a parking area at Motor City, a small shopping centre along Old Pretoria Rd. The owners of the centre, Goldwagen, also did not know Manicaa.com or its owners.
Using company search, Sowetan Consumer can also confirm that Manicaa.com’s sole director, Clara Kutsawa, 29, is also a director of four other online stores — Karibaa, Kurima, Merkado and Musika — that have also been accused of scamming customers. An internet search on the companies showed scores of customers complaining about not being paid their refunds or not receiving their goods. Some customers have been waiting for two years for their refunds.
Kutsawa, a Zimbabwean national, is also related to Webster Kutsawa, 51, a corrupt accountant who was arrested by British police in 2011 in the Black Country, an area of the West Midlands county, for running a counterfeit goods racket from his three-bedroom house. He sold fake goods to clients in the UK, Europe and SA.
He was sentenced to 20 months in jail before he came to SA to establish Merkado in 2014 and two years later he appointed Kutsawa as co-director of the company. Merkado is currently in the process of being deregistered after it failed to submit its tax returns in 2021.
Kutsawa’s companies operate by advertising items on their online platforms and then accepting payments from unsuspecting customers. After a few days, they contact the customer and claim not to have the ordered items in stock and then request the customers’ bank details for refund purposes. They then disappear and never answer calls or reply to emails until the complainant gives up.
Sybil Mokgethi from Spruitview, Ekurhuleni, said Manicaa.com failed to refund her R2,700 for a tripod floor lamp base she bought online on April 15. A week later she was told the item was out of stock and that she’d be refunded within 14 days. When Sowetan Consumer spoke to her on Thursday evening she had not received her money.
“This is a big inconvenience because I’m unemployed and I had to raise money to buy that lamp. Their phones are always busy and when they return my emails they always tell me that my matter is being escalated,” said Mokgethi.
Leona Sykes from Cape Town bought an R824 fire screen in May and a month later received an email that her item was not in stock and that she’d be refunded. She is yet to receive her refund.
“I did a bit of research about Manicaa.com and I realised that I have been scammed. The address on their website doesn’t have a business number. I then did a Google map search and called businesses that are close to where Manicaa.com is supposed to be and none of the businesses there knew about Manicaa.com. They bank with Absa and I then lodged a complaint with the bank and they are currently investigating it,” said Sykes.
“I have also taken my fight to Manicaa.com’s social media platform to warn other people but what I’ve realised is that people couldn’t be bothered because they simply can’t trace the company. I want Manicaa to be taken down because they are scamming people daily and they don’t pay tax.”
Absa spokesperson Khulani Qoma could not respond to our questions, citing confidentiality.
“As much as we are inclined to respond to your questions, unfortunately due to banker/client confidentiality and privacy considerations, we are unable to comment on any of our customers’ affairs publicly. However, as a general principle, Absa considers allegations of misconduct on the part of any person or company with whom it does business in a very serious light. In circumstances where such allegations come to its attention Absa will conduct a review in compliance with local and international laws and best practice,” said Qoma.
The company denied that they were scamming their customers.
“We would like to state on record that we are not a fraudulent company nor are we scamming people. Further, none have any of the other companies mentioned has been involved in any fraudulent activities.
“We have since paid refund Sykes and Mokgethi and proof of payment of the refunds have been forwarded to the customers. While we concede that we do have a number of negative reviews about our company online, all been addressed. We also have thousands of customers who have been extremely satisfied with our services, and have placed positive feedback online.”
“Due to the tough business environment that we are in, our business has gone through and faced a lot of difficulties. We are however working extremely hard on recovering and addressing all the business challenges within the company…We have slowly started on our recovery process and now all orders are being delivered on time and refunds being processed timeously.”
Business owners at Motor City, which Manicaa.com claims to be operating from, said they only knew about the company through its clients who would knock on their doors.
Michael, a manager at PMMK Auto Parts and Paint, which has been operating from the Motor City since last year, said he receives about five Manicaa.com customers each week.
“Their victims come to my shop fuming and they look around hoping to see something that resembles Manicaa. I feel sad for them and I’ve read Manicaa’s reviews online and they point to a scam that operates like a ship-drop company which doesn’t keep stock. Anything that you can look to buy, their website has it. That’s a red flag,” said Michael.
Phetho Ntaba from the National Consumer Commission (NCC) said: “The Consumer Protection Act states that any online shop should have a registered office address on its website for the purposes of service legal documents and for customers to contact them. Online shopping requires one to be vigilant as they might be transacting with scammers. Consumers who did not receive their goods can file their complaints with the NCC to give us an opportunity to look into the matter. Where consumers were scammed, they need to open a case with the police.”
Editors note: The original article has been updated with the addition of comment from Manicca
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