In today’s digital age, online businesses rely heavily on payment gateways to facilitate seamless transactions. One such payment gateway in Ghana and across the African continent is Paystack. However, as with any service, it’s essential to assess its reliability and professionalism. This post will delve into a recent poor experience with Paystack and provide an honest review while advising businesses in Ghana and other parts of the world to exercise caution when dealing with this platform.
The Initial Experience
A Ghana-based online shop startup shared their unfortunate encounter with Paystack with our team. Initially, they had a smooth experience with the platform. They provided all necessary documentation, including business registration details, personal identifications, and operating procedures. Orders were processed without a hitch, and the business seemed to be on the right track.
The Unpleasant Turn of Events
In late August 2023, things took a turn for the worse. The business received a new order, and it was time for Paystack to release the funds to the merchant’s MoMo wallet. However, the merchant received an unexpected email from Paystack requesting the same information they had already provided. Understandably, this raised concerns and frustration, as the merchant had already supplied all necessary data.
The merchant was in dire need of the funds to fulfill the order and maintain business operations. To provide excellent customer service, they rushed to deliver the product, a brand-new smartphone, to the customer. However, Paystack threw an unexpected curveball at this point.
The Shocking Refund
After delivering the product, the merchant urgently reached out to Paystack, requesting the release of the funds which they were supposed to release within 48 hours according to their terms and conditions meanwhile it had already been close to 6 days. To their shock and dismay, Paystack informed them the next day via mail that they had refunded the money back to the customer’s account without any prior notice of abuse of service or violation of any activity or any report whatsoever. Worse still, they stated that it would take 7 to 10 days for the funds to be returned to the customer’s bank account.
Meanwhile, the customer had already received and used the brand-new smartphone. Paystack’s suggested solution? The merchant was advised to contact the customer themselves and request them to send back the money and that there’s nothing they can do at this point.
The Frustrating Outcome
The situation took a more frustrating turn as the customer refused to refund the money and, incredibly, decided to return the smartphone they had already used. Adding insult to injury, the merchant was burdened with additional expenses, including the cost of the customer’s transport to town when they had agreed to return the phone and the delivery fee for the returned product. To make matters worse, the customer delayed the return for over two weeks, exacerbating the merchant’s losses.
In the end, the merchant found themselves out of Ghc1,265, the cost of the phone along with other expenses, and endured an enormous amount of stress. To add insult to injury, Paystack chose to block the merchant’s account, leaving the merchant in a state of disbelief and frustration.
Conclusion and Warning
This harrowing experience serves as a cautionary tale for businesses in Ghana and across the continent considering Paystack as their payment gateway. The lapses in professionalism and service encountered by this merchant are concerning, to say the least. The loss of funds and the ensuing hassle are not something any business should have to endure.
While it’s essential to approach reviews with an open mind, this firsthand experience does raise serious questions about the reliability and professionalism of Paystack. Businesses and entrepreneurs should exercise caution and explore alternative payment gateway options to avoid falling victim to a similar ordeal. Also, individuals who are presented with Paystack as the payment gateway should avoid transacting deals with such businesses to avoid confusion and loss of funds.
To end, it’s crucial to research and assess the reliability of any service provider before entrusting them with your business transactions. Your hard-earned money and the success of your business depend on it.
To add to the evidence that Paystack can not be trusted, you can further read the reviews of Paystack on TRUSRPILOT, a popular review site and you will observe the bad experiences a lot of individuals have about Paystack. Paystack reviews on Trustpilot.