Horror after-sales service

Bought a phone for R1200 in March. It overheated when I charged it early April. From there it never worked again. Attempted to return the phone in May, but was informed no returns are allowed during stage 4 of lockdown.

I went to the shop yesterday. Motlatsi simply licked the battery and declared it's dead and that it is the only reason the phone isn't working. Further, he stated the battery isn't covered by warranty. There are no batteries of the same model available in all the shops I visited. Besides, what if I buy a battery and find that the phone is damaged too?

Even more disturbing was this man's conduct. He left me several times to attend to other customers. Refused to answer why was the battery exclusion not disclosed beforehand, or why it's not stated anywhere in print. He was very reluctant to tell me his name, refused to let me see his name tag which was not displayed, and refused to provide his full name. Indeed, he just left me alone and went on with his business.

This is the second time I bought a phone with battery issues. With the previous phone, I had misplaced proof of purchase. Surface to say that I searched high and low for a replacement battery to no avail. This time is worse because the phone died in less than a month, my R1200 down the ackermans drain and Motlatsi's conduct leaving plenty to be desired of after-sales care.