Absolutely Furious with Apple South Africa & iStore – Worst Customer Experience Ever!

I cannot even begin to express how furious and frustrated I am with Apple South Africa and iStore! I genuinely thought Apple was the best, but clearly, I was dead wrong.

I bought an iPhone SE in July 2024, expecting quality and reliability - but what I got instead was an absolute nightmare. Three months into using the phone, it randomly switched off and never turned back on. Naturally, I took it back to iStore so they could diagnose the problem. They booked it in with their technician, only for them to come back and tell me there was nothing wrong with the phone. Seriously? How does a phone just die and you say there’s nothing wrong with it?

I took the phone back, frustrated but hopeful, and continued using it. Two months later, the exact same thing happened AGAIN! This time, I was even more frustrated and demanded a proper check. They asked me to bring the charger, which I did. A few days later, the technician called me again - guess what? They said the same nonsense: "There's nothing wrong with the phone."

At this point, I was livid! How can they keep dismissing a CLEAR issue? I told them outright that I was not accepting their useless response. But guess what? The phone did the same thing for the THIRD TIME!

I booked it in AGAIN, and yet another technician called me from *** with the same ridiculous response: "There's nothing wrong with the phone."

At this point, I completely lost it. I told them straight - I do not want this phone anymore. I cannot keep going through this endless cycle of booking in a faulty device only to be gaslit into believing nothing is wrong. I demanded either a full refund or a replacement. And guess what? They refuse to replace it. If I opt for a refund, I have to pay an additional 20% handling fee - for a phone that was FAULTY from the start!

How is this even acceptable? Why should I pay a cent more for a defective device that Apple and iStore refuse to acknowledge is faulty? I do not have the extra 20%, nor should I be expected to pay it! This is the worst customer service I have ever experienced, and I am absolutely DONE with iStore and Apple South Africa.

If you’re thinking of buying an iPhone from iStore, DON’T DO IT. They will not help you when things go wrong. They will waste your time, gaslight you, and leave you with a faulty device that they refuse to fix or replace.

GL: 83035

Apple South Africa and iStore, you have lost a customer for life!