Ballito Cellular

DEFECTIVE IPHONE SOLD AS BRAND NEW AND STILL FAULTY AFTER SIDE-BUTTON REPAIR

I bought an iPhone 13 from Ballito Cellular at New Salt Rock City on 4 July 2026. It was sold to me as brand new but began showing problems on the same day. That afternoon, while applications were being downloaded, the phone unexpectedly switched itself off and restarted. The battery was approximately 60%, and it was connected to a charger. Between 4 July and 16 July, the phone randomly shut down and restarted approximately eight times. The battery was never below approximately 40%, and it restarted automatically each time. Three people witnessed separate incidents. The right-hand side button was stiff and sticking from the first day. It became progressively worse until it stopped working, meaning that the phone could no longer be locked or switched off normally. Small cracks began appearing on the back despite the phone never having been dropped. The cracks initially appeared as fine, isolated marks but have continued spreading and becoming larger over time. I returned it to Ballito Cellular on 16 July, only 12 days after purchasing it. Moe repeatedly accused my son and me of dropping and damaging the phone, despite our repeated explanation that it had never been dropped. No independent technical report or evidence was provided to support this allegation. The cracks do not explain why the phone was randomly shutting down from the first afternoon or why the side button was stiff and sticking from the first day. Moe also told me that I should have purchased a screen protector. A screen protector would not have prevented the shutdowns, the side-button failure, the cracks on the back or the phone from failing to read SIM cards. Ballito Cellular repaired only the right-hand side button. The random shutdowns were not investigated, repaired or resolved. I was nevertheless told that I should be grateful that the button had been repaired free of charge. After the side-button repair, the phone continued randomly switching itself off and restarting. The phone stopped recognising or reading SIM cards on Friday, 24 July 2026. Staff at Vodacom Ballito Junction checked the SIM card and informed me verbally that the SIM card itself was not faulty and that the phone was not reading SIM cards. I am also questioning whether the phone was genuinely new and unused when sold. The box was not covered in shrink-wrap. Moe insists that new iPhones are not shrink-wrapped and says that CCTV footage will show Ryan opening a new phone. Vodacom Ballito Junction informed me that the new iPhones supp**** by their store are covered in shrink-wrap. I understand that the absence of shrink-wrap may not, by itself, prove previous use or refurbishment. However, the conflicting information and the multiple defects that began on the first day have caused me to question the phone’s origin and condition. I do not want another repair. I want the defective phone replaced with a genuinely new and unused iPhone 13 of the same specification. I have reported the matter to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, the KwaZulu-Natal Consumer Protector, the National Consumer Commission and New Salt Rock City management. This review reflects my personal experience and is supported by proof of purchase, photographs and WhatsApp correspondence. PS: This business does not have an email address. Phone numbers have been used before and after the @ sign in the email address that was provided.