Exploitation of customers/False advertising

I'm not going to write the whole story again, so here's a copy of the complaint that I sent to their Head Office, still awaiting an answer 😔

Dear Sir/Madam

I was at your Knysna branch on 29 August to collect a battery that I handed in there to be charged.

As I was about to receive the battery it was tested by an employee, who's name I unfortunately did not ask. He informed me that the battery was faulty and needed to be replaced.

I still had to pay for charging, but had no objection, as it was there for a few days.

I then told him that I purchased the battery from them on 17 November 2022 and it had a 2 year warranty, so I would like a replacement battery.

He then walked up to an almanac hanging on a wall, had a look and told me that the warranty expired in July, as that was the month in which it was manufactured.

I told him that I didn't think it was fair, because when I bought it, I was ensured it came with a full 2 year warranty. I took the battery and left, without my receipt that I provided as proof of purchase and warranty.

I returned, after a while to collect my receipt, as I wanted to enquire from your Head Office if this was indeed your policy, to honour a warranty only up to date of manufacture and not date of purchase.

As I stopped at my house, I received a call from Battery Centre in Knysna and the person, not the same one that I dealt with, asked me when I purchased the battery. I told him and he asked me to again take the battery back to them, with prove of purchase, as it was still under warranty.

I went back there the next day and received a replacement battery.

I then told him that I was at Battery Centre on 27 July 2024 with a battery that we purchased from them, for my wife's vehicle. I was informed by the same employee that it was out of warranty, because of the manufacturing date, not the purchase date, and it needed to be replaced.

He apologized and I told him that I was very unhappy, as I had to replace that battery. ( I bought a battery from Agriland in Knysna that day for R1844.14) If he honoured the warranty on said battery, I would have received a replacement battery, at no cost to me.

Can you please confirm if your policy dictates that a warranty goes according to date of manufacture, as claimed by Knysna Battery Centre, as I don't want to post inaccurate posts on social media?

A few other things also come to mind: 1) If I accepted Battery Centre's original ruling and handed in the faulty battery, I would've had to purchase a new one.

2) What are the chances of said faulty battery then afterwards getting claimed under warranty, only to be sold again as a new battery without the knowledge of Battery Centre?

3) How many other people fell for the same ****/false advertising, as I did?

If this truly ís your policy, which I hope not, I will NEVER do business with any Battery Centre branch and I will make sure to warn people about what I see as a ****, false advertising and the exploitation of your costumers.

Regards

Lardus Homann