R2,999 Vacuum Failed Within 10 Days – Poor Service and Unreasonable Delays (Builders Warehouse Edenvale))

I am extremely disappointed with the service I have received from Builders Warehouse Edenvale regarding a defective product and the continued lack of follow-up.

I purchased a Genesis upright vacuum cleaner from Builders Warehouse on 22 December for R2,999. Less than 10 days later, the wheel fell off, rendering the vacuum unusable. When spending this amount on a household appliance, one would not reasonably expect it to fail within days.

I returned the vacuum cleaner to Builders on Saturday, 3 January and was advised that I would receive a call on the following Monday. No call was received.

I then contacted Builders again on 8 January at 13:15 to follow up and was informed that:

The vacuum cleaner was only collected by Verimark on 7 January, and

The assessment process would take 7 days, after which Verimark would contact me directly.

To date, I have never received a call from Verimark.

Due to the lack of communication, I contacted Builders again on Monday and spoke to Nkobela, who advised that she could not assist as the staff member responsible for returns was off sick or unavailable. She indicated that she would arrange for someone to assist me. No one contacted me.

I followed up again on Tuesday, 13 January, and spoke to Andrew, the store manager, who advised that he had attempted to contact Verimark to establish the status of the assessment but was unable to reach anyone.

On Wednesday, 14 January, I received a call from Gaba, who advised me that Verimark’s assessment process can take up to 21 days. I informed her that this was not acceptable and requested to speak to someone senior. She advised that the senior person is Andrew, the store manager, whom she reports to. I asked to speak to him, and she then advised that Andrew was not in the office that day (off sick / not available). I then requested Andrew’s manager’s details so I could escalate the matter further, and she stated that she does not know who Andrew reports to.

As it stands:

I am R2,999 out of pocket,

I have no vacuum cleaner, and

I am expected to wait until Builders Warehouse and Verimark decide when the matter will be resolved.

This is unacceptable. Under the Consumer Protection Act, defective goods within six months entitle the consumer to a refund, replacement, or repair — at the consumer’s choice. I should not be forced into a prolonged third-party assessment process for a product that failed almost immediately.

I am requesting:

An immediate refund or replacement, and

A clear explanation for the repeated missed call-backs, inconsistent information, and unreasonable delays.

I expect this matter to be resolved urgently.