POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

I took out a contract with Cell C at the Phoenix Plaza just over a year ago. I bought A51 phone. About a on 10 September the phones screen froze on the Samsung logo. There was no way of shutting in down or going into the phone itself. So I took it into the store. The consultant by the name of Trisha attended to me. She examined the phone and tried to get it off the locked screen but to no avail. She checked on the system and saw that it was within the warranty period and advised me to send it in for repairs. She took pictures of the phone from all angles and filled in the necessary documentation. She then wrapped the phone in bubble wrap and put into the box. She then placed it in the packet to be couriered to the Cell C repair shop. The phone had no scratches or any physical damage. The phone has been with the Cell C Repair shop in Johannesburg from 11 September. I made numerous calls to the store to enquire about the phone and was told that the phone did not arrive as yet. I went twice to the store to make enquiries. I was then informed telephonically by the consultant at the Cell C shop in Phoenix Plaza that the phone was out of warranty and that I had to pay R5100 to have it repaired. I informed the consultant that the phone was still within the warranty period and that the job card stated so. He then said that he will get back to me. He called me a while later to say that it is within the warranty period but that the phone has physical damage and that it's not covered under the normal warranty and that I must pay R5100 for the repairs. I informed him that I will come in to the store to sort out the matter because there was nothing physically wrong with the phone when I handed it in. I went in and spoke to Trisha who confirmed that there was nothing physically wrong with the phone at the time that I handed it to her. I contacted the Cell C Repair shop via email and I was informed that the phone was bent. They sent me a pic of the phone, showing me that it was bent. That was not the condition of the phone when I handed it in. I asked the person to send me the pictures of the phone that were taken by Trisha before she sent it to them. The Person sent me only one picture. I asked for the other pictures and I was told that they were only sent one picture. I spoke to Trisha and I asked her to forward me the other pictures that show rhat there was nothing physically wrong with the phone. She promised to send it to me but nothing materialized. She I formed me that there was nothing that the Cell C store can do and that it's between the Repair Shop and myself. I disagreed with her since I bought the phone at that store and they sent it for repair. It was their responsibility to ensure that the phone was sent to the Repair Shop in the same condition that I sent it and that the Repair Shop should return the phone in a good working condition. It's not my responsibility to liase with the Repair Shop. I'm still paying for the contract and I don't have my phone back. I've made numerous calls to the store but it goes to voice mail or nobody pics up. It's not a landline and I suspect that they would have blocked my number. I even requested that the matter be referred to the Manager but I have not received any correspondence from him either.