Upgrade disaster and delay

I have been a loyal Cell C customer for many many years. Upgrading this number was the absolute worst experience ever.

The upgrade was to get a phone for my 10year old son's birthday. I did the upgrade well in advance and now I am on a crunch timeline to receive my device. Upgrade was done for an Oppa A54s @R269 per month over 24 months.

Upgrade was done on 25 November 2022 by a Cell C agent who contacted me. I was advised of the following: 1. I was told that NO pro-rata payments would be applicable 2. The device would be delivered by Tuesday 29 November, or the day after 3. A sim swap would be done immediately and I will receive a new sim with the delivery (Current sim is not working)

You are welcome to check the call recordings.

On Thursday 1 December I phoned to follow up on the delivery, I was advised that the black color wasn't in stock and only blue ones were available. They would get black ones in stock again the next week. Because I had enough time before my son's birthday I said this was okay. No one phoned me to tell me there was a stock issue with the color of the device, I was only told after waiting for delivery and then following up myself.

On Wednesday 7 December I phoned again to follow up. I was advised that the black devices are still not in stock. I was again offered to change to a blue device which I opted for and got transferred to the upgrades department. The lady I spoke to then advised me that neither the black or blue was in stock. but that they received a list the morning confirming which devices would be received between Thursday the 8th an dFriday the 9th, these were confirmed on it and I was assured I would have my delivery between Monday the 12th and Tuesday the 13th.

Today I got a call saying this device is now discontinued (even though two days prior it was confirmed the device would be in stock and delivered). I have to pick another device which is more expensive (so i settled for the Oppa A57s). I also will be paying a pro-rata and Lerato said the previous agent advised me incorrectly by saying I wont have a pro-rata. Lerato now also said she can't do a sim swap now as I need to get the device and sim first, which again is not what the previous agent told me.

I now have to wait until next week for my delivery, so this upgrade is stretching to take almost 3 weeks. I have been assured i will have the device by Wednesday latest. Even though I was previously assured I would have the first device choice by Monday or Tuesday.

I followed up today again on the delivery and was told that no delivery is pending for the number in question. Got transferred back to the upgrades department, my number was taken down for a supervisor to call me back. Still not resolved.

The phone is my son's birthday gift. I did the upgrade well in advance to assure I have enough time and almost 3 weeks latet and Cell C have not delivered. I also sent an email raising this issue with no feedback yet.