Beware CELLUCITY, Melrose Arch!!!

I make reference to the South African National Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2009, which came into effect On 1 April 2011. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) aims to "promote fairness, openness and good business practices between suppliers of goods and services and Consumers of these goods and services."

I purchased a Samsung J3 for R3300 at the Cellucity in Melrose Arch on 7 September 2018. It presented an out of box failure and I returned it to the store on 13 September 2018. The phone was sent to technical services who have conveniently rejected the fault as an out of box failure.

Since then I have engaged with the new store manager, Lee, several times when I found her in the store. I have initiated all communication. I can confirm that Lee's service ethic is faultless on the telephone call, which she informs me is recorded. She assured me that she is going beyond her scope of duty to urgently resolve my issue. On the telephone. Yet, to date, she has not returned a single telephone phone call nor initiated a single follow up. Not one in the past month despite my informing her that I will be leaving the country within this week for a nine month overseas work contract. I'm afraid that the new store manager, Lee, with her passive-aggressive and disingenuous approach, will do little but cement the branches reputation as a purveyor of poor customer service.

When I contacted the Samsung store in Rosebank - where all devices purchase have worked faultlessly, I was notified that the Samsung J3 has been discontinued for some time. The upgrade is a Samsung J4 and costs R3500. I find it in bad faith that the sales consultant at the Cellucity in Melrose Arch specifically recommended I purchase a now discontinued device model. Most unusually, he also insisted I open the package before I left the store so that he could examine the brand new device and ensure that all was in order. When I was reluctant, he pushed further to tell me there would be nothing he'd be able to do, should the screen be cracked for example, once I stepped out of the store. Six days later, he would make reference to this same examination to reject the out of box failure the device was presenting!

I will now spend another R3500 for a J4 which I will purchase at the Samsung store in Rosebank. I expect the new device will function optimally and as per its specification. I have had poor and degrading service from Cellucity in Melrose Arch and I am utilising all online tools at my disposable to inform the public. They should be wary of spending their hard-earned money at a store that seems to fob off old stock of dubious quality onto unsuspecting and trusting consumers.