Factory fault fridge

I am very unhappy with the service I have received. I purchased a fridge and bedroom suite last year through layby, paying for both in full. The fridge has not been working since then, but despite reporting the issue multiple times, nothing has been done to resolve it. The fridge needs to be replaced, especially after a technician came last month and confirmed it has a factory fault, and promised to deliver a report. I was told I would be contacted once the report was ready, but I never received any follow-up.

Last month, I received a call, and I explained that the fridge is still not working. The representative assured me they would call back with a way forward, but I never heard from them. Two weeks ago, I went back to the store at Mahlakung Shopping Centre in Gasekororo; they said they would call me on Monday, but I never received any call. It feels like they do not care, especially considering I paid over R12,000 for a fridge that is still not functioning properly.

I also contacted Russell’s via WhatsApp and explained my situation. The agent falsely claimed that the technician had reported the fridge was working, which is not true. When I asked how that could be, since I clearly explained that the fridge was not working after the technician left, she admitted she was logging a call because the previous agent failed to do so. This shows I am being **** to and ignored.

To my surprise, after waiting a week for Defy to respond, I was expecting them to arrange for the fridge to be taken away and replaced with a new one. Instead, they sent a technician to fix it again, claiming the system shows it was repaired, and the technician reported it was fixed. I paid over R12,000 for this fridge, which has now needed repairs three times.

I want my guarantee or warranty honored. All I want is a full refund or a new fridge. Instead, they send someone to install parts that were defective from the start, and they refuse to face me as a customer to hear my concerns. I demand they come and take back the faulty fridge and replace it with a new one or give me my money back.

My reference number is ***2. I have screenshots of my last payment and some of the conversations. I urge Defy and Russell’s to do the right thing. What has happened to me is unfair—paying so much money for a product that doesn’t work, and now being forced to keep fixing it repeatedly.