1 reviews | Active since Aug 2023
HiFi Corp breaking their own Extended Warranty contract on R18k JBL Bar 1000
I am absolutely disgusted by the blatant stall tactics and pathetic customer service I am experiencing at HiFi Corp.
On 3 August 2026, I handed in my premium JBL Bar 1000 soundbar (which cost me R18,000) because the side detachable speakers had burnt out. The unit is fully covered under an Extended Warranty package that I purchased directly from HiFi Corp.
According to HiFi Corp’s own official printed Extended Warranty documentation, repairs take "up to 21 working days to complete," and if it cannot be repaired within that timeframe, the item "will be replaced with a model of similar specifications" or a store voucher for the full purchase value will be issued.
Today is Thursday, 3 September 2026. This means we have officially hit Working Day 22. HiFi Corp has legally breached their own turnaround time contract.When I went into the store to claim my lawful replacement/voucher, the store management refused to budge. Instead of honoring their own printed policy, they began inventing ****, non-existent rules on the spot. First, they tried to claim that the repair center magically gets an "additional 14 days" on top of the 21 days. When that lie failed, they changed their story and claimed the extended warranty is "like an insurance policy," so they are waiting indefinitely for "supplier credit approval."
Let me make this crystal clear to HiFi Corp management: I bought this soundbar and the extended warranty directly from YOU. My financial contract is with HiFi Corp, not your external suppliers or repair centers. Your internal logistical delays are not my problem.
You have my R18,000, you have had my soundbar for over a calendar month, and you are now actively breaking consumer law by refusing to fulfill your contract.
I have officially logged a formal dispute with the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO). Case Reference Number: 64QM9MVD.
I will not accept any further excuses or contact from floor staff trying to stall me. I demand that a Regional or Divisional Manager contacts me immediately to override this branch, pull the case file, and arrange for the release of my R18,000 store credit voucher or direct 7.1.4 product replacement.
- The Physical Proof: My signed intake Job Card (HF-JBL-***) explicitly logs the fault as an internal hardware burnout ("emits a strong burning smell"). No physical or cosmetic damage was checked because the unit was pristine. The intake agent smelled the internal electrical burn themselves.
- The Store's Stalling Tactics: After breaching their 21-day window, the Boksburg branch suddenly called me trying to invent a **** R5,100 "user damage" fee to avoid replacing the unit.
- Corporate Contradiction: Meanwhile, HiFi Corp's corporate social media support team openly admitted in writing that they are simply "waiting for parts from the supplier" to finish a standard warranty repair.
- Corporate is ordering parts while the branch is trying to ****** R5,100 out of me for a repair they aren't even executing.
- The Physical Proof: My signed intake Job Card (HF-JBL-***) explicitly logs the fault as an internal hardware burnout ("emits a strong burning smell"). No physical or cosmetic damage was checked because the unit was pristine. The intake agent smelled the internal electrical burn themselves.
- The Store's Stalling Tactics: After breaching their 21-day window, the Boksburg branch suddenly called me trying to invent a **** R5,100 "user damage" fee to avoid replacing the unit.
- Corporate Contradiction: Meanwhile, HiFi Corp's corporate social media support team openly admitted in writing that they are simply "waiting for parts from the supplier" to finish a standard warranty repair.
- Corporate is ordering parts while the branch is trying to ****** R5,100 out of me for a repair they aren't even executing.