Poor or no service

<p>Having had bad luck with our old fridge/freezer after 14 years of service, we were forced to purchase a new one. Since we are pensioners, the main factor was the price of a new one, and then other factors were - getting the same size/capacity we had, and looks. After window shopping for almost a week we decided to purchase a Hisense fridge/freezer, model H359BME without water dispenser. The product was selected and paid for on 14 December 2016 with a three year warrenty to be extended to 4 years once the product was registered on-line with Hisense.</p> <p>After delivery on Thursday 15 December 2016 I decided to register it immediately while my wife was stocking it up. Already here I hit a snag. A serial number was needed - something I had to hunt for and figure out myself. There was no indication on any of the literature therewith as to where I could find it, nor on the fridge with the words "serial number". At the back of the fridge I found a sticker with a bar-code, similar to the one for scanning of the price, with a batch number and another number 23 digits long. I dotted them down hoping this will be it. The long number appeared to be it, and registration seemed successful with a message that it will be finalised within 48 hours.</p> <p>Whilst I was busy with the registration my wife told me the inside light flickered a couple of times and then went out. Since the registration process seemed successful I decided that, since I was still on the website, to log a service call on-line. This also seemed faultless as I was asked if I wanted Proof of Service request received, to which I answered in the affirmative (luckily). This was emailed to me within minutes. Also was I requested to give 48 hours for reaction.</p> <p>Not hearing anything by Tuesday 20 December 2016 my wife phoned their sharecall number ********** 3673 and spoke to a certain Melanie who could not trace the logged service request. This despite the fact that my wife read her the details contained in the email received as proof. After backwards and forwards on the cellphone for 17 minutes my wife then requested Melanie to investigate further in her own time and to come back to us telephonically before close of day, which she undertook to do. Needless to say - nothing happened!</p> <p>I then developed the concern that, if the service log went missing or is untraceable, was the fridge really registered? I went on-line again and registered the product for a second time without the system querying this action. Now I was confused, as again I was told to wait 48 hours!</p> <p>On Wednesday 21 December 2016 I decided to email them my dissatisfaction in their poor service and explained what I went through so far, and that I needed some action. I thought that, after having received such a nasty email, I would have gotten some reaction, but no - only silence.</p> <p>On Thursday 22 December 2016 I decided to phone them again at their Century City office in Cape Town and spoke to a certain Gail. I emphasised that I was not prepared to have lengthy discussions on my cost over the cellphone, and requested that a senior official - someone with authority - phone me back so that I could get some service. How surprised was I when a certain Warda phoned me back the same day! She could have been only another service consultant, but I was surprised. I told her what I thought of their service, that I think it only existed in name but is really non-existent, and expressed my dissatisfaction with their ignorance of my email of the previous day. She checked the system and confirmed having received the email, but could not explain why it was not followed up. The end result was that the call was now logged telephonically and a call number was given as ********** 96. She would see that this matter be attended to immediately. I was even further inconvenienced by having to email her my proof of purchase of the product, which I immediately did - unlike the way things so far happened from their side! This I did besides the fact that a copy of the proof of purchase accompanied the registration of the product on 15 December and 20 December.</p> <p>The next day (Friday 23 December 2016) I received a call from an unknown lady confirming that a technition would contact me to make arrangements for the repair. This happened in the form off a gentleman with a heavy foreign accent who phoned me later that day. His accent was so bad that I could not catch his name, and found it difficult to understand him. I could, however, make out the following: he was designated to fix the fridge but has no supply of bulbs. He would order it and might still be able to come out the same day, otherwise on Saturday 24 December or Wednesday 28 December. I thought I completely misunderstood him when he mentioned Saturday, and confirmed with him whether he worked on a Saturday - which he confirmed. Needless to say - nothing happened further. </p> <p>On Thursday 29 Decembr 2016 I got another call from the same gentleman at a very inconvenient time telling me that he must still order the bulb, but needed the serial numberof the fridge to prevent him from getting the wrong one. These bulbs come in *****-in or bayonet types. I asked him then where I can locate the serial number, and he then referred me to the sticker on the back of the fridge. I then told him that I had luckily written the number down - the fridge I would not have moved if I did not. I gave this to him, but only afterwards I realised that he could have asked me for this number on the 23rd December already when he spoke to me! This I then figured out could have been delay tactics! I did ask him, though, whether he could give me an idea when he would do the repair, but needless to say - no commitment! This was the last straw, because I cannot believe that Hisense would not have a bulb for this fridge. I can accept that some other company could run out of stock if they had to fix my fridge.</p> <p>Further to the registration - only on 30 December 2016 did I receive a non-reply email stating that the Hisense product was now registered. Also must I mention that in all my telecons with the officials, I expressed my fear that I might in future regret my decision to purchase a Hisense product, since, if it is such a problem replacing a bulb (something I perhaps could have doen myself, but not whilst under warrenty), how big will my problems be if something bigger went wrong with this fridge!</p> <p>I am still waiting!</p>