Very disappointing experience with iStore Pre-Owned – faulty MacBook Air M2

I purchased a MacBook Air M2 from iStore Pre-Owned approximately two and a half weeks ago. The MacBook arrived and, cosmetically, it appeared to be in good condition, as advertised.

Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that the MacBook was not charging.

I took the device to iStore Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg, where the charger was sent to the technicians to be assessed. The charger was worked on and returned to the store, and I was initially told that the charger was working.

The MacBook itself was then sent to the technicians for further investigation. I have now been informed that there is in fact a fault with the MacBook and that parts need to be ordered. I have subsequently been told that this process could take another 7–10 days.

This is extremely frustrating because I have already been without the laptop for approximately two weeks. I purchased this MacBook only two and a half weeks ago, and for most of that time I have not actually had a functioning laptop.

I specifically purchased from iStore Pre-Owned because the products are advertised as being inspected and in good condition. I understand that buying pre-owned carries some risk, but I did not expect to spend a significant amount of money on a MacBook only to discover a serious fault almost immediately and then potentially wait several weeks before I can actually use the product.

At this point, the experience has been extremely disappointing. I would expect a pre-owned device sold by a reputable retailer to have been properly checked before being sold, and if a fault is discovered so soon after purchase, I would expect the matter to be resolved quickly and efficiently.

I am hoping iStore will reconsider how this situation is being handled and provide a reasonable resolution, given that I have barely been able to use a product that I only purchased two and a half weeks ago.