Their name should be We CANTFIX

The weFix branch at Canal Walk has been very BAD at fixing my mother's phone and as a result of their incompetency they have provided us with poor customer service. I feel we have been ******, discriminated against and our rights as customers was not taken into account because the store DOES NOT DO FULL ASSESSMENTS and fixes phones based on assumptions.

I took my mom's phone in for repairs at the End of April. On the 1st of May I received an e-mail with a quotation. However, the phone refused to go on and it had screen damage. I was not bothered by the screen and was solely worried about the device not switching on at the time and assumed it may have been the battery. Thus, when I saw they quoted me for a screen, I queried it before accepting the quote. Their response was the phone will not work as their assessment indicates that dead spots will prevent the phone from working optimally, should I only fix the battery.

Their response lead me to accept the quote, and they shortly notified me that the phone was ready for collection. However, I was out of town for a conference and I only attempted to collect the phone when I arrived home the following Friday evening (as my mom is old and cannot drive). When we arrived at the store, the person at the desk fetched the phone and tried to switch the phone on which I assume is protocol, however, after a few attempts and placing it on charge the phone remained dead. The person said the phone was working but they didn't know what happened from when they sent the collection e-mail to now. The front desk person then said that the technician will have a look at it and we should be there early the Saturday (before 10 to be exact). We then left and returned the next morning. The next morning, the phone had not been looked at and the two members at the desk said that the technician will only be available after 12 on that particular day. It was very frustrating as you see other people being serviced and you personally having to wait. My mother and I roamed around the mall for the remaining hours and at 12:30 we were back, only to hear that the technician needs to do a reassessment AGAIN and will possibly send us a new quote in the week.

We were not too upset at the time as we were glad that the phone died there, as opposed to at home. We thought that it was best that the problem came up now before we paid etc. Then the week passed and their was no communication from the team at all! In fact after being patient for another week, I decided to take my mother to the store in the 3rd week because it cannot take so long. When we arrived at the store, the front desk person was looking for the phone (or in the backroom area for over 30minutes). While my mother and I was waiting a random customer (who happen to be white) was in the mall and thought he'd check the progress of his phone(without receiving contact from the store), this man was then notified by someone else at the front desk that his phone was ready and in a few minutes he left the store with his phone, while my mother and I was still waiting for a phone we brought to the store over a month ago. When the front desk person finally came back to us. He indicated that the phone was not assessed yet and that the technician will be doing the assessment now, "do we want to wait?" I was furious because another customer received their phone without notification and I who had received previous notification could not get my phone. In my anger I started becoming stern and requesting time of collection etc. The person was so rude to tell me and told me to lower my voice and refused to call the manager and said the manager was out. We then waited, returned, and the technician came to us to apologize and said that they can get the phone to work again and insisted that I pay. However, everything made me weary and I insisted that he first check what happens if the phone's battery runs down completely, as that seems to be a recurring problem (It felt as if I was telling the professional what the problem was). He then agreed that the phone will be his top priority and that he will run a test to see if it can recharge when rundown. My mother and I left feeling as if we did not matter and that we were being disregarded for "better customers" . However, we could not go somewhere else because they already tampered with the phone, which is what the representative at the I store told me.

We waited for communication from the technician and finally collected the phone towards the end of June. The technician then called us and said he thinks the battery needs to be replaced which is why the phone runs down and refuses to switch back on. We assumed that a thorough assessment was done and accepted the quote. Upon arrival the technician said he checked the battery again and i was the issue and he apologised again, my mother and I assumed that the technician knew what he was speaking about as he seemed to be convinced it was fixed and for once I operated the phone in working condition (even though I was upset that the screen was then not an issue). We then signed all the relevant documents and then we paid whatever was necessary which was over a thousand rand.

However, in a week or two, the phone's battery ran down again and we needed to take the phone back. When we arrived there and they said that they'll do an assessment AGAIN and let us know...When they did an assessment they gave me a quote for R1500 because they NOW think it is the main board or mother board which is the issue and that needs to be sent to head office and if it is not the case then the phone cannot be fixed. I was so furious, because not only was it an issue that the phone is not fixed and we paid for it. But Now the phone also refused to go back on like before...they said they cannot get it to switch on again because I even asked them to get the phone operational and we'll make sure not to have it run down again because my mom depends on her phone to work as she sells products for a living.

They again refused this and I was so upset because it took, consistent travelling from the Northern suburbs to Canal Walk, it meant a financial loss for my mother as she could not do business from her phone and we also faced numerous stares, disrespect and humiliation while trying to get a service WE PAID FOR rendered. I refused to pay the amount because I was under the impression that the technicians did a proper assessment, I felt like these people knew we were vulnerable and wanted to exploit us, in a time where everyone is experiencing extreme economic difficulty. However, I again asked to speak to the manager and that was not an option, the person continued to go to the back and find answers to my questions and reported back to me. I was even more livid because I feel a case like this is sensitive and a manager needs to intervene and handle the situation with the soft skills they possess.

I was very upset that out of the blue there was a scenario where the phone could not be fixed at all and that we have wasted so much time, money and effort. It was as if the store just wanted to get rid of us. After, continuous arguments, the person came with a deal from the back that I either pay the R1500 ( not exact amount) and hope the phone is fixed or they can remove the screen and battery and give us the phone back with a refund. However, I feel that is such an unequal offer and my mother is being treated unjustly and unfairly, because they already tampered with the phone. The front desk person said we can think about the offer and get back to him. He also said we shouldn't come back to the store but let them know via email (I think they thought we were making a scene in the store). We went home and later that week consulted with a representative from iphone and they said that it would be risky for them to work on a phone that someone else has worked on multiple times. This former made me more upset, because now that they have further messed-up the phone, they want to give it back, and we will probably not be able fix it elsewhere (as it seems technicians are reluctant to work on phones that has been worked on before).

It is sad that this is how the store chose to treat us, because we specifically went there based on a previous employee's recommendation that the store really go the extra mile for their clients. Sadly, we got to see that they only go the extra mile for a "certain type" of client and the rest of us folk, well, we are dispensable and not good for business. I did not go and collect the phone yet because I refuse to accept the options that they have given me.

While making the review I would also like advice as to how this matter can be taken further. I do not know how to get a hold of an ombudsman yet? I have never felt so belittled and mistreated by a place before. I am horrified at the service and assistance I've paid for.