Dead on arrival tablet and lack of assistance from store manager

To the Management of Incredible Connection and JD Group,

I am writing to formally lodge a demand for a full refund or a brand-new replacement for an Honor Pad X8a 11 tablet (***) purchased on 14 March 2026. This device was a critical purchase intended for my child’s schooling, and the unprofessionalism and calculated delays I have encountered at your Wonderboom Junction branch have now resulted in a two-week disruption to their education.

1. Detailed Background and Initial Admission of Negligence On Saturday, 14 March, I purchased the tablet and a cover. At the point of sale, your staff failed to open the box or perform any inspection of the device. Upon arriving home to set the device up for my child’s school requirements, I discovered a crack on the screen. I immediately repacked the device, and returned to the store the very next day, Sunday, 15 March.

The sales consultant who assisted me on Sunday explicitly admitted that she had failed to inspect the device during the sale. She categorized the unit as DOA (Dead on Arrival) but informed me I would need to return on Monday to finalize the matter with the Branch Manager, Ronnie Mauda.

2. Confrontation with Branch Manager Ronnie Mauda

On Monday, 16 March, I met with Mr. Mauda. His conduct was dismissive and highly unprofessional(I have a recording):

Baseless Accusations: Without any technical evidence, Mr. Mauda suggested I had broken the tablet, condescendingly comparing the situation to "someone leaving a pen inside a closed laptop." Operational Ignorance: When questioned on store policy, Mr. Mauda admitted on record that he is unfami**** with the Terms and Conditions printed on the back of your invoices. Admission of Systemic Failure: He confirmed that the store has no procedure to inspect sealed products before handing them to customers. While your terms state a customer must ensure consistency before leaving, the manager admitted they just take inventory from suppliers and hand it over without checking.

3. Job Card: Despite Mr. Mauda’s attempts to deflect blame, His own store technical department validated my claim. According to the Customer Repairs Job Card signed on 16 March:

Technician Findings: The store representative, Ntanganedzeni, documented the "Screen Crack" but also marked the general condition of the unit as "Good". Official Recommendation: Under the "OUTCOME" section, the technician explicitly marked "YES" for an "Exchange". Managerial Obstruction: Mr. Mauda has ignored his own technician’s written recommendation for an exchange, refusing to sign the "Management Signature" line on the official document.

4. Misrepresentation and Calculated Delays Two weeks later, Mr. Mauda claimed to have a "diagnostic report" proving physical damage. When I repeatedly requested to see this report, he could not produce it, eventually admitting no such formal report existed. Furthermore, he only contacted me today, 27 March—the 13th day of your 14-calendar day return policy. This appears to be a calculated attempt to delay the process until my rights under your store policy expire. When I informed him I would be escalating this to the Ombudsman, he stated, "I’m no longer going to talk to you," and shut down all communication.

Formal Demand

Under Section 56 of the Consumer Protection Act, I am exercising my right to a refund or replacement for a defective product. I have left the damaged device in your possession at the store.

I demand a full refund or a sealed, brand-new replacement by 31st of March 2026. If this is not resolved, I will have to submit this file—including the signed Job Card and audio recordings of Mr. Mauda’s admissions—to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman (CGSO).

Regards,

Masabatha Ncube