Immensely disappointing service

I received an email from iStore on 23 October saying that my online application to upgrade my mobile contract cannot proceed due to iStore not being able to contact me telephonically.

I app**** for the iPhone 16 Pro shortly after it was launched and have been waiting weeks for iStore to contact me about the stock arrival. Unfortunately, I was travelling internationally last week, between 21-26 October, and therefore did not have access to my phone line to take the call from iStore.

I immediately responded to the email to explain the above, in the hope that iStore would do me the courtesy of holding the stock until I arrived back in SA. However, no one responded to my email.

I called iStore on Monday 28 October to explain and to ask what can be done, and was told that they most likely put my phone back into stock. I was told that I could try visiting the physical stores to check who has stock (apparently this cannot be checked by the person I was speaking to on the call).

As unhelpful as I found that information I went to one of the stores anyway. They did not have stock of the phone but were nice enough to check which other stores had it. After learning that another store had 2 available, I drove there only to discover that they were reserved for another client. Besides the inconvenience, the waste of time and petrol, what really annoys me is that those phones are being kept aside long enough for the buyer to come at a convenient time for them. Why was I not offered the same courtesy? I had a valid reason for not being able to proceed at the time I was contacted due to being overseas.

I had to start the entire process of applying for the phone again. Which I did twice without any confirmation that the application had been received.

I emailed the above information to *** and received a call from iStore online cellular shortly thereafter apologising for my experience and letting me know that they can reserve a phone for me.

I was impressed with the speed of the response and was told that all I needed to do was to fill out some forms for the upgrade and return it to them, then the phone would be delivered to me.

I asked how my trade-in would be handled and was informed that trade-ins can only be handled in a physical store. This was not made clear when applying online.

Nevertheless, I told the person that I’d be happy to continue the process in store. But she informed me that they cannot transfer the online stock to a physical store.

I honestly do not understand why this isn’t possible. You’ve just confirmed you have available stock but that you cannot make it available to me. It makes no sense. After waiting for 5 weeks for the stock to arrive, unfortunately being out of the country for a few days when the stock finally arrived, then finding stock at a physical store and being told they were reserved for another buyer, then being called about a phone being specially reserved for me, I’m now back at square one where I have to start the entire process again and have my name added to a long list, when in fact I was one of the first people to put my hand up for this phone.

I find this service shocking, inconvenient and inconsiderate. I’m extremely disappointed that this level of service comes from one of the most admired brands on the planet. Ironically, a brand that specifically believes in making the lives of their customer easy through the use of their intuitive, reliable and efficient products.