iStore Cresta - Reckless Sales Staff, Uninterested Manager

I have been a loyal Apple customer for the last 13 years. I own pretty much every product Apple produces including several iPhones, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, EarPods Pro, Apple TV, Magic keyboards Magic Mouse trackpad etc. I upgrade my phone and iPad every two years and my laptop approximately every 5. I think it is fair to say Apple have made quite a bit of money from me. In mid February 2023 I became interested in the Apple Watch Ultra. The watches are the only Apple products which I have never owed primarily due to the battery life. I went to the Cresta iStore to look at the Watch Ultra. I was very uncertain about whether to purchase the Watch Ultra as it was a very expensive product. The sales lady, Nonkululeko Tongo, assured me on several occasions that I could buy the Watch, try it for 30 days, and if I didn't like it I could return it for a refund less a 20% unboxing charge. Her exact words were "30 days, 20% handing fee, no questions asked". She repeated this several times and I felt comforted assuming that if for whatever reason I didn't like the Watch, it would not be a complete loss and I would be refunded 80% of the purchase price. So comforted, I decided to buy the Watch and I tried it for 4 days. I then decided that it wasn't for me and returned to the store for a refund. On arrival I was informed that the unit needed to pass a diagnostics test, which it did no problem. After the diagnostics test, the manager, Minkateko Mabuza, inspected the Watch and informed me that due to the light scratches on the bezel of the Watch (in my opinion nothing more than minimal wear and tear from me wearing the watch for 4 days) she would have to escalate the issue before considering my refund. She phoned me later that day to inform me that they are not willing to take back the Watch at all, that I will not be refunded anything and that I must attend at the store to collect my Watch. I was devastated and angry. I had been given a false sense of comfort by the overeager salesperson and promises were made without any regard to whether same would or could be kept. Surely if the expectation of the iStore was to receive the unit in perfect condition in order for the customer to be eligible for the 80% refund, same should be clearly communicated to the customer. Instead the salesperson repeatedly stated "30days, 20%, no questions asked". I think it is also relevant to consider the nature of this specific product and the manner in which it is marketed. It is after all Apple's rugged outdoor sports watch marketed to mountaineers, scuba divers and ultra marathon athletes. I wore the watch for 4 days working a normal desk job in the middle of the city. In order to see the scratches the watch had to be tilted at just the right angle with just the right light. In any event, I felt cheated and started to consider my legal options including a referral of the matter to the consumer commission for investigation and determination. After a few days I realised that, other than the false promises made by the sales person, the central issue here was the store manager's unreasonable assessment of the device and the scratches. I decided to take the watch to a different iStore for assessment. Surely if there were merit in the initial assessment of the scratches the result would be the same. Long story short, the other iStore put the watch through diagnostics, inspected it after it had passed and processed the refund (less the 20% open box fee) within 30 minutes of my arrival, exactly as I had expected from the Cresta iStore. I suppose the question then becomes why, if I received my 80% refund as expected, am I now complaining. The reason is simple, the entire experience at the Cresta iStore left a bitter taste in my mouth. The salesperson was reckless in the advice she gave me as a customer and made promises which the store manager clearly had no intention of honouring. In addition, the store manager, having been informed of the advice give to me by the salesperson avoided any accountability for her staff and was more than happy for me, the customer, to pay the costs. I remind you that the watch retails for R19,999.00. I fully appreciate that Apple as a brand has more money than most third world countries and retaining me as a client is of no consequence to the company as a whole. I am and will remain a loyal Apple client but the experience at the Cresta iStore has left a bitterness that will take quite some time to shake off. It is extremely unlikely that I will ever visit that particular sore again and I will strongly advise any person willing to listen to avoid that store at all costs.