iStore Table Bay Mall: A Shocking Tale of Incompetence and Customer Disregard

I made a mistake not reading the previous reviews about the istore Table Bay mall. I would have never visited the store otherwise. I visited iStore Table Bay mall on the 15th of November before 17:00 and asked one of the consultants if they do device upgrade on my existing Vodacom account. Yanick Bouwens, the sales consultant said yes but as he was approaching me, said we won’t think that he would be able to do it today as they will close the store at 6pm for stock-take. I said it is 5pm you have a full hour, besides this is not a new contract, it is an upgrade. I have always done my upgrades through Vodacom and never had an issue. So, he reluctantly took my ID and started the process my information, he asked for my proof of address, I have my insurance invoices, Vodacom invoice, internet invoice and my car invoices and my lease agreement. He said we need a utility bill, I explained to Yanick that the utility bill wasn't in my name as I was renting, to which he nonchalantly responded, "No problem." I promptly located my most recent utility bill and emailed it to him. However, his response caught me off guard – apparently, it was submitted in an Acrobat PDF format and needed to be in a different PDF format. After a second attempt, he informed me that it also needed to be under my name. It became apparent that Yanick was not well-versed in the matter.

Determined to resolve the issue, I reached out to my agent for a copy of the lease agreement, which she promptly sent via WhatsApp. To my dismay, Yanick dismissed it, claiming it was a photo and insisted it had to be in PDF format. Frustrated, I requested the appropriate document from my agent, who regretfully explained that she was out of the office and could only provide it later.

In the midst of this ordeal, the staff handed me all the necessary documents for signature and initials, assuring me that I met the criteria for the device upgrade. Trusting this assurance, I diligently signed every required page. Convinced that only the PDF format of my lease agreement stood between me and the upgrade, I left the store just before 6 pm and headed home. I sent the PDF format of my lease agreement to Yanick in the early hours of the morning on the 16th of November, along with a message asking him, "Please advise if all is in order before I come through." His response was, "Yes, this is perfect. When you are available, we can process and finalize the upgrade." In acknowledgment, I rep****, "Perfect. I will be there in the afternoon," since I had client consultations and needed to make arrangements for the timing.

Yanick then emailed back added, "Golden. Just to let you know, I finish work at 5 pm." After arranging my consultation times, I returned to the Table Bay iStore around 4 pm. Greeting the very cold, offish Yanick, he proceeded to finalize the contract. Going back and forth, checking the pages, and aware that I had provided all the necessary documents, I sat and rep**** to my messages and emails. Yanick informed me that everything was done and asked if I needed a charger, I rep**** affirmatively. He brought the charger and mentioned that I would soon receive an email from the iStore, guiding me through the activation of my free iCare Plus for my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Indeed, I received the email from iStore at 16:32 regarding my iPhone iCare plan. Following that, I paid for the charger and their service fee using the card machine. Subsequently, he returned to the office to bring the phone.

However, to my surprise, he came back with my lease agreement, expressing regret, "Sorry, we cannot proceed unless the person who signed here (The landlord) comes and provides their ID!!!" I was shocked. Firstly, my landlord resides abroad. Secondly, I felt like I was being prosecuted, treated like a ********.

In response to this unexpected turn of events, I stood up and declared, "That's it! I am not interested in your phone. Keep it." The situation seemed absurd; I had never encountered anything like this before. My lease agreement, a legally binding document, has been used for purchasing cars without such complications. My lease agreement is a legally binding document. I have used it to purchase cars, obtain visas for travel to numerous countries worldwide, and upgrade all my previous phones without any issues.

Leaving the store, I was extremely upset and had initially decided to go home to cool down. However, a change of heart led me back to the store to confront the manager about why they had declined my purchase. Returning before 5 pm while Yanick was still present, I requested to see the manager. Not with the intention of convincing them to give me the phone, but to address their incompetence in providing proper service.

Upon re-entering the store and requesting to see the manager, Ashley Jarley emerged. However, she had no answers to any of my questions, offering only apologies. I questioned why a landlord's presence and ID were suddenly necessary, especially when it had never been a requirement before? Why hadn't they informed me in the morning that my lease agreement was insufficient, especially when I explicitly asked in my email if everything was okay and if I should proceed to the store?

Expressing my frustration, I asked her why they wasted two days of my time, inconveniencing me and compelling me to cancel and reschedule meetings to be there? Unfortunately, no one had any satisfactory answers. Emotionally stressed, I walked out of the store, realizing that I could not consult with any clients further under such circumstances. The next day, I called Vodacom, something I should have done initially. Within only twenty minutes, my sale was completed, and my phone was scheduled for delivery within the next three working days. To my delight, I even secured the iPhone 15 Pro Max in the colour of my choice.

The consultant Yanick Bouwens at iStore Table Bay left me with an unfavourable impression, lacking friendliness and appearing clueless. Evidently, didnt know the necessary steps, turning what should have been a routine task with provided documents into a complex forensic investigation. I couldn't shake the feeling of an unwarranted element of ******. Despite holding a green SA ID, I felt judged, as if standing trial before a judge and jury.

My disappointment is profound, Hence I would never recommend iStore Table Bay to anyone. On that day, they not only lost a sale but also great level of credibility. If there was an option to give no star on a Google review, I would have certainly chosen it.