Paid R58K. Product failed. I was humiliated and ignored. Now I know my rights.

Humiliated, disrupted, delayed – but finally replaced.

I’m writing this review not just as a frustrated customer, but as a business owner whose livelihood was impacted by the poor escalation/treatment of customers at iStore Garden Route.

Six weeks ago, I bought a brand-new M4 MacBook Pro for nearly R57,999 — my first major business asset. It was meant to power my entire studio workflow. I was beyond excited for my new creative adventure as an independent female business owner; this was a MAJOR step for me.

When the screen failed (just a reminder 6 weeks later)... I drove over an hour and a half behind a truck from Knysna to George for help. Frustrated, no babysitter, and my retired mother on the phone with head office and babysitting my daughter, while I "try" to "independently" handle the issue.

What I got was:

A dismissive standard business response to the right of replacement (that it was a backlight issue).

Delays, no urgency, and an unwillingness to troubleshoot in-store.

Escalation to store security and a panic button simply for raising my voice — not being violent or abusive. I was a woman standing alone, desperate for help.

3 Security guards called on me, I repeat 3, YES 3. Woman alone. I cried in-store while pleading, later insisting on a refund or resolution. Other customers stared, I was sooooo embarrassed. I asked for a manager wit authority, multiple times, and what did the on-floor manager do? phone head office....Not a manager, not the store owner, noooo an online number we all find on the website...STANDARD procedure.

After 3 hours of back and forth, security following me to the bathroom, back into the store like a ********, they then again only offered me a loan device that couldn't even run the software I needed to operate my full workflow.

According to the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), I was entitled to a refund, repair, or replacement within six months. I was never informed on the day of purchase of these service restraints.. that this store is a "Premier Partner" with reduced support power.

I was sold a premium product, received poor support, and was treated without respect or empathy.

I lost billable time, client trust, and spent hours restoring data. I paid for insurance, iCloud, iTunes, and Google Drive — but none of this protected me from the customer experience failure I endured.

Eventually, after further pressure and escalation, they confirmed it was a manufacturing fault and have now this afternoon agreed to issue a new replacement. I’m collecting the new MacBook tomorrow, so I will again have to drive for 3hours, up and down to collect this premium luxury product.... but the journey to get here was unnecessarily painful.

Let me be clear: ✅ I paid full price for a premium product. ✅ I paid for insurance and additional storage solutions. ✅ I spent valuable time driving, re-installing accounts, catching up on client deadlines, and explaining myself repeatedly. ✅ I lost billable hours and client trust — something no "loan device" can cover.

iStore should treat customers — especially business clients — with the care their price tags suggest. No customer should be met with security instead of solutions. The disproportionate response, the lack of transparency around partner stores, and the emotional toll I experienced are not acceptable.

If you're buying from this store, ask clearly whether it’s a Premier Partner, what your rights are, and what support you’ll get if your R58K machine fails.

To iStore: Your eventual resolution does not erase how you handled this. Your team needs better training in de-escalation, empathy, and technical listening.