LG MIDRAND SPARES

After-sales service has become a significant challenge for our customers, and this issue has been particularly evident during my latest experience. As the head of the spares department at the LG Midrand branch, I reached out for assistance after making a substantial investment of over R10,000 on spare parts. To my dismay, I was informed that for televisions, a special remote is necessary to adjust the settings. This means that, in addition to my initial purchase, I would have to pay extra to have the settings adjusted—an unforeseen expense. Furthermore, I was shocked to learn that LG does not sell these remotes to repair technicians, leaving us in a bind.

Currently, I need a mainboard priced at over R5,000. In my attempt to resolve the issue, I asked if I could bring the unit in for the required remote settings. However, I was met with another hurdle: an additional assessment fee of R490 would be charged on top of the mainboard cost. This raises several questions for me. I spoke with the manager by Johannes, and asked if they outsource their parts. If that's the case, why am I being penalised with an assessment fee when I already know the specific problem? Moreover, why isn't it possible to purchase the remote so I could avoid these extra charges, especially considering that I regularly order many spare parts from them?

Frustration mounted as I received no answers to my inquiries. I attempted to contact Thandi, but my calls went unanswered. The number provided by the toll-free service for spares at the Midrand branch also yielded no results. When I resorted to sending WhatsApp messages, I often received automated responses stating, "We are currently busy with another walk-in customer," leaving me feeling ignored and undervalued.

This situation leads me to ponder why LG imposes restrictions on selling parts through other technicians. In contrast, I have had no such difficulties obtaining spare parts from competitors like Samsung, Sinotec, or C-tronics. As a loyal customer and partner, I am growing increasingly disillusioned with LG's service.