Terrible customer service and an overall frustrating experience.

I took my laptop in for an insurance claim assessment and told the staff member (Deen Julius) that it was specifically for insurance purposes. I left it with him so he could do the assessment, which he needed to do regardless of the report type.

When I came back, he told me the hardware was performing poorly and that the laptop was damaged internally. Right after that, he offered to trade his laptop for mine which felt off. At the time, I didn’t think too much of it, but looking back, it raises serious questions about his intentions and whether that influenced the vague and unhelpful advice I received next.

We went back and forth on whether I needed a damage report or just a standard assessment and quote. When I asked if he knew what was typically required for insurance claims, he didn’t give me a clear answer. Based on that unclear guidance, I agreed to go ahead with the standard assessment and paid R299.

Only after I paid, I got a message from my broker confirming I actually needed a damage report. I told Deen what my broker had just said, and then he admitted that yes, that’s what insurance claims usually require and that he was aware because they deal with insurance reports all the time. That’s when it hit me, he knew from the beginning what I needed, but didn’t tell me until I had already paid for the wrong thing.

I’ll admit — that part’s on me. I should’ve waited for confirmation from my broker before proceeding. But even after I explained the situation and asked if I could switch and just pay the difference, they refused. I was told I’d now have to pay an extra R799, even though:

1. There was no difference in the actual service I’d receive. 2. If I had asked for the damage report first, I would’ve only paid for that.

I asked to speak to the owner, and that turned into a two-week mission. I had to follow up every time, they never called me back despite claiming they did. Each time I followed up, I had to explain the situation all over again to different staff members, and they each gave me a different excuse as to why they couldn’t help. The stories kept changing and none of them were consistent, clear, or helpful, it became obvious that no one is properly trained or aligned on how to handle these situations.

What upset me the most wasn’t the money, it was the way I was treated. The poor customer service, the lack of transparency, the inconsistent stories, and the complete lack of accountability were beyond frustrating.

I walked away with wasted time, a lot of frustration, and no trust in how they operate.

You won’t be seeing me again. Peace.