Phone Repairs Delay

My daughter dropped off her cellphone at the Sunnypark Mall, Sunnyside, July 15th for repairs (factory faults) and it was logged in and to be sent to MTN Midrand the following day (16th July). When she called in to inquire about the phone Friday (26 July) (assisted by Lerato) she was then told the phone with couriers for the past 10 days and will only be attended to today (2nd August) as "it is not the only phone we are dealing with". No time frame on how long the repairs will take was given which makes the situation even more frustrating. The phone is on contract and has been deducted for her monthly usage without fail as usual, no courtesy phone has been provided to her during the delay of the repairs nor any proper communication. How is a phone with the couriers for 10 days without any notice to the client? how long do repairs take? Why should she pay for a full monthly when the phone has not been in her possession (due to the company being at fault) for about 3 weeks?