Sony Xperia XZ Advertised, No Stock, No Service 2 months later...

<p>During September this year I was contacted at least 3 times by MTN call centre agents advising me to upgrade my contract which was valid for an upgrade from the 1st October 2016.</p> <p>After researching devices, I came across an article on both mybroadband.co.za and the Sony website that MTN were launching the Xperia XZ bundle (including smar****ch) effective 1st October 2016. This was confirmed when I saw the same bundle published in your monthly specials booklet.</p> <p>I duly visited your Benoni Oakfields franchise store to apply for the upgrade. I reconfirmed the device in the booklet in store with the shop assistant. I was told that the XZ stock was not available yet, however I could complete the contract paperwork and they expected the device to be available in about a week. They also advised that once the stock became available, the device would be delivered to me. I accepted this and completed the contract.</p> <p>Just over a week later I tried contacting the store in question and could not get through on their designated contact number. After trying numerous times, the call was diverted to a different MTN store. I was told that Oakfields were undergoing a store renovation and was given an alternate number to call. When I called the alternate number an apparently new employee answered the phone. I explained that I was waiting for Xperia XZ stock and was calling to find out if the stock had become available yet. the new assistant was not equipped to deal with my request and asked instead if someone more senior could phone me back. I agreed. I never received a call. I treid calling back on both numbers, again the listed number diverted and the new number just rang,</p> <p>I then opted to physically go into the store to follow up. When I went to the store (make-shift store as renovations were underway), I was told by a staff member that the stock was still not available and that they were expecting stock that week. I accepted this.</p> <p>After another week I phoned the store again. Once again it took multiple attempts to get through. When I eventually did get through, I was told that the stock was still not available and the it would be available the following week (bear in mind we are entering week 3). Slightly irritated I tried to extract a valid reason for the stock taking this long. None could be offered.</p> <p>By the end of the following week after not hearing from any MTN representative, and my irritation levels increasing, I physically went to the Oakfields store to find out what was going on. The staff had just moved into the new store and understandably things were in disarray. This time I dealt with a third assistant who proceeded to tell me that stock was still not available and that it was unlikely the stock would be available in the following week. This news sent me orbital and I took the assistant to task on this news, as once again no valid reason was offered for a device that was advertised close on a month back. In defense the assistant promptly told me that their store is ONLY a franchise store and NOT an MTN store. Gutsy, as far as I can tell the branding on the front of the store is distinctly MTN and the store inside is dripping in MTN yellow. Not an MTN store, just a franchise store?</p> <p>I was told that I should take this up with MTN direct.</p> <p>The same day I called the MTN call centre on 808 and received pretty much the same non-chalant response from the call centre agent and was advised to call MTN Direct as they have better access to stock than the franchise stores and that I may have better luck with them. I was promptly put through.</p> <p>I ended up speaking to Gloria Shumba who turned out to be the only bright light in this appalling experience. After listening to my tirade, she very calmlay told me that I am not the first person with this issue and that she shares my frustration. She proceeded to tell me that she has sent numerous emails to management to get committal or at least an explanation regarding the XZ stock issue and that she was as much in the dark as me. She proceeded to take my details and exchanged her direct details and promised to contact me as soon as the situation changed. This is going on 2 weeks now and a total of 5 weeks since my upgrade application.</p> <p>In the meantime I posted on MTN's Facebook page asking the same question. I was advised by your moderator to inbox the complaint and someone would get back to me. I did exactly that and unsurprisingly got zero response. I followed up with another message on Facebook to which I have had no response. I have contacted Sony International who are equally non-chalant and referred me back to a non-responsive MTN twice!</p> <p>I moved to MTN many years ago because I was disillusioned with Vodacom's service only to give your company many thousands of Rands worth of business over the years. Unfortunately my faith in your company has been rewarded with the most spectacularly poor service I have ever received by any company.</p> <p>Could someone please enlighten me as to what the stock issue with the Xperia XZ is. Just a short answer like; we messed up, or the stock is still in customs, or the storeroom was flooded. Don't drag me along like an idiot. Just communicate. I'm sure MTN pays premium wages to a platoon of communications experts who are clearly not doing their job.</p> <p>Oh, and answer Gloria's emails please. She is an asset and could do a better job than your PR poeple with her eyes and ears closed.</p> <p>I await your response (which I'm honestly not expecting to receive)</p>