YM
Yonela M

1 reviews | Active since Nov 2019

12 Aug 2024, 23:14

Tsukuru (Pty) Ltd, Oukitel and its Technicians (Thami Selepe and Mbali) are ****mers. DO NOT PURCHASE their fragile smartphone

DO NOT BUY TSUKURU T/A- OUKITEL SOUTH AFRICA products—they are very easy to break, and even if they say they will fix them if something goes wrong within a year, they won't. Here's what happened to me:

I bought an Oukitel "smartphone" on November 27, 2023. By July 2024, the charging port (the part where you plug in the charger) got damaged. The warranty card and their website clearly say they cover this kind of problem for 12 months. So, I reported the problem on their website and sent them my receipt, which showed the date I bought the phone. A technician named Thami Selepe, who was helping with my case, asked me to send the receipt directly to him via WhatsApp before they could collect the phone. I did exactly that, and after they got my receipt, they arranged to pick up the phone from me.

Once they had the phone, which traveled all the way from Cape Town to Johannesburg, they sent me a quote saying the damage was my fault. This is impossible because I took great care of the phone. The phone was in perfect condition, and I've used other brands' phones for years without any issues. I told them this and asked them to show proof that it was my fault. I also asked how the charger I always used was perfectly fine, but the charging port was broken when it's supposed to be covered under their so-called 12-month warranty.

Suddenly, they changed their story and said the reason I had to pay to fix the phone was because I had been using it for over a year, which made no sense. First, they already had my receipt showing when I bought the phone, so why did they arrange to collect it if it was over a year old? Second, the phone was only bought in November 2023, not over a year ago.

They couldn't give me any real answers, just **** stories to get me to pay for something that should be fixed for free under the warranty. I then sent them a screenshot of my order with the purchase date highlighted and emailed them again to express my concerns. I pointed out their incorrect findings and false assumptions because it was clear they were trying to avoid fixing the phone. When I followed up three days later, they suddenly changed the warranty to 9 months, just because I had emphasized that the phone wasn't even 12 months old yet. How funny, stupid, and coincidental, right?

The warranty card I received with the phone, and their website, both say 12 months. But according to Thami Selepe, Mbali from Oukitel's Technicians, and another lady I spoke to (who tried to act like the boss), this is not the case. Mbali even had the nerve to say that I should have reported the damage within 7 days of buying the phone for it to be fixed under warranty. My question is, where is that written? The website talks about a 14-day return policy, and 2, the charging port wasn't damaged then, so what was she even talking about?

The timelines she mentioned were nowhere to be found. Tsukuru t/a Oukitel South Africa employees are a bunch of illogical ****mers with cheaply made products that they will charge you to fix even when it's still under warranty. Do not buy their products. In this case, "local is not lekker" at all—it's the worst.

I'm now waiting for my phone to be returned to me, and I will not be giving them a cent. I told them to send back their cheaply made device because dealing with people who made no sense was draining my energy. It was exhausting having to correct them and repeatedly provide the correct information after they quoted false information and failed to answer all my questions—and I had plenty of them, all of which they failed to answer!

Don't waste your money on Oukitel. Even if you want to buy it for your child, don't! Rather buy an Honor or another good quality brand—an actual smartphone from a brand that values their product and their customers, with employees who follow the correct processes and listen to understand, not just to respond because they don't want to incur the cost of fixing what they caused, due to low manufacture quality of their products.

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Replies (13)
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply13 Aug 2024, 16:27
Official
Dear Yonela,

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We genuinely value all customer experiences, even when they highlight areas where we may not have met expectations. However, it's important to clarify a few points regarding your situation.

Firstly, the warranty period for your Oukitel C21 Pro smartphone is indeed 12 months, as clearly stated on our website and reiterated by both Thami and Mbali on multiple occasions. We understand that there may have been some confusion, but we assure you that the warranty terms were communicated accurately accross all channels.

Secondly, our technician, who has over 20 years of experience working with major smartphone brands like Samsung, Huawei, and Apple, conducted a thorough evaluation of your device. The assessment, which included detailed photos, determined that the damage to the charging port was due to user mishandling—specifically, applying excessive force when plugging or unplugging in the charger. This type of accidental damage is not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty, which is a standard practice across all smartphone brands, not just Oukitel.

Thirdly, after completing the technical assessment, Thami made nine attempts to contact you via phone to discuss the findings and the repair options. Unfortunately, there was no response. He also sent an email explaining the situation and provided a quotation for the repairs. The quote was R450 for the charging port replacement, which included original spare parts, labor, and a full technical assessment, as well as R200 for the round-trip courier service. These rates are very competitive compared to market standards.

We also want to address your interactions with our team. Our staff handled your case with professionalism and provided regular updates throughout the process. We regret if any communication issues added to your frustration, but it’s important to acknowledge that respectful dialogue is crucial for resolving such matters effectively. 

Sincerely,
Tsukuru t/a Oukitel South Africa
YM
Yonela M's update13 Aug 2024, 19:09
Reviewer Update
So you are now implying that I am lying. Thami and Mbali reiterated the warranty terms nine months after I informed them that I hadn't been using the phone since November 2023, following a false accusation that I had been been using it for 12 months hence I had to pay for the repair. I even provided further proof that the phone was purchased in November 2023. GO BACK TO YOUR RECORDING IF THE CALL WAS RECORDING!!!

I'm not going to waste any more of my energy on this. It’s clear that your regulations are arbitrary, designed to accommodate and favour your interests at the expense of customers. Claiming professionalism and technical expertise has nothing to do with the lack of ethics displayed by Tsukuru t/a Oukitel South Africa.

Your response is just damage control and makes no sense whatsoever.

Potential buyers should not waste their hard-earned pennies on products from Tsukuru t/a Oukitel South Africa. They are cheaply made, and the company, along with its employees, lacks ethics!!!!
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply14 Aug 2024, 07:15
Official
Dear Yonela,

I want to clarify the situation regarding the warranty and repair process to avoid any further confusion:

  1. The warranty for our devices is indeed 12 months, and you reached out to us after using the device for 9 months. The misunderstanding may have arisen around the timing of the usage period, and we regret any miscommunication that may have occurred during our conversations. We deal with thousands of repairs and both Thami and Mbali have good understanding of the warranty period and after sales process. 
  2. Regarding the repair, as per feedback from Thami - the issue was classified by our technician as user damage (this was identified based on a thorough technical assessment completed at our workshop and the technical report with images was sent to you), which, as per our warranty policy, is not covered under the standard warranty terms. Even though your device is within the warranty period, user damage is handled as an out-of-warranty repair.
  3. Our warranty policy, including what is covered and what is excluded, is available on our website for all customers to review. We aim to be transparent in all our dealings, and we are sorry if this wasn't clear.

    At Oukitel South Africa, we strive to provide an excellent customer experience, and it's truly unfortunate that we did not see eye to eye on this matter. We value your feedback and take it seriously, as it helps us improve our service and customer interactions. 

    Best regards,
    Oukitel South Africa team
YM
Yonela M's update14 Aug 2024, 20:40
Reviewer Update
"There is no confusion on my parT,may be from your end and obviously, dishonesty, a lack of responsibility, accountability, and ********* business practices by the Oukitel South Africa team. I would NOT recommend your cheaply manufactured products and horrible service to anyone. People should stick to well-known brands that won't try to **** you out of your money.

Wanting to make moeny by being dishonest will only lead to failure. You've yet to directly show me where this '9 months' warranty you have been preaching about suddenly since I told you that I purchased the phone 9 months ago. It magically changed from the '12 months' after I pointed out that I did not purchase the phone a year ago.

You are just a typical South African brand, and if this is how you treat people who try out your brand, you will definitely fail like many other local brands. When it comes to Oukitel South Africa local is not lekker, typical.
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply15 Aug 2024, 09:17
Official
Dear Yonela,
We regret that your experience with Oukitel South Africa did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your time and wish you all the best going forward. 
Best wishes,
Oukitel SA Team
YM
Yonela M's update16 Aug 2024, 09:30
Reviewer Update
You regret nothing! Please stop sending generic, canned responses. Your company has shown no appreciation, only dishonesty and ********* business practices. Your so-called "experienced" technicians, the Thami's and the Mbali's, lack both sense and ethics. I appreciate nothing on my end, as you have wasted my time, energy, and most importantly, my hard earned money by trying to support your ****my business and purchasing your cheaply made phone. No business will succeed by ****ming the very people who try to support it, and with such ********* practices, you will reap what you sow!
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply16 Aug 2024, 10:31
Official
Dear Yonela, thank you for sharing your feedback. We're sorry to hear about your experience, and we take your concerns seriously. It's important to us that our customers feel heard and respected, and we will reflect on your feedback as we work to improve. Have a lovely day ahead!
YM
Yonela M's update18 Aug 2024, 21:09
Reviewer Update
f you really intended on reflecting on the feedback, you would be investigating the matter further from your end and ensure that the correct measures are taken. As I've said before, your canned responses and unwanted "sorrys" seem to be more about damage control for anyone who might come across this review, rather than your willingness to address and rectifying the actual issue. You have failed to answer to any of the many questions that I had, including the most important about where on your website and on the warranty does it state that the warranty for damage charging ports is 9 MONTHS??

Your reasons for wanting me to pay for a repair that IS covered under warranty changed every time I corrected your inaccurate narratives and information. Each time I pushed back, a new excuse would suddenly come about that favored your ****my company without any reference to fine print or valid terms.
Your employees lack of competency and Oukitel South Africa has ****-like tendencies!
Now stop draining my energy further with your canned responses and insincere apologies.
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply20 Aug 2024, 11:00
Official
We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback, although we must address several concerns you’ve raised in your review.

Firstly, we must clarify that the allegations made in your review are not accurate and are, in fact, defamatory towards our company. We completed a thorough internal investigation, and our team adhered strictly to our formal after-sales support processes.

Regarding the warranty period, we have communicated on multiple occasions that our warranty is 12 months, as clearly stated on our website. However, the specific issue with your device—visible damage to the charging port—falls outside the scope of manufacturer warranty coverage. Our technician conducted a full technical assessment and provided a detailed report, including images, which confirmed that the damage was user-induced. 

We understand that this situation has been frustrating, but our goal has always been to provide transparent and fair service based on our warranty inclusion and exclusion policies. 
YM
Yonela M's update21 Aug 2024, 20:57
Reviewer Update
You’re saying I’m making false claims, but I was the one who had to correct your technicians when they gave me wrong information about my purchase and the device.
Show me where the exceptions to your warranty are written on the warranty card or on your website. Don’t just tell me something that isn’t actually in writing that suddenly came about after I had been objecting your initial false narratives. You’re also claiming that I damaged the phone, how? I’ve never had to take a phone in for repairs before, I take good care of things bought with my hard earned money!
How is it that the charger I used is perfectly fine, but there's a problem with the charging port on your cheaply manufacture phone? And how did the warranty period suddenly change to 9 months? Your technician first told me I’d been using the device for 12 months and that is why I needed to pay for the repair, which wasn’t true, and after I corrected them, and send more evidence, they changed it to 9 months. Where is this written down?????
Now that you’ve sent back your poorly manufacture device, stop wasting my time and energy.

Oukitel South Africa has no ethics and makes low quality products that they want customers to pay for when they bring them in for repairs under warranty. Stop draining my energy, please!!!!!!!
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply22 Aug 2024, 08:32
Official
Dear Yonela,

Please find our warranty inclusions and exclusions available on our website:

https://www.oukitel.co.za/pages/warranty?_pos=1&_psq=war&_ss=e&_v=1.0

As per paragraph 2:

2. The Warranty Does Not Cover damage caused by a normal wear and tear or as a result of the product being opened or repaired by someone not authorized by Tsukuru, and does not cover:

1) Physical damage or/and misuse (e.g. cracked / damaged LCD or charging port damage), liquid, moisture damage, proximity or exposure to heat (outside of operational range) and accident, abuse, power surge damage, non-compliance with the instructions supp**** with the product, neglect or misapplication.

Best regards,
Oukitel Team
YM
Yonela M's update22 Aug 2024, 10:29
Reviewer Update
Where is the 9 months?? How did you determine the allegations that I have misused your cheaply manufactured device? Be accountable and take responsibility for your defects. You can save yourself the time from copying and pasting your canned response and save me from draining my energy further, you’ve caused enough distress!
People should stick to brands that are well-known, with good quality manufactured products, good business practices and and value customers. Leave local brands like Oukitel South Africa, who see no value in the people who try to support them, who refuse to take accountability for their cheaply manufactured products and will only make accusations so that they can get more money out of you!
Oukitel South Africa
Oukitel South Africa's reply10 Dec 2024, 14:55
Official
Dear Yonela,

Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. We deeply regret that your experience has left you feeling this way, as providing a positive and fair customer experience is incredibly important to us. We understand how frustrating this situation must be, and we’re sorry for any distress caused. 
 
As we approach the festive season, we sincerely wish you peace, joy, and all the best for 2025. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, and we hope there’s an opportunity to restore your trust in the future.

Warm regards,
The Oukitel South Africa Team