Appaulling service from PEP Cell- Newcastle CBD

I am writing to convey my dissatisfaction with the service I received at PEP Cell- Newcastle from two of your employees, Simangele and Phili, on Monday, December 8th, 2025. I had previously purchased the MTN WiFi router during Black Friday, which included free data. I attempted multiple times to get it functioning, but it could not which led me to visit the PEP Cell store located in Newcastle, opposite the Boxer store at the bus rank. Upon entering the store, I explained my issue, but before I could elaborate further, Phili interjected with the statement: "Usuyiletha la kuthina ngoba isinenkinga, sokusiza kodwa." This remark immediately suggested to me that I would not receive any assistance. She then directed me to Simangele, who took the router and connected it to her phone, claiming it was connected. However, when I checked my phone, it still did not connect. Simangele then stated that she was unsure of what to do and left me at the front desk while she disappeared into the back office for a period. I was left waiting at the front when Phili informed me that I needed to return to the Pep store in Amajuba Mall because they were unable to assist me. She then called Simangele from the back to reiterate that I had to go to PEP at Amajuba Mall for help. Simangele eventually returned and repeated Phili's statement, confirming that I needed to seek assistance at the Amajuba Mall location.

This situation raises questions for me regarding whether PEP Cell operates as an independent entity or as a franchise distinct from other PEP stores. Despite my attempts to clarify my issue, the staff members declined to offer adequate assistance and instead redirected me to another branch of Pep Store, asserting it would be more convenient. Ironically, when I returned to the Amajuba branch, we discovered that the reason for my inability to connect was due to the free data being a Back2School Home Bundle Monthly Promo, which restricts access to certain applications that can be connected. If there had been time for them ( Phili and Simangele) to review and collaborate with me, none of the inconveniences they caused would have occurred, which ultimately led to my needing to catch up with the heavy hailstorm that afternoon, as the time I spent traveling to Amajuba Mall could have been saved.

I find it quite unacceptable that I was not given the necessary support and was instead directed to a different location, even though I am a customer of the same company. This situation has left me feeling both inconvenienced and frustrated.