Pep Hibiscus Mall staff are unprofessional and untrained about Foneyam

This review has reference to a review I wrote about Foneyam, and although this review about PEP MARGATE has reference to that, it is not the pertinent factor in the complaint I have about PEP MARGATE

The Foneyam review which has reference: https://www.hellopeter.com/foneyam/reviews/dishonest-company-and-they-spy-on-you-***

On 5 September 2025 we went to Pep at Hibiscus Mall in Margate to return a phone we got on Foneyam. We spoke to the manager Lwando who said that even though the phone was the property of Pep, she couldn't take the phone back and that we had to come back when the Foneyam representative was on duty.

I explained to Lwando that we cancelled the contract with foneyam as per their website by giving them written 20 days notice per email and that the website indicated that there is no applicable fees to pay and we just want to give the phone back. Needless to say, she reiterated we come back and speak to the foneyam consultant.

Fast forward to 10 September 2025, we once again came back to Pep at Hibiscus mall and spoke to the foneyam consultant (whose name is unfami**** to me as he had his name tag turned around in order for people not to see his name).

I explained to him that we already gave written 20 days notice of cancellation as per the website and wish to return the phone. I showed him the email correspondence and he laughed (actually laughed at me) and then he stated that he would have to contact foneyam to confirm, as according to him we had to pay the cancellation fee.

I told him that the website stated that the cancellation fee depends on whether you return the device or not and since we're returning it there isn't any fee applicable, but he still insisted he wanted to speak to the foneyam call center but doesn't have any airtime on his company device and that I had to call foneyam for him. I did this, put the call on speaker phone and listened as he spoke to the call center in Xhosa and I know enough Xhosa to follow the conversation. Before handing me back my own phone, he told the call center agent "Hayi, kufuneka uthethe isiNgesi kuba ungumntu omhlophe osisidenge" which roughly translates to "No you have to speak English to him as he's white and dumb".

Dumbfounded, I took my phone back and spoke to the call center agent who also insisted that we pay a cancellation fee. After months of emailing back and forth with Foneyam, I refused to waste airtime on this call and disconneted it and insisted to speak to the Manager Lwando again.

Lwando came and I had to refresh her memory about what the issue was. While speaking to her, the foneyam consultant whose name was unfami**** to me laughed continuously. I tried to make him understand that should this matter go to the ombudsman, Foneyam, Pep, the manager Lwando and he himself can be named as respondents so he needs to stop laughing and take this matter seriously.

He laughed and said he can't take me seriously to which I requested his name. He laughed and said "I'm not giving you my name. What do you want to do with my name."

I told him he was being rude and unprofessional and I want to report the matter, but he continued laughing. I took out my phone to take a photo of him and his attitude immediately changed to defensive and he ran out of the store like a ***ard.

THIS IS WHERE MY COMPLAINT ABOUT PEP STARTS: The Manager Lwando, just stood there. She allowed a member of the store's staff to laugh at a customer who's aggrieved about something and allowed her staff to be unprofessional and even run out of the store.

She offered no apology for his behaviour - her lack of intervention with the unknown staff member, in my opinion, condones this type of behaviour.

The issue is that the cancellation fee that Foneyam insists we pay is AGAINST THE LAW. The cancellation fee AMOUNT was NOT disclosed in the signed agreement NOR was it disclosed by the consultant on the day we got the phone. According to the NCA and CPA this is AGAINST THE LAW.

The foneyam website ALSO states that the cancellation fee is dependent on whether you return the phone or NOT. (i.e. if you return it there is no cancellation fee applicable).

I once again explained this to Lwando and even showed her what Foneyam's website stated about the cancellation fee. She agreed that what I was saying was stated on the website, but STILL refused to take back the phone.

How can nobody be held accountable for this? Foneyam is operating OUTSIDE of the legal framework of the CPA and NCA by not DISCLOSING what the cancellation fee will be and Pep just blindly follows this. This will become a major legal issue should I proceed with my complaint to the relevant ombudsman.

Foneyam refuses to respond to my emails about the cancellation fee being against the law - simply stating on email that their email address is not meant for communications... THEN WHY IS IT LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE???

To add to the frustration, we've been at Pep Hibiscus Mall THREE times to return the phone and every single time your staff refuse to take the phone back.

I have screenshots of Foneyam's website AND T&C's that clearly states should we return the phone there will be no cancellation fee and yet Pep's staff still want to argue with what is written on the website.

There's no two ways about it - Foneyam's website clearly states when a cancellation fee is applicable or not.

What the hell am I supposed to do with the phone? I already told foneyam and the staff at Pep that I refuse to pay the against the law fee and just want to return the phone and nobody seems to take me seriously.

My next step will be the ombudsman and I will file a complaint against BOTH Pep and Foneyam