Trying to **** me out of money

Dear Pep Team, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the repair process for my son’s phone, which has been extremely frustrating and remains unresolved. Details of the Issue:

The phone was sent in for repairs because, although fully charged, it kept showing the battery as flat. On 12 November, I received a call from the Vodacom repair centre stating I must pay R900 because the screen is damaged. I explained that the screen works perfectly and the phone was not sent in for that issue. The phone itself costs R600 new, so this charge is unreasonable. I collected the phone on 27 November, but the original problem persisted. I immediately contacted Pep via inbox, and was advised to return the phone. On 09 December, we returned the phone. Today, I received another call saying I must pay R800 because of alleged water damage. When I disputed this (the phone never touched water), they suddenly changed the reason back to the cracked screen—exactly what they tried on 12 November.

This is unacceptable. The phone was sent in for a battery-related issue, not for screen or water damage. I believe these shifting explanations are an attempt to manipulate me into paying unnecessary fees. Additional Context: My other son had the same issue with his phone previously, and after multiple attempts, Pep eventually replaced the phone because the fault could not be resolved. What I Expect:

The phone to be repaired for the original issue at no extra cost, or replaced if the problem cannot be fixed. Immediate clarification on why these inconsistent charges keep appearing.

If this matter is not resolved promptly, I will escalate it to the Consumer Goods Council and other relevant regulatory bodies, as this practice is unfair and misleading. Please treat this as urgent and respond within 7 days.