Telkom selling **** cell phones making customers pay for repairs!!!!

I took a Samsung A50 on contract from Telkom Mall of Africa last year on the 11th of August 2019. Telkom have been a great service provider to date until you got a complaint. Their customer care are pathetic.

During the last week I was prompted to do a software update. On Saturday 22 September 2020 I did the update and then afterwards the my phone's screen stopped working. it didn't respond to any touch.

I took the phone to Samsung Shop at the Grove Mall. They took the phone and reloaded the phone's software and the screen was still not responding. Then they reset the factory settings and still no response. The Technician then opened and reported back that the indicator inside the phone shows there is water damage. This was a surprise to me as the phone was NEVER near water. I took the phone as I wanted to arrange repairs with my insurance company.

Yesterday (25/08/2020) I took the phone to Samsung Mall of Africa to get a quote for insurance purposes. The technician informed me that the screen on the phone wa replaced with a pirated part. Samsung's new software only work with Samsung hardware and that is why the screen is unresponsive. He also looked at the inside of the phone and there were, dispute the water indicator being red, NO traces of water damage.

The phone has never been opened before The Grove mall and no parts have been replaced since i took the phone last year August from Telkom.

I then took the phone to the Telkom Shop. What a waste of time. I had spoken to both the technician and manager at the moment. They were adamant that the phone should be booked in for inspection and then after 7 to 21 days they will give me a report and a quote to fix the phone. i understand this is protocol but when confronted about the **** screen and the red water indicator in the phone without water damage, they just informed me that I need to pay for the repairs if this is the case. This is unacceptable. You a TELKOM sells me a phone that was refurbished as a new phone and now i need to pay for the repairs. This is not on!!! This is ***** in the highest levels.

When I phoned the Telkom complaints line this morning (26/08/2020) I was informed that I need to return to the store to discuss the issue with the store manager. The same store manager who told me that I need to pay for repairs that was caused by a faulty **** parts phone that her store sold me. That will never work mos.

So if someone can please advice how i can get Telkom to provide me with a number of the regional manager for Gauteng or a number were i can complaint and be taken serious it will be much appreciated.

Telkom you are a bunch of *****s selling **** phones to customers and then refusing to repair them. If i do not have a new phone by the end of business on the 2nd of September 2020 I will personally go to the consumer board and also to the media with the report I received stating that the screen is indeed **** and that the indicator shows the phone has had previous water damage when indeed the phone NEVER came near water.

It might not get me a new phone but i will ensure that the public knows Telkom sells refurbish phones as new and this will cause them to loose customers.

kind regards Dawie Maree ***