Pathetic quality Verimark products and poor service to boot

I purchased a Genesis Cyclovac from Verimark Vaal Mall towards the end of May. The machine was used once and the plastic pipe that is used to suction the dirt cracked on one end. The power-brush attachment was also not very powerful...it has a clip to 'hang' the vacuum attachment on the machine, but the clip broke once it was hooked, the entire pipe fell over and the plastic clip broke. Horrified at the poor quality of the product, I decided I will take the machine back to Verimark and was sure that they would replace the pipe since it was a new machine.

Unfortunately I was away from home for the next few weeks so I was unable to take the machine back right away. I eventually found the time to take the machine back to the store to which I was told that they don't replace attachments and I must buy a new one. It immediately appeared that Verimark is selling inferior quality products with parts that break easily so they can sell you replacement parts to generate more income.

The lady in the shop called customer services to find out if she can give me replacement attachments and was declined the request over the phone...I also could not understand why the store manager did not have authority to take such a decision and has to call customer services to find out if she can do it. She said that the only thing she can do is book my machine in for an assessment, and for some unfathomable reason, that is a process which takes 28 days....28 days without a vacuum cleaner or any compensation for the inconvenience of being left unable to thoroughly clean your home. A dusty living space which could lead to possible sickness for which I will incur further expenses.

After exhausting the discussion with the in store manager, I settled and agreed to have the machine booked in for an assessment to determine if the machine was used negligently, something I can't understand for a machine that was used once. Also, how exactly does one look at a piece of broken plastic and determine that it was caused by so called 'negligent use'. The manager said that they will replace the parts if the assessment came back to reflect poor quality rather than negligent use. After inconveniencing me for a full month, I will be furious if it comes back and they say it was 'negligent use'. I refuse to pay extra for an expensive vacuum cleaner which has poor quality parts that break so easily.

The manager handled the situation well to the best of her authority and capability but unfortunately at her level within the store and even with her making a call to the customer services department she said she cannot just issue me with replacements, they must first do an assessment and follow the procedure. It would be nice if there was someone present in a store who had authority to take some decisions to improve on customer service.

Until such time there is a better policy at Verimark to resolve quality defects at the convenience of the customer, I suggest you stay away from their products, or at least their vacuum cleaners. Poor quality attachments for an easy extra buck.