Appalling Service

I took out a cellphone contract at Chat Cellular Gateway branch an outlet of Vodacom, on or about June 2016. On or about July or August 2016, within 6 months of me taking out this contract, the device needed to be repaired. Despite this right in terms of legislation, and my insistence to obtain a new device as it was within 6 months, your store were insistent that the device needed to be sent for repairs and could not be replaced. I then proceeded to book the device in for repairs (Repair 1).

On or about two weeks after booking the device in I received the device back. According to the repairs, the circuit board on the device was replaced. The circuit board constitutes to a major component further implying that this device was not suited for sale for the purposes it is intended to. This resulted in a change in device IMEI number from ********** ********** 1 to ********** ********** 8. On or about 07 June 2017 my device was once again faulty and sent in for repairs. It appears that the circuit board was once again faulty and IMEI ********** ********** 8 was replaced with ********** ********** 0 (Job card number ********** 5). On or about the 13 October 2017 my device was faulty for the third time. I took the device into the Umhlanga repair center. I spoke to Ashen (assistant)I informed them that this was the third time that my phone was being sent in for repairs and that I did not want the phone repaired, I needed it to be replaced. A note on your appalling customer service, I sat there for an hour awaiting a loan phone. They charged the loan phone for half an hour only to tell me it does not work so they charging another one. If you know that this is a service offered to clients, surely these phones should be charged and switched off, in a condition ready to be signed over to clients?? I received a call twice within 5 weeks from Denolan (assistant/technician)just to inform me that my phone is ready and I need to drop off the loan phone. On both occasions, I stated that I do not want the phone back as this was the third time it was repaired. I was told that the matter will be discussed with Malcolm (the manager) and I will receive feedback.

On the 25 November 2017 I went to the Umhlanga store as nobody had gotten back to me. I was advised that my phone was only booked in with them twice, although this is factually incorrect. I then reminded them that the repairs were conducted at the Ballito Lifestyle branch, perhaps this is the reason why they are not picking up the first repair. The person assisting me advised that she should find out from the relevant store. The assistant indicated that she will speak to the store manager (Malcolm) and revert to me with an answer. I gave her my e-mail address as a preferred form of communication.

On 5 December I contacted Malcolm as there was no follow up from the Umhlanga Repair Centre. The matter was escalated on 08 December and apparently closed on 20 December with no solution as per an SMS I had received.

In the interim, a copy of the payment was requested as your stores cannot locate the original IMEI being ********** ********** 1.

As depicted above, this level of service is appalling to say the least and in direct contravention of my rights under the CPA. You had a duty to replace my device at the first instance when it was faulty within the first 6 months of me receiving it.

I will not accept this device back, as it unreasonable for me to accept a device that has been repaired 3 times in little over a year.

I am insistent that this complaint receives your full attention and that you provide me with a replacement device as a matter of urgency.

**** An e-mail enclosing all of the information above was sent to Malcolm and Waunita yet till date I have not received a response.

The whole experience with Vodacom has been a nightmare.