Can a cellphone not be exchanged?

On Sunday, 1 February, my son upgraded his cellphone and extended his contract. This was done at Vodacom 4U in the Woodlands mall. The person who assisted him was Theron.<br> <br> He wanted a Samsung S5 Mini, but on learning that it had been discontinued, he decided to take the Galaxy S5. The store had no stock and he was offered a Galaxy Alpha. He took the offer, but on opening the phone and starting to use it, he discovered to his dismay that it did not meet his requirements. Amongst other things, it is not waterproof, it has a very limited battery capacity (he uses the phone almost exclusively for his work and is in touch with his employer for extended periods, and is not always in a position to recharge it) and the vibrate function is not strong enough (he is about 80% deaf and this function is imperative).<br> <br> I went to the store this morning and spoke to the manageress (unfortunately, I did not get her name). She said that she would send the phone to Vodacom for an OBF, so that they could credit her with the cost of the phone) and in the event that they would not credit her (and I quote), \we would just have to live with it".<br> <br> I find this very harsh and wonder if this is Vodacom policy."""