Phone purchased after receiving ill advice from branch staff member

<p>On 30 October I went to voda shop in Secunda Mall to inquire whether I could do a premature upgrade to get another phone, as my phone was damaged and they told me that I can only upgrade in June 2017. I went home and my husband told me that I should maybe purchase the Samsung Z2 in the mean time so that I have a phone. I went straight back to the voda shop and inquired about the Samsung Z2 whereupon Phumulani informed me that it is powered by Tizen and not Android, so I asked him what that meant, so that I could make in informed decision and he said that I will just not be able to use the application ‘Share it’, which didn’t bother me, so I agreed to purchase the phone. On the 31st of October I noticed that I couldn’t download any banking apps, my Whatsapp was faulty and my Facebook was struggling. I also tried to create a Samsung account, but it struggled and then I called Vodacom customer care who gave me the contact number for Samsung directly to assist me. Upon calling Samsung the operator tried to assist me remotely to create a Samsung account and she even did a ‘factory reset’ and tried again, but to no avail. She told me that there’s definitely something wrong with the phone and that I need to return it to Voda shop and get a new phone. That evening the 31st I took the phone back and explained my dilemma where upon the consultant said that because my sim was in the phone, they can’t give me another phone and that they would send the phone in and request a special OBF by request of the branch manager Klara, where they would send the phone away and in 7 working days I would know whether the request was approved. I agreed and when the technician filled in the Vodacom repairs OBF I told him what was faulty with the phone and he said I don’t have to worry about that and he just wrote by the reported fault: ‘Special OBF Att: Robbie’. Yesterday afternoon the 8th of November just before 17:00 I contacted the branch and spoke to Nico to inquire whether my request was approved as today would be 7 working days and he told me that he would check and call me back in 10 minutes. He called me back just after 17:00 and I put my phone on speaker phone and then he confirmed that my request was approved and that I could get another phone, but I would need to come in today the 9th, as they are offline and their manager isn’t in the office to sigh off the exchange and purchase of the new phone. He asked which phone I wanted and I told him that it is the Samsung J1 that costs R1499, whereupon he confirmed that there is stock and that he would prepare the paperwork and have the phone ready for me today the 9th. When I arrived at the branch Mavis assisted me and went to the technician and was away for about 10 minutes only to return and tell me that my request wasn’t approved because there’s nothing wrong with my phone, so I told her that there were faults that I gave through to the technician already but he didn’t mention it on the report and I told her that Nico confirmed that it was approved and that I could come collect the new phone today, so she went to their back office where she stayed away another 20 minutes to return and tell me that she spoke to the manager and Nico telephonically, cause neither one of them were in the office. Nico told her that he knows the request wasn’t approved and then the manager Klara told the consultant Mavis that she will speak to Nico tomorrow to find out what happened and that I must come back tomorrow the 10th. I left and then my husband came back to voda shop with me cause he knows how I struggled with the Samsung Z2 and heard when Nico told me telephonically that my request was approved. My husband asked Mavis to call the manager Klara and arrange for us to see her tomorrow the 10th at 17:00 where upon Mavis told us that she doesn’t believe that the manager will be there to see us at 17:00. My husband had to repeatedly ask that she call the manager, but she didn’t want to assist us so my husband persisted and then she went to the back office and was away for about five minutes before coming back and then when she dialed her manager’s number the first time after just having spoken with her before seeing us, the manager’s phone went directly over to voicemail. Then I stated that I will be making a complaint regarding this whole situation, so she went to the back office again and then came back and dialed the number again where upon the manager Klara answered. My husband spoke to her and explained our dilemma and that there is definitely something wrong with the phone and that we just want another phone that it powered by android. She said that she would investigate the issue tomorrow morning the 10th and then she would contact my husband to give us feedback. I am very disappointed in this branch service and just want to be able to purchase the next best phone and pay in the difference required, but they are making it very difficult for me. Based on ill advice I purchased a phone that I wouldn't have purchased if I was given the correct information. </p>