Phone Replacement - Sony M4 Aqua

<p>I recently had my cellphone breakdown on me. I took it to the store (Shop L27, Cresta), where I got it from, and it was then sent for repairs to Vodacom's central repair centre (Job No# ********** 8). I was told by Carlo Stigling, at the store, that since it was a Sony phone which had a waterproof feature that it would be sent to Sony for repairs. This was on 13 August 2016. </p> <p> </p> <p>I called the Vodacom repair centre on Friday, 2 September 2016 and was told that they could not repair the phone and I going to be credited some money for a new phone. This did not sound right to me because the phone is still under the manufacturer's guarantee and I should have gotten a new phone already. Anyway it seems the store is pretty adamant on me getting any sort of phone from them since it can no longer source my original phone (something which both Sony and SSS Celluar say that Vodacom and the store are talking nonsense - since the phone has not been discontinued and all the store needs to do is transfer the credit to a store that has the phone). I have spent much of my working time today confirming that the store and Vodacom have not sent the phone to Sony and are both trying to push me into corner into accepting the money and probably taking a lower than original specification phone. I say this because I have tried getting help from the store, Vodacom's repair centre and the Vodacom head office and all they do is just give me numbers to ask each other how to solve a very a simple problem...</p> <p> </p> <p>I have been a customer with Vodacom for near on 20 years - always paid my account on time and have never had issues with my phone before. This is first time I have an actual problem and all I get is the run around. Maybe it's time for me to change my cellular provider - this service level, to a very loyal customer, is pathetic.</p>