Vodacom bad service - repairs / services

I purchased a tablet online from vodacom on 22 December 2014. with the tablet came a contract sim which i inserted for activation , i then removed the sim to avoid any further charges. about mid january i inserted the sim card again and it did not pick up a network at all. on the 02 February i contacted vodacom to enquire where i should take the tablet for repairs and they advised to take it to any vodacom outlet. I took it to Promenade and filled out the necessary forms. one of the forms were for inspection confirmation. after about 3 weeks i contacted them to find out whether the tablet had been fixed and went into the store. the sales assistant then informed me that the tablet had come back and not been repaired due to the sim card reader been damaged? i enquired how this could possible have happened and they said that tablets are very sensitive. Also i found grooves / etches made on the side of the tablet that had not been there when i brought it in. they informed me that there is nothing they can do about it and referred that i take it to a pakistan to be fixed.i refused to take the tablet from the store as that would mean i accept the damages that had been made by them.