Vodacom Chats - Theft of disabled vulnerable adult's Phone

<p>In November my mentally disabled brother handed in his phone at our local Vodacom Chatz store. His phone (just over a year old) stopped working. We conduct all our business with this particular branch and they are fami**** with my brother. He has bought all his phones in the past from them, his insurance policy was concluded with this store and all/ any queries relating to his phone has always been conducted in store. The instore staff are normally extremely helpful and supportive of him. They know him well.</p> <p> Due to his fami****ity with this store and it's staff when my brother handed in his phone for repairs he did not receive a job number. As mentioned he is mentally disabled and vulnerable and did not know he should request a job number. After a period of time he returned to the shop and was told they know nothing about his phone or his request and without a job number they cannot do anything. Only after a family member accompanied my brother and challenged them did they suddenly discover the phone. We were given a job number and he was told to come back in a few days. Since then we have been going back to the store on a daily basis. Some days more than once. Eventually they informed my brother that his phone is back from bing repaired. When he went to collect it they said that someone in their store signed for the phone. But it has in fact gone missing. They kept telling him to come back the next day etc. Eventually the attitude was we should call the repairs place in Fourways or go there to find the phone. They shrugged off all responsibility. Again upon challenge by a family member they apologised and confirmed that when they received the parcel from RAM couriers the phone was missing. They were going to conduct an internal investigation. We should come back in a few days and if they do not have his phone they will give him a replacement phone. We returned and we were fobbed off again. This time with some story about the owner who will get back to us that same day. It is now January. I am still waiting for said owner to contact us. We continued to visit the shop on a daily basis with no success. At one stage I was told a Mr Deon Venter will call us in the next hour. Again still waiting for said Mr Venter to call. I called Mr Venter and left a message, my mother has called Mr Venter and left messages. Mr Venter does not call back. I have personally been in the store when they call Mr Venter and he does not respond or ever call back. The front of house staff are very sympathetic and emphatic to the situation. And bless they do try but their hands are tied until Mr Venter does something. I am now told that they are dealing with the owner directly and not Mr Venter. Still no response or feedback or even a courtesy call.</p> <p>On 23rd of December we were told by the in house staff that a replacement phone will be sent to us in the next 24 hours. We explained we were going to be away from home. We were promised that they would courier it to us anywhere we are in SA. It is now 3rd of Jan. 29th December upon our return we went to the shop to collect said replacement and were told no luck. No one is responding or doing anything about this. Again we were told by the staff at Chatz that they are doing everything in their power but the powers that be aren't responding.</p> <p>Now my brother needs a phone. This is a lifeline for him. He is a mentally challenged, vulnerable adult. He has been attacked multiple times where his phone was his lifeline. He has health issues and needs to be able to get help if ever he falls ill. He cannot go without his phone. *****ing from anyone is disgusting. *****ing from a disable person is shameless. And shrugging off responsibility is distasteful. And telling me it was Christmas and people have gone away is also not acceptable. This phone was handed in at the begining or November. I can only praise the individuals in the store trying to assist. I am absolutely disgusted by the response, customer service and the behaviour of the executive decision makers. There is no customer service, or feedback or even acknowledgement. </p>