Vodacom Repairs

I recently took my mother’s Samsung A14 to Vodacom in Rosebank due to an issue with the phone overheating. Upon arrival, I informed them that the phone had a screen protector and that there was a minor crack at the top—just a small, singular crack. The primary concern, however, was that the phone was overheating. Whenever the device was turned on, it would overheat, display a warning indicating such, and then proceed to flicker on and off.

Vodacom Rosebank forwarded the phone to Vodacom Repairs in Sandton. Subsequently, we were contacted and presented with a repair quotation of R1800. When I inquired as to why the cost was so high, I was informed that water damage had been detected inside the phone. We found this quotation exorbitant, considering the initial issue, and decided to decline the repair, as it would be more economical to purchase a new phone.

Upon returning to Vodacom Rosebank to collect the phone, I was dismayed to find it in a significantly worse condition than when I had submitted it. While the phone originally had a small crack at the top, it now had multiple cracks—four new ones at the top and one at the bottom, bringing the total number of cracks to five. This was not the state in which I had handed over the device.

We attempted to resolve the matter with a consultant at Vodacom Rosebank, who contacted Vodacom Repairs in Sandton on our behalf. Strangely, we were informed that no “before” pictures of the phone had been taken, even though it is standard procedure for repairs to photograph the device prior to any work being undertaken.

Our main concern remains the phone’s overheating issue, and yet the quotation we received cited water damage as the cause. Furthermore, Vodacom Repairs is now unwilling to take responsibility for the additional damage to the screen and has refused to rectify the situation. Consequently, I have left the phone at Vodacom Rosebank, as I cannot accept it in a condition worse than the one in which I submitted it.