Screen and scream: Kwaad Athlone mom claims she bought ‘cracked’ TV at HiFi Corp
STORE: HiFi Corp in N1 City Mall
A single mom from Athlone claims she paid more than R7 000 for a “broken” television set from HiFi Corp in N1 City Mall.
Mymoena Cheemee said she used her hard-earned savings to buy a new Hisense 58-inch TV on October 8, but when she got home, the screen was cracked.
“I saved up some money because my two children don’t have a TV and HiFi Corp had a sale,” she explained.
“I went to N1 City Mall and explained to the sales guy that I want a good product that’s gonna last because my previous TV that I bought from them only lasted three years.
“All they were worried about was getting me to the till to pay, they didn’t speak about the features of the TV, the warranty or guarantee.
“Nor did they say the screen was sensitive or that there is a specific way the TV needs to be taken out.
“When I got home and took it out of the box, I saw the screen was cracked.
“I took it back [the next day], and was told they can’t do anything. I must buy another TV. I didn’t even put the TV on. In less than 12 hours, they took my money and I have no TV.”
An angry Mymoena says she still paid R400 extra for a surge plug and R265 for a TV licence.
She says she asked to see the storage room CCTV footage but the manager declined and told her that the warranty doesn’t cover the cracked screen.
Ankia van der Pluym, HiFi Corp Group customer relations manager, says the regional manager had been in contact with Mymoena prior to receiving the media enquiry and successfully resolved the issue.
“The customer was allowed to inspect the TV at the point of sale and the customer’s proof of purchase was stamped to confirm the screen was checked. This is standard practice within our business,” Van Der Pluym stated.
“The above inspection was done at the point of sale [and subsequently after the unit was removed from any storage area].
“Camera footage is accessible, albeit exclusively upon a formal request by a legislative or regulatory body or representative and in compliance with the requisite privacy regulations.”
However, Mymoena says niks has been resolved and an inspection was never made at the till.
“This is a lie, like I told the manager. I was rushed to the till, because all they wanted was for me to pay. I have not replied to his email because he is just so arrogant. And they think they can get away with everything,” she added.
She insists HiFi Corp should either refund her or replace the broken TV set.