Bonginkosi M

Formal Complaint Regarding Poor Service, ************** and Unprofessional Treatment

Dear iStore South Africa Management, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the poor service, unprofessional conduct, and discriminatory treatment I experienced at several iStore branches. My first experience was at the Clearwater Mall branch, where I was assisted by two male consultants. At the beginning of the process, I was vetted and advised that my application had been approved. I was then informed that the documents only needed to be sent to Vodacom and that I would receive a callback. Unfortunately, I never received any communication from the store. After following up myself, I was then told that my application had been declined because of my payslip, which was confusing considering I had initially been told that I was approved. The following day, I visited the Glen Shopping Centre branch seeking clarity regarding the conflicting information. I was assisted by two female consultants and explained the entire situation from Clearwater Mall. A new application was processed, and I was then told that I did not meet the criteria. During this interaction, I felt judged, stereotyped, and treated unfairly. I left the store feeling humiliated and degraded. I would also like to mention that while I was waiting in the queue, a white customer who arrived after me was attended to before me. This incident made me feel racially profiled and discriminated against. Later that same day, I visited the Cresta Mall branch while shopping with my brother. To my surprise, I was informed that there was no existing application under my name. A consultant then started a completely new application, which was approved. I arrived at approximately 14:00 and remained in the store until after 17:00 waiting for the device. During this process, I was repeatedly asked for additional documentation. First, I was asked for a three-month bank statement, which I immediately downloaded from my Nedbank banking application. Thereafter, I was asked for a six-month bank statement and even handed over my phone to allow staff to download the documents themselves. I was then informed that the documents needed to be sent to an “assessment team” for verification, despite the fact that the statements came directly from my official banking application. By this stage, I had already paid the SIM card connection fee. Due to the treatment I received and the lack of professionalism, I decided to cancel the application entirely. I am deeply disappointed by how I was treated across your stores. The inconsistency in information, lack of communication, repeated requests for documents, and the manner in which I was treated made me feel discriminated against, judged based on my appearance, and unfairly profiled. I request the following: A formal investigation into the conduct of the staff members involved. A written explanation regarding the inconsistent application outcomes across different branches. Clarification regarding the verification process and why official bank statements downloaded directly from a banking application were questioned. A formal apology for the distress and humiliation caused by this experience. I hope iStore South Africa takes this matter seriously and addresses these concerns appropriately to ensure that no other customer experiences similar treatment.