No personal assistance for Bosch home appliances in South Africa.

The Bosch website claims Personal assistance for all Bosch Home appliances, large and small! That may be true for Bosch in Germany, or perhaps in other countries, but my personal experience with the company in South Africa says: Not true. I must admit, the assistance at the showroom in Johannesburg has been positive, with friendly and professional staff. Even with the Bosch client services department, the service is not too bad. However, follow-up is lacking in the absence of the client following up. And once a matter is referred to the head office, the head is dead or non-existent. I have experienced problems with a hand-held vacuum cleaner. I bought one that caused problems, but due to logistical reasons, I only reported the matter late and was advised that the product could not be repaired. I recently bought another one for my daughter, only to experience the same problem: a high-pitched sound when you switch the device on, which, according to the Bosch website, indicates a problem with the motor. After returning the product and requesting a replacement, the replacement arrived with the same problem. When I wanted to request a refund from the supplier (Takealot.com), I was advised that I must engage directly with the supplier. I have done that, but do not expect a response, due to my previous communicating about the problem still not having been resolved four months later.