The TecShop
3.2|9 reviews
Buyer beware is an understatement - please don't put yourself through what I have
Be very, very careful. I bought a new iPhone 13 from them late last year. It worked fine for several months....then I couldn't understand why it suddenly wouldn't connect to my network a week ago. After several days of investigation starting with my network Vodacom, then Apple Support, then MTN and being passed from pillar to post, I learned today that I am now partially involved in a fraud case!! It turns out that my legitimately owned and paid-for 'phone was acquired originally by a fraudster who obtained this then reneged on their contract with MTN - a company I have never had any dealings with. The Tec Shop must have acquired it from said individual or someone else who buys (without checking) on the grey market. The end result is that MTN has blacklisted my 'phone a week ago, so I can't use it: no calls, no mobile data, no texts. The negative effect on my business and family life is huge, as I am dependent on this 'phone , for which I paid the Tec Shop over R15,000. They have pretty much sold me a stolen 'phone, at least that is how MTN seems to be viewing it. The Tec Shop promised a solution, but won't be specific on what that is and also want me to come all the way to them, which is a 3 to 4 hour chunk out of my working day. Moreover, even if they were able to replace my 'phone with an exact replacement, this might happen all over again in a few weeks/months. This is a disgrace - and the drama and loss of income caused, not to mention the inconvenience, is huge. Avoid these people, it's not worth the hassle just to save a few bucks on buying direct from Apple or your network.
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Replies (2)'s updateReviewer Update
24 Sept 2022, 12:13I want to add to the above review out of a sense of fairness. 2 days later, the Tech Shop refunded me the entire purchase price I paid for the 'phone last year and I handed back the 'phone in return. Given the circumstances, this is a fair enough resolution - although I would rather not have gone through the enormous hassle of the last week in the first place. In future, the Tech Shop should warn customers clearly that this could happen to them, BEFORE the customer makes a decision and hands over any money.
's update24 Sept 2022, 12:13
Reviewer Update
I want to add to the above review out of a sense of fairness. 2 days later, the Tech Shop refunded me the entire purchase price I paid for the 'phone last year and I handed back the 'phone in return. Given the circumstances, this is a fair enough resolution - although I would rather not have gone through the enormous hassle of the last week in the first place. In future, the Tech Shop should warn customers clearly that this could happen to them, BEFORE the customer makes a decision and hands over any money.
The TecShop's replyOfficial
25 Sept 2022, 22:40Hi Julian, we're sorry about your ordeal, please accept our unreserved apologies once again. We buy our devices from the general public, we try our best to vett the people that we buy from, we even insist on a proof of purchase when buying brand new phones, but even with all these efforts, we in rare cases still fail victim to fraudsters and this results in huge losses for our business, because whenever this happens, we have to issue a refund to our customers or get our replacement phone for them, resulting in big losses for us as a business. We live in a society where we lose as a business, a customer is inconvenienced, service providers such as MTN lose, but a fraudster smiles all the way to the bank!
Best regards,
The TecShop's reply25 Sept 2022, 22:40
Official
Hi Julian, we're sorry about your ordeal, please accept our unreserved apologies once again. We buy our devices from the general public, we try our best to vett the people that we buy from, we even insist on a proof of purchase when buying brand new phones, but even with all these efforts, we in rare cases still fail victim to fraudsters and this results in huge losses for our business, because whenever this happens, we have to issue a refund to our customers or get our replacement phone for them, resulting in big losses for us as a business. We live in a society where we lose as a business, a customer is inconvenienced, service providers such as MTN lose, but a fraudster smiles all the way to the bank!
Best regards,