Three R's, your box and MTN (soon to be empty-n)

[Skramrox]

Hi,

Please help clear something up for me ... in the past when I purchased a new item .. for example a toaster. I would keep the toaster packaging (box, manuals, etc) for the first 7 days just in case it stopped working then I could quickly take it back and receive a brand new replacement item with no questions asked.

Essentially the box was my quick replacement guarantee. The receipt was my long term guarantee and if something happened to my toaster in say three months from date of purchase I would use the receipt to ensure that they would at least repair my toaster (which normally meant shipping it out and receiving a re-furbished one).

So along comes the CPA and states that the 7 days has been extended to 6 months to protect the consumer - GREAT NEWS !!! Essentially if my toaster goes belly up during the first 6 months and I return it then I can get one of the three R's: refund, replace, repair.

Repair of course is so boring as you have to wait for them to send it off etc etc So in most cases you will want an on-the-spot replacement or at least a cash refund so you can use the money to replace the faulty item.

Only CATCH here though seems to be that they still want to have the original packaging etc. Catch .. what catch I hear you saying ? Well YES .. I think it's a catch.

Do I now have to keep all original packaging, manuals, bubble wrap, plastic wrap, cable ties in PRISTINE condition for 6 months ? Where do I keep all this stuff ? Do you know how big the box is that my 46" led tv came in ? Have you seen the packaging that came with my wash machine or bedroom bed-set ? I will have to devote one half of my garage just to store packaging .. and I will have to label and stack them according to purchase date so I can move the expired ones out and into the trash.

Exaggerating ? Nope, this actually happened to me, an R8000 cell phone packed up after 4 months of usage. I returned the phone only to be told that because ALL my original packaging was not available the ONLY CPA right I had left was repair.

Return and refund jumped out the window when I lost the original box. The original box was in fact lost during an unfortunate incident where my geyser burst and flood my house while i was away on holiday.

Even after supplying an affidavit stating HOW I lost the box with policy claim numbers etc .. MTN still decided I was only allowed to get a repair.

So how exactly does this work then ?

[ToxicBunny]

It works that you get a repair...

[Skramrox]

Thank for your totally insightful post !!! You are a genius !!!

[AcidRaZor]

Thank for your totally insightful post !!! You are a genius !!!

So you buy such a ****-load of stuff every 6 months that storing a small cellphone box/packaging has become a tedious task?

[Zewp]

Back when I had issues with my phone at Vodacom they told me they only need the box if they're going to give me a new phone, so I think it's standard practice. Problem is, they have to return the phone to the supplier with everything on it, because everything from the box to the charger to the phone is marked with a serial code.

It still sucks though, and I really wish the CPA would do something to abolish the practice. It's really pathetic. I got a contract two years ago, and upon receiving the phone the battery was faulty, so when I went to return it they told me they wouldn't replace it because there was a tiny scratch on the back. So tiny, in fact, she had to use magnifying glasses to even see it. I threw a hissy fit, and they ended up replacing the phone for me and just switched the back covers.

I was really angry, I'd only had the phone two days and they wanted it to be sent away for what could possibly take up to two months simply to replace what we already knew was broken.

So you buy such a ****-load of stuff every 6 months that storing a small cellphone box/packaging has become a tedious task?

To be fair, he did say the packaging got water damage and had to be thrown away.

[magicquin]

but he has a point though, you must remember these are companies and as such will use whatever means they can to save,
so unfortunately in this case they had grounds to stand on, dont get me wrong, i agree with you, but unfortunately its how it goes.

[Keegan]

lol

[evilstebunny]

I once bought a Phillips iron at PnP which went faulty after about a month. Had the slip still but not the packaging, which PnP insited they must have to return it in. Seeing they're not going to budge and it's going nowhere fast, I walked onto the main shop floor, removed the packaging from a new toaster same as mine, and took it to the returns counter where I put my broken one into. The lady behind it saw the whole thing but finally accepted my return and I got refunded. Consumerism FTW!

[Skramrox]

My real question (and frustration) is ... do we just ignore the R8000 cell phone because a R2 box is not returned?

Heck .. I'll buy them a prettier box !!

That's like saying once you take the pretty ribbon off the hood of your brand new R250 000 car the car is all of a sudden "voets-toets" ????

I bought a phone not a box. the phone did not last due to some factory fudge up and now I MUST PAY ??

[Griz]

My real question (and frustration) is ... do we just ignore the R8000 cell phone because a R2 box is not returned?

Heck .. I'll buy them a prettier box !!

That's like saying once you take the pretty ribbon off the hood of your brand new R250 000 car the car is all of a sudden "voets-toets" ????

I bought a phone not a box. the phone did not last due to some factory fudge up and now I MUST PAY ??

Yes.

[ToxicBunny]

My real question (and frustration) is ... do we just ignore the R8000 cell phone because a R2 box is not returned?

Heck .. I'll buy them a prettier box !!

That's like saying once you take the pretty ribbon off the hood of your brand new R250 000 car the car is all of a sudden "voets-toets" ????

I bought a phone not a box. the phone did not last due to some factory fudge up and now I MUST PAY ??

Its their rules, if you don't like it.. buy your next phone elsewhere... they're not doing anything illegal at all.

[rorz0r]

I think I've got original phones boxes from at least 5+ years ago now... Also happen to have the boxes for 40 and 42" tv's, all the components to build my pc, etc.

[GreyBush]

I think I've got original phones boxes from at least 5+ years ago now... Also happen to have the boxes for 40 and 42" tv's, all the components to build my pc, etc.

I keep most of the smaller items boxes, and definitely PC components. But fridges and TV's I chuck... I returned a fan to game the other day, no box got a full cash refund.

[Cosmic_Nomad]

All my boxes are kept in the ceiling.My flat screen boxes are rolled up and put through the trap door and opened up and stored.