She paid $350, then $300 more—this mum’s repair nightmare is a warning to us all
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Consumer complaints about local businesses aren’t uncommon—but every now and then, one case captures national attention for all the wrong reasons.
A routine visit to a phone repair shop quickly turned into a drawn-out dispute that left one Australian mum frustrated, out of pocket, and demanding answers.
What unfolded has since raised questions about customer rights, business accountability, and the power of online reviews.
An everyday repair visit turned into a nightmare scenario—this is the story of one mum’s battle after her phone repair went south.
It all began when Danielle Fraser, a 36‑year‑old mother from southwest Sydney, took her Samsung Galaxy S24 in for a routine screen replacement at Fone Lab Campbelltown.
But what should’ve been a quick fix soon spiralled into an 11‑week odyssey of broken promises, repair woes and a public backlash—all triggered by a single Google review.
In December, Ms Fraser had paid $350 to have her shattered screen replaced. Fast forward to March: when she returned with the phone still in warranty, the company claimed it was fixed. But when she went to collect it, the screen was gone—somehow swapped back to the damaged original.
She alleged they took ‘over 20 minutes breaking it again’ before handing it back, restoring it to its pre‑repaired state.
Struggling to get her device working, Ms Fraser returned yet again. Fone Lab insisted the damage was physical—citing, in April, a “small fracture...under a microscope” that voided the warranty.
She said it was ‘impossible’ to see and accused them of using that as an excuse—even though she had already forked out a further $300 after their repair claim about warranty expiry.
When her husband attempted to retrieve the phone to take it elsewhere, he was refused entry. That’s when Ms Fraser went public—contacting Fair Trading and posting a negative review on Google. Shortly after, the review vanished from their page.
In May, Fone Lab again offered to replace the screen free of charge—on condition Ms Fraser removed her public feedback. She refused. Eventually, the phone was returned to her—taped and filming both parties as she stepped inside alone.
She described the ordeal as ‘unfair and deceitful’ and said: ‘I feel like this is so wrong. This is so wrong on so many levels...to treat a customer like this, get mad at the customer for telling people...and then punishing the customer because they left a review.’
Fone Lab defended their actions, stating the damage was physical and not covered under warranty—and that staff were threatened and harassed, which they deemed ‘not appropriate’. They said they’d acted ‘fairly and consistently’.
NSW Fair Trading confirmed they had investigated, noting businesses must honour Australian Consumer Law—but that physical damage does void a warranty. Fone Lab had provided microscope photos as evidence. Fair Trading advised Ms Fraser she could escalate via legal means or NCAT.
Have you ever had to fight to get what you paid for—only to be told it was your fault? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
In a previous story, we looked at a costly car repair that left one Aussie fuming over a five-digit bill—proof that not all services deliver what they promise.
For seniors trying to stretch every dollar, unexpected costs and disputes like these can be more than just inconvenient—they can be downright stressful.
If you've ever felt burned by a repair job, this one's worth a look too.
Read more: ‘The car was a piece of s***’: Argument ensues over five-digit repair job
A routine visit to a phone repair shop quickly turned into a drawn-out dispute that left one Australian mum frustrated, out of pocket, and demanding answers.
What unfolded has since raised questions about customer rights, business accountability, and the power of online reviews.
An everyday repair visit turned into a nightmare scenario—this is the story of one mum’s battle after her phone repair went south.
It all began when Danielle Fraser, a 36‑year‑old mother from southwest Sydney, took her Samsung Galaxy S24 in for a routine screen replacement at Fone Lab Campbelltown.
But what should’ve been a quick fix soon spiralled into an 11‑week odyssey of broken promises, repair woes and a public backlash—all triggered by a single Google review.
In December, Ms Fraser had paid $350 to have her shattered screen replaced. Fast forward to March: when she returned with the phone still in warranty, the company claimed it was fixed. But when she went to collect it, the screen was gone—somehow swapped back to the damaged original.
She alleged they took ‘over 20 minutes breaking it again’ before handing it back, restoring it to its pre‑repaired state.
Struggling to get her device working, Ms Fraser returned yet again. Fone Lab insisted the damage was physical—citing, in April, a “small fracture...under a microscope” that voided the warranty.
She said it was ‘impossible’ to see and accused them of using that as an excuse—even though she had already forked out a further $300 after their repair claim about warranty expiry.
When her husband attempted to retrieve the phone to take it elsewhere, he was refused entry. That’s when Ms Fraser went public—contacting Fair Trading and posting a negative review on Google. Shortly after, the review vanished from their page.
In May, Fone Lab again offered to replace the screen free of charge—on condition Ms Fraser removed her public feedback. She refused. Eventually, the phone was returned to her—taped and filming both parties as she stepped inside alone.
She described the ordeal as ‘unfair and deceitful’ and said: ‘I feel like this is so wrong. This is so wrong on so many levels...to treat a customer like this, get mad at the customer for telling people...and then punishing the customer because they left a review.’
Fone Lab defended their actions, stating the damage was physical and not covered under warranty—and that staff were threatened and harassed, which they deemed ‘not appropriate’. They said they’d acted ‘fairly and consistently’.
NSW Fair Trading confirmed they had investigated, noting businesses must honour Australian Consumer Law—but that physical damage does void a warranty. Fone Lab had provided microscope photos as evidence. Fair Trading advised Ms Fraser she could escalate via legal means or NCAT.
Have you ever had to fight to get what you paid for—only to be told it was your fault? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
In a previous story, we looked at a costly car repair that left one Aussie fuming over a five-digit bill—proof that not all services deliver what they promise.
For seniors trying to stretch every dollar, unexpected costs and disputes like these can be more than just inconvenient—they can be downright stressful.
If you've ever felt burned by a repair job, this one's worth a look too.
Read more: ‘The car was a piece of s***’: Argument ensues over five-digit repair job
