I bought a new Samsung Note 9 from Noel Leeming, however when I got home and tried to open it, but I see the seal was already broken. I didn't open it and never touched it again.

I took it back to swap it for a new one, however I was met with rude, atrocious treatment.

First they refused to serve me because I had bought it from another Noel Leeming store. They didn't even want to pay any attention to the issue and told me to go back to the store I bought it from. I insisted that they look at it as they are all the same business and I have a right to stay at the store and get served.

Second, they accused me that I already opened it and went through the whole package myself. THIS IS TOTALLY NOT THE CASE. I didn't even open a single flap, much less touch the phone or anything inside. When they opened it they said there were fingerprints all over the phone, and I did notice some fingerprints when they showed me. However it is impossible that they are mine.

Third, they were very rough handling the phone and the boxes. A total of 3 people went through the phone and everything inside. Two of the people didn't even have any responsibility in regards to the phone and were simply doing it for the kicks because they were bored. It is a $1700 phone and it is my property and they are just chucking it around on the desk like it's a toy duck. The value of the phone goes down each and every time they do this. I pointed that out but one of the guys just laughed at me.

I then got into an argument with him due to his demeaning behaviour. The customer service from all 3 of them were unprofessional and rude, but this dude was just a total dickhead. He then followed me to outside the store, stood in my face, and yelled "I WILL F*** YOU UP!!!!! I FINISH AT 530."

I complained to the manager but he didn't care at all. He said he didn't hear it and I provoked him. I asked him to speak to the abusive guy and he said "oh he's busy with a customer". It's convenient that the manager is from a certain country, and the staff member and 90% of all staff in the store is from the same country. So much for diversity and inclusiveness in hiring practices, especially at an iconic Kiwi brand. I will say though, this probably isn't the case for every NL in NZ, but the St Lukes Mega Centre one has been atrocious the two times I've been. The first time I went the sales rep didn't look at me in the face once, and started chatting with his colleague in a foreign language abruptly when I was asking him with a smile a question about a product I was about to buy.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is Small Disputes Tribunal my next cause of action?

TLDR: Bought new phone but had been opened already. Wanted a swap, refused as they said I opened it. Was subsequently told "I WILL F*** U UP".