topic Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer? in Discussions & Feedback

How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 15:55:37 GMT

I want to ask O2 about legal signal boosters that I can install in a property with a very poor signal from the nearest mast (which is O2).

However I can't seem to find any way to contact O2 without already having an account number or a phone number with them. Even live chat won't let me in unless I give them an O2 phone number.

The whole point is I don't yet have a number with O2 as the property doesn't have a phone line and organisation that owns the property isn't yet with O2.

Anyone know how to do it?

Or are they delibererately stopping new customers joining them?

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Bambino — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:24:58 GMT

@Anonymous Contact numbers can be found here: http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus. As far as I'm aware, O2 does not allow signal boosters for personal customers. What O2 does provide is a service called TuGo, which lets you use your allowance over a WiFi connection. http://www.o2.co.uk/apps/tu-go

Edit: Alternatively, you can call into an O2 store if you have one nearby and enquire there.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:43:17 GMT

The join us numbers in the the contact us link.

What boosters have you been told are legal as only ones that are supplied by the networks and connected to your broadband are legal . (o2 Boostbox) http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/business/boostbox-terms

P.s. ofcom advise https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/coverage/mobile-repeaters

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Bambino — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:45:27 GMT

Also found some freefone alternative numbers for sales, but not certain if any work: 0800 0890217, 0800 064 3535, 0800 0890291 & 0800 0891520

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:08:37 GMT

But the page also says

'We'll ask you for your account password before you speak to us. And if you don't have one yet, or can't remember your answer, we'll help you set it up.'

I don't want to set up an account yet, just find out some information.

The other numbers on http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus need me to choose between pay monthly/PAYG/Business etc. but until I speak to O2 I don't know which of these I need either.

As to which boosters I have been told are legal, that's exactly what I want to find out.

I know only those supplied by the networks are legal and I'm trying to find out how to get one. It's not for my personal use at home, its for a building my association owns. If I can get a booster installed there then they will have to sign up to O2. If not then it looks like a satelite phone as there is no other way to get a phone line or mobile signal in that location.

I guess I'll just pick a number and get them to transfer me if its not the right dept.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

MI5 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:09:49 GMT

None of the boosters off eBay, amazon etc are legal.
It's an o2 supplies boost box for business customers or Tugo for other contract users only.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:15:29 GMT

@Bambino

" Alternatively, you can call into an O2 store if you have one nearby and enquire there."

My local O2 store is a joke. All they want to do is sell me a mobile phone. Anything remotely technical and they say I should ring O2 directly. Which brings me back to this post.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:20:29 GMT

@ MI5
Tugo is only for one person I think. There could be around 600 different people wanting to use the phone line I am trying to set up (only one at a time though probably). I'm just trying to emulate a fixed line phone in an area where I cant get a fixed line installed and the mobile signal is very weak.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:19:39 GMT

@Anonymous

All the info is posted above .

As Only Business customers can get the boost box the freephone number in my grab is what you need

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:20:58 GMT

@O2_frustration wrote:
@ MI5
Tugo is only for one person I think. There could be around 600 different people wanting to use the phone line I am trying to set up (only one at a time though probably). I'm just trying to emulate a fixed line phone in an area where I cant get a fixed line installed.

If no fixed line then boostbox will not work unless you have another adsl alternative

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:22:05 GMT

@Anonymous

If you can give the full requirement we may be able to help but from the comments already posted you may struggle

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

MI5 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:27:41 GMT

It's gonna need a micro cell installing.
If 600 new customers are going to sign up, I'm sure o2 will consider it.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 19:31:53 GMT

@adamtemp64and @MI5

Probably better if I give the situation as the situation dictates the requirements.

A bungalow inside a remote bit of National Trust land in the mountains of North Wales.

Owned by my mountaineering association with about 600 members and used as a climbing club hut. Legally the association is a ‘Mutual Society’ but I don’t know if that is classed as a business by O2.

The hut is used by all members at random and is pretty much fully occupied every weekend and holidays and at odd times in between.

Never had a fixed line phone and, even if we got planning permission it would cost over $60k to install one. Can just about get a very faint signal from an O2 mast some distance away (sometimes 1 bar, most times no bars)

Concerned that members there cannot contact anyone in the event of an accident, either due to working there alone or a climbing accident.

Hence would like some sort of phone out/in ability. Internet would be nice for the odd weather forecast etc but not essential.

Stand alone satellite phone too expensive to leave in a building that might be unoccupied and it could get lost if taken outside.

Satellite broadband is just about a possibility (too many mountains in the way for line of sight) but it’s a bit of an overkill to pay £25 a month for 10 Gb data download just to get VOIP so we can make phone calls – that we might often have to pay more for as they will often be to fixed lines.

Hence now investigating legal ways to boost the mobile signal we already have so it is usable by anyone with their own mobile phone, and with them paying their own bill.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

MI5 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 19:42:00 GMT

Any chance of any lottery funding?
@Martin-O2 do you know which dept would deal with this kind of request?

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 19:47:57 GMT

@Anonymous

Ok Now we understand the situation fully .

With o2 or any other network your options are nil for a booster or new cell. (unless o2 launch some specific product)

These remote situations may require a think out of the box solution like a point to piont wfif providing voip via solar power etc at remote location over a large distance to the building directional antenna or other legal forms of 2 way radio for emergency contact etc.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

gmarkj — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 07:14:27 GMT

We have a boost box at work due to poor signal (warehouse so building itself blocks signal).
As stated previously it needs a fixed line to attach to meaning that a standard boost box is unlikely to be your answer.

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 09:38:00 GMT

If I had a fixed line then surely I wouldn't have a problem as I could already make calls? I do have mains power there so don't need solar etc.

I've heard of something that consists of an external aerial that picks up a mobile signal that goes into a box of some sort containing a sim card into which can be plugged an ordinary phone, sort of making a 'mobile' phone that is fixed in one location. Do these exist?

I'd prefer not to use a special sim phone (like http://www.capetune.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=45) as I already have a payphone that I'd like to connect so we can control costs in case people use it for general chatting.

Although one of those sim phones would do if I could get a strong enough signal, which brings me back here!

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 16:47:51 GMT

only o2 customerservice can advise you further..

I do not know of a device you ,mention.

A mobie phone designed for a car instalation with an external corded handpiece and a 12 v supply and external antenna should work but then connecting to a payphone would not work .

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

adamtemp64 — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 11:10:59 GMT

After some digging etc

look up Huawei B315 it is a 4g router (also 2g and 3g) that has an external Telephone socket for connecting a normal phone you need to insert a voice and data sim . (But may breach o2 T&C for voice and data sims) and 2 external antenna sockets sma to connect to an external mimo antenna wide band i.e. 2g 3g 4g pointing at the o2 mast

Re: How to contact O2 if not already a customer?

Anonymous — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 15:30:09 GMT

Thank you, that's a good lead. It might even be what I was referring to. The engineer from Openreach told me about it but couldn't remember what it was called.
I've probably exhausted the goodwill of posters here now so I'll accept that as an answer. Thanks to all who replied.