topic Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin in Tech Support

Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

StephChivas — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:19:35 GMT

Been moved over to o2 from virgin since they're putting everyone on it now and my data has been absolutely abysmal since the switch. Went on to data checker and they claim a mast isn't working as it should but nothing seems to be getting done to fix it as I just keep getting the same msg about how they'll update me in a week.

I'm apparently getting unlimited data with my plan but really it's zero as my phone might as well turn into a brick when I leave my home. I use it all the time to check bus times and when I'm at work and most of the time it either doesn't load my apps at all or it loads it without showing the most up to date information.

Got colleagues who are unfortunately on the same network and they said they've never had great signal after being with for months. Can't find an online chat function to speak to anyone either.

Used to be with o2 for more than a decade and signal was great, switched as they couldn't help me out with a better contract than I was on without having a crazy monthly bill despite being with them so long and now I'm forced back to them with crap results.

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

Bambino — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:35:02 GMT

@StephChivas If O2 are aware of the mast problem there really isn't much you can do. They will never give you a timeline on repairs.

A temporary solution is to use WiFi and 4g calling as much as you can: Wifi and 4G Calling explained | O2

If that's not acceptable you also have the option of changing providers: Cancelling your contract - An updated guide - O2 Community

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

pgn — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:50:42 GMT

And all the ways of getting in touch with O2, via Social Media, are in the link just below this post, @StephChivas - the "Web Chat" is really not the resource it used to be for troubleshooting or for problem solving. Good luck!

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

Dimmy007 — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 13:11:06 GMT

I too am having the same problem since being transferred ftom Virgin to O2. I have either no signal or just one bar when using my mobile at home on O2.Formerly when I was on Virgin I had a great signal with 4 bars. All this is odd because Virgin used the same transmitter masts as O2!. I used the O2 Network checker and it said there was a faulty local mast and that "engineers were working on it"..but it's been saying the same thing for several weeks..maybe this is an automated response. I've been advised to get an O2 SIM to replace my existing Virgin Sim to see if the problem improves.

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

Oxonian — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:44:42 GMT

@Dimmy007

>> I've been advised to get an O2 SIM to replace my existing Virgin Sim to see if the problem improves.

If you do get the new SIM, please let us know if that resolves your issue.

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

meatologist — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 21:33:49 GMT

Did this solve this issue?

We have 3 x contracts that were moved to o2 and now the signal is BAD. Previously it was perfect. Now it’s rubbish.

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

madasaf1sh — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 21:36:43 GMT

@meatologist

A lot of other users have said it sorts the issues, and it is worth a try, and bear in mind nothing has changed apart from you have been moved from a dodgy MVNO network to the main network..

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

meatologist — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 22:15:10 GMT

Any actual proof or evidence of this, rather than anecdotes?

What exactly was “dodgy” about the Virgin network?

Again, any actual evidence? Or is this a “trust me bro” source?

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

Enlli — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 22:26:06 GMT

@meatologist First off was the Belgian SIM cards issued post EE. The problems they threw up particularly with Roaming and iPhones thinking they were in Belgium. I spent a good few years on the Virgin Community putting out workarounds for problems which Virgin refused to acknowledge existed right up to about three months before they closed down.

Let's not forget their dodgy sales tactics which border on mis-selling and which are now being taken up by O2

@meatologist wrote:
Any actual proof or evidence of this, rather than anecdotes?

What exactly was “dodgy” about the Virgin network?

Again, any actual evidence? Or is this a “trust me bro” source?

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

meatologist — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 22:35:49 GMT

Anecdotes and unrelated info.

Didn’t realise that selling tactics now constitute as a”dodgy network”.

Anyone on here got some actual proof or evidence or even perhaps someone who has had the same or similar issue as the one mentioned in my first post and can confirm that a replacement SIM resolved the issue?

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

jonsie — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 22:38:40 GMT

The problem is that you have come to a network absorbing a million plus Virgin customers

So aa lot of the 'trust me bro' comments are coming from our experiences with other Virgin customers having the very same experiences of yourself

First thing to try is an O2 sim card if you are still using Virgin cards

After that there are a couple of help guides but really you are in the hands of customer service which has deteriorated badly coinciding with the merger

O2 will deny that but customers, for the large part, aren't as stupid as O2 try to make out

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

pgn — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 06:58:41 GMT

@meatologist - Given VM moved you effectively from Vodafone to O2 almost immediately after the merger,

https://www.mazumamobile.com/blog/mobile-phone-news/o2-virgin-mobile-merge-everything-need-know/

then if your area was better covered by Voda than it was by O2, I would expect you to experience issues as you describe - for me, O2 is the only network that gets signal into the place I live, nestled in below a land ridge on 3 sides of us. Voda coverage here is poor because of the mast positions - tested, and a factor which meant VM would only ever be good for broadband, not for mobile service, back in the bad old days 😖

If you have good broadband where your O2 signal is poor, WiFi calling will help https://www.o2.co.uk/connectivity/wifi-and-4g-calling

And as others have noted, moving the VM customer base, as was (cac3 million customers?) to O2 en-masse was always going to make parts of the network creak some, and the ensuing issues with some batches of VM-branded SIM cards also did not help.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/virgin-mobile-customers-being-moved-to-o2-what-you-need-to-know-aGtTG7c576YF

A search of the wider Internet would tell you this, as well as the anecdotal evidence presented by knowledgeable contributors here on the O2 forum, @meatologist.

The approach has been one of "like it or lump it" - so it goes.

Re: Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

Oxonian — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:23:09 GMT

@meatologist wrote:

Anyone on here got some actual proof or evidence or even perhaps someone who has had the same or similar issue as the one mentioned in my first post and can confirm that a replacement SIM resolved the issue?

@meatologist

I am unsure why you seem reluctant to change your SIMs for up to date one. It is an easy and cost-free exercise that just might solve your problems.

The most straightforward way to do this is to visit an O2 retail store so it can be done "on the spot" :-

Store locator | O2 UK | Find Your Nearest O2 Store

https://stores.o2.co.uk/

I did an instore SIM-swap several months ago ; it was a ten-minute job and the new SIM was active almost immediately.

Please try it - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 👍