Unfair charging on leased handset return

[Anonymous]

The lease deals are great for small businesses - a new handset every year for a decent price. All you have to do is pay the bill and keep the handset safe until you send it back. They even provide a cover to help prevent scratches etc! Ideal eh?

Sent my iPhone 5S back in Jan, having had it for a year. The case 02 provided (which looked awful from the start, but I diligently used it, as requested in the contract) had left the phone open to the elements. I am fairly careful with my phones so it wasnt as bad as it could have been, but there were a few nicks on the back caseing.

Concerned that this would leave me open to costs, I sent the handset back with the cover still on. The iPhone 4 I'd had the year before had been sent back immaculate (better case from 02) so I was pretty disappointed in the state of this one, but fairly sure it wasnt down to my usage, after all, I hadn't done anything differently!

Couple of weeks later I get a bill for £60, to pay for damage to the handset. Annoyed, I get on the phone to 02, only to be told 'well, what do you expect us to do? You didnt have to use the case.'

So I'm 60 quid up the swanny, and there's nothing I can do? All because I followed the instructions of my contract?

Thanks very much 02!!

[Anonymous]

I agree they are not the best options to supply especially on a lease phone.

I would have expected some form of otterbox style of case.

Not a bumper that imo adds grip to the phone but not much else. 😞

[MI5]

I have experienced the same problem in the past with those types of case, so what I do now is fit a screen protector to the back of the phone before putting it into the case.
I only use the very cheap ones off ebay for this purpose and then buy a good quality one for the front of the phone.