28-12-2023 18:04
Hi there
I have never posted on here before so apologies if this is repeating a thread, but I have had a very bad experience with my Z Flip 4 and it's ended up costing me over £500 because I could not get a reply from o2, despite raising a complaint.
My phone started going wrong 5 months into a 36 month contract and I contacted O2 numerous times. I was told by an o2 shop to speak to Samsung. Samsung said I had to send it to EE to be repaired otherwise it would invalidate my phone warranty, o2 said that was rubbish and taking it to EE would invalidate my contract. I was completely stuck between the 2 companies and eventually after 7 hours of calls and 3 hours in a shop, my phone broke! Well the main screen, the back screen still has life. O2 had promised me a new phone but I couldn't get back through to the Manager on Customer Services that offered it and the door step exchange. In the end I had to buy myself out of my phone contract in order to get a new phone. It cost me over £530!! O2 won't respond to the complaint. Customer Services even hung up on the Manager of the O2 store who was trying to sort it for me.
It's now with the Ombudsman, but I cannot believe o2 are just not replying!!!
30-12-2023 12:47
30-12-2023 12:47
Hi.
Sorry for the confusion.
What I had written was a simplified version of a month long battle.
Basically I had a 36 month contract directly with O2 on my Samsung Z Flip 4. It started breaking within 5 months (the main screen being unresponsive at times and the screen protector coming off) despite it being in otherwise pristine condition.
I went into an O2 shop as I was passing and they told me to call Samsung and they would sort it.
They used to offer a doorstep repair as mentioned above (thanks for the link). I was however told by Samsung they are no longer offering this service for Flip or Fold phones.
Samsung told me that the only way to get it sorted was to take it to their approved repair centre which is now EE. Apparently they have now entered into a contract with EE which means they do all the Samsung repairs.
I queried this with O2 who didn't agree.
I was then in a battle with O2 who said they should repair my phone and not EE, but Samsung said as they hold the warranty on the phone, even if it is under contract, if I was to use O2 to repair it, it would invalidate my warranty. So one was I invalidated my contract and the other way I invalidated my warranty. I was completely stuck!
In the end, a manager on the o2 Customer Service line authorised a replacement and told me to call and arrange when they could do the swap as it was very much still under warranty.
I tried calling back but could never get past the first person, despite already being promised a new phone and which detail should have been on my account.
I raised a complaint and in the meantime the front screen broke completely.
As I was out I went to the nearest O2 shop, told them what had happened and the manager said they had seen lots of issues with the Flip and Fold phones. He couldn't exchange it for a new one without the authority of customer services but despite trying for 3 hours he couldn't get through either! In fact at one point they hung up on him.
As I need to be contactable 24 7 and also need a decent phone for Medical tracking reasons, the only way we thought we could sort it was for me to upgrade. As I was only 6 months by then into the contract, upgrading my phone cost me £530.
I got a Google Pixel 8 as I didn't want to touch Samsung or a Flip by then!!
We didn't think I should be paying this, but that was the only option as I also need to keep my own number. It was basically us not being able to get through to customer service so the manager could action what they had promised that was the problem.
Under the Consumer Rights Act a product sold should last the term of the contract and I was only 6 months in (5 months when it all started), so I was entitled to a repair or replacement, but not getting through to o2 customer service and them not replying was the issue and my hands were tied.
I am claiming back the £530+ I paid to upgrade which I should not have had to pay.
I still have the broken handset but no one wants Trade in Z Flips. Now I know why!!
30-12-2023 12:51
30-12-2023 12:51
I was only 5 months into the contract when it started and 6 months when it broke.
See below for more information.
30-12-2023 12:52
30-12-2023 12:52
Thanks. I tried this many times but when you get through to the bit where you say it's a Flip Phone it tells you to ring them and that's when you get told to take it to EE.
30-12-2023 12:53
30-12-2023 12:53
Oh and also when I did contact EE, they wouldn't do it because they said the Flip phones are rubbish and it would only break again anyway!! Helpful
31-12-2023 12:17
31-12-2023 12:17