Changing a a faulty phone...What is O2's policy?

[Anonymous]

I have had 3 faulty Dell Streak phones from 02, and although i love the phone I feel that it is not one that I trust any more to work properly.
Anyhow I have gone through O2's process and was told after a third faulty phone that I would be able to change it for a different model. I feel I have been very patient with this phone and the manager of the shop agreed with me that I could change the phone. However he has recently told me that the powers that be (area manager?) are saying that I can only exchange this for another Dell Streak. That is a FOURTH phone in lees than a year.
Now according to the manager in the shop after a third faulty phone I should be able to exchange for a similar phone...So I filled in the form with him, he said I couldn't chose an Iphone 4 and or a Blackberry. I chose a Samsung galaxy S2.
Now after a 2 weeks wait I have been told I have to have another Dell Streak, and 'fingers crossed' it will be OK. But so far it has taken between 2 - 3 months for the phone to o wrong again. Now I feel I don't want to be lumbered with a phone in one years time that doesn't work and I am out of contract and so have no comeback with O2...
Where do I stand with O2. As they keep exchanging the phone because it keeps going wrong but now say I can't change the make of the phone.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Joe

[Anonymous]

Fingers crossed

[Anonymous]

Just spoke again to the shop...they still agree with me that I should get a Galaxy S2...it fair and reasonable they said... "You don't want to go backwards in the evolution of phones as a replacement."
It really strange that the chaps in the shop seem to agree with me but the unseen O2 staff are towing some kind of company line...I can understand not wanting to 'give away' a state of the art, top billing phone, but...
I have asked the staff at the shop to try and find out why they are unwilling to swap phone to a G S2.
Thanks to prking they have moved from not wanting to swap at all...I wonder if the Dell Streaks were also refurbs not new? They never arrive in new boxes always in brown packaging.
Joe

[Anonymous]

Good luck with it. There is a further step you can take if the complaint review service are unable to help.

Thanks for this prking...
What is that further step?
Thanks

[Anonymous]

If you had reached an impasse with O2, you could have gone to the Ombudsman service. There would also be the last resort of court action. However, they have made a very reasonable offer with a wide choice of handsets, several of which are in my opinion equivalent or better than the Streak.
If it was me I would biting their hand off and accepting their offer. But I have an incredibly poor opinion of the Streak.

[Anonymous]

Hi prking,
I don't know much about phones, so which ones will do a similar job to the Streak, and are better...
cheers
Joe

[Anonymous]

Hi,

WoW you have been thro the wringer with this one.
I agree with prking in regards to the streak !
Early reports by users were in connection to the screen cracking !
The online advisors have little power and in my opinion read from a script as not to infringe 02's policies and procedures, although they do have their plus uses too
The manager of the store really should have the power to arrange a fair exchange, after such a road of failures with your device !
The area managers are interested in figures and margins and protecting the costs.
I also agree that its not right to ask you to accept a handset/device that is a backstep to what your using now in terms of functions. I believe after accepting such a device, your gonna long for what you had and what it did.
After so many failed devices I too would have lost faith in it too.
If internet is a must have then dont go for the Nokia n8 or e7 as their internet browsers are clunky and slow in my experiance. I cant comment on the others, as I have not used them. Look at user reviews but dont take them literally as not many post a thread on how well their device is operating !
Cnet tend to give fair reviews too.
As said they have offered a list of choices which is a start by 02, but how have they come to this list ? Ask ? They dont match the specs and cost of the dell streak in my opinion.
Why cant you have the galaxy or iphone4 ?
Ask why these are omitted from your choices.
You can seek advice from Citizens advice and the ombudsman.
Look at the Sales of goods Act.
Good luck and if your given the answer no then ask WHY.
If your given a choice of A,B,C then ask why is their not a D !
Ask to speak to the Area Manager in person or over the fone.
If the answer is no then ask WHY, he/she is employed to serve you.
Remeber your consumer rights !

[Anonymous]

Cheers for the response Chunky; it all seems quite strange to me.
The shop staff agreeing with me but others elsewhere not.
The other problem I have realised is that communicating with the external teams is also problematic. (Repair team, complaints review service). I never get the same person dealing with my emails, and so things are taken out of context.
I sent an email asking why I couldn't have a Samsung S2; I sent another straight after as I added that I paid £59 to have a Streak.
The original reply is from Craig; I got no response to my question from Craig, but another person, Supriya, answered thinking I wanted to upgrade my phone mid contract and sent a hyperlink to the cost of purchasing the S2(which is nearly £500, I might add) and wanted my details to sort it out for me...NOOOOO!
So yeah Chunky, I am paying £35 a month, my first ever contract handset, because I wanted a mobile, miniature computer. So I think that as I purchased a cutting edge phone, that it should be a phone that came out the same time or after the Streak. I might be wrong to think this, but to me £35 a month is a hell of a lot of money. The thing is I have no idea when the release dates of models of phones have been, so can't clearly put this across.
Joe :robotwink:

[Anonymous]

You really don't need to show release dates only that the alternatives are not in the same league.
I'm fortunate as I have the available disposable funds to buy the iphone4 outright on a payg term.
As you have said in an earlier post perhaps you will have to give the streak another go. If so then get something in writing that they will support any further issues that may arise.
Another option is to get the streak and sell it on to raise some cash to go out and buy a more suitable handset. Outlets such as cex that buy and sell gadgets. They also give a 1 yr warranty.

[Anonymous]

The only problem is I suspect that the handsets I get as replacements are refurbished rather than new...However I can't be sure of this, but maybe thats why they kep going wrong.

[Anonymous]

Insist on picking up your replacement direct from your local 02 shop and ensure the security seal is intact.