Charged £228 for perfectly working lease phone

[Anonymous]

Really hoping you can help. I really need your assistance.

In December 2011 I took out a lease contract with O2 for a 16gb iPhone 4S. I used this phone for a year, without fault and continued to look after it. When it came to return the phone in December 2012, I went into O2 Taunton and returned the phone, to be advised by a manager that the phone was in perfect working order and all that was required was for O2 to send it back. As part of the lease contract, if the phone was damaged or not working, I would be charged. As far as I was concerned and O2 Taunton were concerned, the phone had no faults.

6 months later to my surprise, I received a letter from O2 stating that the phone was category D damaged and I was required to pay £200 (roughly) for this. Extremely angry, I spoke to O2 on the 21/6/2013 and they had no note on my account of the charges. The lady I spoke to, Sarah, told me to ignore the letter and I will not be charged. I have her staff ID which she was happy to give me.

Thinking this was the end, I then felt fairly relaxed. Then, on the 21/07/2013, I received a bank statement stating the O2 had tried to take £200 from my account!! Seething with anger, I called O2 to advise them that not only had a store member of staff advised that the phone was in perfect working order, but also I head office member had said to ignore the letters and that I won't be charged!!

A category D fault basically renders the phone useless. The only greater category is E which is to not return the phone at all. The phone was fully functioning and I was still using it before I returned it!! Every function of this phone was performing as it should before I returned it to O2. If it was a Cat D, I would have used the insurance I had to replace it!! Because it apparently wouldn't have functioned!!

Please help. Surely they are in no position to charge me....it is ludicrous. The phone is faultless and they are trying to charge me 6 months after returning a phone and after being told it was in perfect working order!!

Regards, Nicola Melville.

[Bambino]

This is a customer based forum, so it's doubtful anyone will be able to help you here. Do you have a written receipt that the phone was returned to the O2 store undamaged? Can you contact the person whose staff ID you have to confirm your conversation in writing? Having hard copies of things like this is the only way to guarantee that if you are wrongly charged, you can be secure in the knowledge that you can dispute those charges.

[Anonymous]

As said this is a user to user forum.

If you want to put this in writing them perhaps this link can help https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help

or maybe the site admin can help.

@Toby

@Chiara.

[jonsie]

Seems like a good money earner for the leasing company. A couple of previous threads with some good advice buried within them. Have a read through.

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Appalled/m-p/434156/highlight/true#M41773

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Discussions-Feedback/Charged-228-for-a-returned-lease-phone/m-p/422986#...

[Anonymous]

Yeah I understand its a user forum, was just looking for help and advice that's all. I have contacted O2 and apparently now they are listening to a recording of the conversation between the O2 customer services lady and myself, whereby she said I could ignore the letter and there were not charges. They will get back to me within 24 hours. The staff member at O2 Taunton didn't offer a receipt saying it was faultless but said it was in perfect working order and there won't be any issues. It's ridiculous....£228....category d. The phone was in perfect working order!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the links to the posts. Unbelievable they can get away with this.

[jonsie]

Keep at it and chasing it up. Make an official complaint and don't let them get away with it.

[Anonymous]

Hi Melvillen, I've sent you a pm, let's see what can be done.

[Anonymous]

Hope all resolves for you.

I now tend to take photographic evidence when I send anything off or back.

I recently had to send my x-box back to Microsoft.

I took pictures of it against that days newspaper to show its current condition and to prove the date of the pictures.

Edit : Thank you Chiara for getting involved.

[Anonymous]

Update: raised official complaint via chat method and Saskia at O2 understands and sympathises with my situation and has raised a note to waive all charges. Hopefully very positive. She was fantastic. Thank you all for your replies. It is greatly appreciated.