How to actually achieve some direct contact with the Complaints review service

[Anonymous]

Hi

Can anyone advise how it might be possible to achieve some direct contact with the complaints Review service in Leeds.

I ask because in early May of this year I raised a complaint with O2 over the fact that i had received an unsolicited call from O2 sales – some four weeks prior to the end of my 24 month contract. During this call I was subjected to a sustained attempt to have me accept a new phone and new contract. I found the delivery of the sales pitch stressful and intimidating and I suffered a period of harassment lasting some 20 minutes or so with the salesperson even trying to contact me after I had switched off my phone.

If this wasn’t bad enough I then found out a couple of weeks later that in fact I had been moved onto a new 12 month contract  - that I had neither agreed to or was aware of. When I contacted O2 to complain I was accused of having entered a store in LONDON where I had agreed and signed up to the current tariff, and that if I wished to leave I would incur a penalty for the early termination of my contract.

Having outlined the problem I was assured that the matter could be quickly and easily resolved.  Ha Ha Ha [ laughs out loudly]

In the intervening period I have had numerous exchanges [telephone calls and web-chats] with O2 but not the actual Complaints Review service staff. One of the main problems being that it appears only possible to have direct contact with someone at O2 via the web chat or over the phone, and that you never get beyond them. Each time you ring the call handler, they have to attempt to review your case notes and read through your previous contacts – they go through a set process of apologizing and trying to mollify you. When they find this doesn’t work they go off line to speak to a manager. They return saying that a manager from the complaints escalation team or complaints Team will ring you back

To date I must have had at least 5 or 6 such promises and no one has ever contacted me.

I have received emails from the Mycare team but they come via unmonitored system so you cannot establish a conversation with them using these, as no one at O2 ‘s end will be reading your reply or if you try you receive a message saying you need to contact them using the general contact form available on the web site.

Yesterday having already raised my complaint with the Ombudsman Service Communications  and nearing the end of the 8 week mediation period I contacted O2 yet again as they had ignored my three previous requests to provide me with a Deadlock letter and copies of the transcripts of my extensive contact with them over this matter.

 I was shocked [NOT] to be told that O2 considered the matter to be resolved and that my complaint and case had been closed. I was then advised to email the customer complaints review team again and today picked up their reply advising a possible further 7 day wait for a response.

Full circle, 8 weeks of endless hours of conversations on the phone and via web chat all a complete waste of time and energy   

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Unless I had anything more to work with I'd send registered letters to the following address:

Telefónica UK Limited,

Correspondence Department,

PO BOX 694

Winchester

SO23 5AP

I feel it would be necessary to set a reasonable target date for a satisfactory resolution of your wishes and claims, with clear mention that if otherwise then legal advice will be sought with the view to an introduction of legal action.  Not intended as an idle threat but a reflection of your personal stance on this matter, where formal legal advice may be your next step.

I hope it works out well for you.

Jonty.

[Bambino]

Have you tried emailing to this address: complaintreviewservice@o2.com

I'm a bit puzzled as to why this has happened. If it was an unsolicited call, and you weren't interested, why didn't you just hang up? Why did you let them go on for 20 minutes? How were they able to contact you with your phone switched off? If they are claiming that you went into a store in London and signed up to a tariff, why haven't you asked them to produce the document you supposedly signed?

If you are now saying that O2 consider the matter to be resolved and that the case and complaint are closed, is your contract finished, or have you been moved to a new 12 month contract?

[jonsie]

PM sent

[Anonymous]

Hi wwwadd, I sent you a couple of PMs this morning, I'll be waiting for your reply.

[Anonymous]

Did the sales person who contacted you go out and impersonate you at the said store in London?

[Anonymous]

You obviously have never had to deal with a persistent sales person trying to sell you double-glazing or a vacuum cleaner. They are able to maintain the sales pitch because of the complicated psychological interaction between a someone who may have something good to offer and someone who feels they may benefit from possessing it.

Selling and the world of advertising are based on this principal. Moreover when in direct contact, the “hard sell” can be utilized as it relies on the customer being polite and being unwilling to be rude or confrontational and terminating the discussion. I, like a lot of people, will continue to try to tell the salesperson that I am not interested rather than just terminating the call. I did eventually have to do this but surely i shouldn't be required to have take such a course of action.

I subsequently was then faced the option of sitting with the phone off or re-opening it . I had to do this twice as each time I switched on this  salesman attempted to contact me again.

O2 eventually conceded that i could not have signed any agreement and i was advised at that stage the case was being referred to their fraud section.

As I say O2 moved me onto a 12 month simplicity contract at £16 per month. When I complained they very generously moved me onto a monthly rolling contract for which I am being charged £26.

You may ask why have I not just left O2 – I was reluctant to do this until the Ombudsman Service communication accepted to represent me in this issue as I felt to leave O2 would have weakened my position. Perhaps I should just walk away.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Whilst it's important to respect that there are two sides to every story it would appear as though O2 overstepped the mark based on your account.  And whilst it may only have been a sole individual who was in the wrong O2 is your supplier so have to absorb it.

In no way pushing down the level of unpleasantness and frustration this is, after all, only about a mobile phone service contract so you were right to stay and have the matter addressed while you carry on as normal with your phone.  But it's too common these days that we see companies unable to focus on matters 'personally', and in your case if legal action (or at least the mention of) is the only way to get matters finally resolved then so be it, but what a grave state of affairs it results in with the loss of respect and financial cost... and just because a sole individual thought he could gain a few extra £pounds.

As before, I hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction.

Jonty.

[Bambino]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You obviously have never had to deal with a persistent sales person trying to sell you double-glazing or a vacuum cleaner. They are able to maintain the sales pitch because of the complicated psychological interaction between a someone who may have something good to offer and someone who feels they may benefit from possessing it.

Selling and the world of advertising are based on this principal. Moreover when in direct contact, the “hard sell” can be utilized as it relies on the customer being polite and being unwilling to be rude or confrontational and terminating the discussion. I, like a lot of people, will continue to try to tell the salesperson that I am not interested rather than just terminating the call. I did eventually have to do this but surely i shouldn't be required to have take such a course of action.

I subsequently was then faced the option of sitting with the phone off or re-opening it . I had to do this twice as each time I switched on this  salesman attempted to contact me again.

O2 eventually conceded that i could not have signed any agreement and i was advised at that stage the case was being referred to their fraud section.

As I say O2 moved me onto a 12 month simplicity contract at £16 per month. When I complained they very generously moved me onto a monthly rolling contract for which I am being charged £26.

You may ask why have I not just left O2 – I was reluctant to do this until the Ombudsman Service communication accepted to represent me in this issue as I felt to leave O2 would have weakened my position. Perhaps I should just walk away.

---

I don't know anyone who hasn't had to deal with a persistent salesperson. This was more than likely a sales company calling on O2's behalf, and probably with O2's blessing, but not O2 directly. While I understand your frustration with how you have been treated, and your reluctance to be rude on the phone, nothing says you're not interested more than just hanging up. When they call back, it would be very easy to see the number and just not answer the call. Eventually they get the message.

By all means, stay with O2 if you're happy with the actual service you get. There's no reason to leave if it all works for you. If you're back on your one month rolling contract, all you have to do is give 30 days notice if you want to leave. I hope you can get a satisfactory result out of this.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your comments.

It was difficult and complicated as I was aware that I only had a month to put in place a new contract. The actual offer of a new phone and contract was very good and consequently it wasn't quite the same as being  approached with say an unsolicited cold call about reclaiming payment protection.

What I found difficult was the relentlessness and the unwillingness to allow me some time to consider and eventually the salesperson inability to take "no" for an answer.

I am in my mid sixties and I recently switched utility supplier. The salesperson was polite and informative and I felt no direct pressure to "sign up". I have experience like everyone else of both positive and negative sales experiences.

However this particular company require a lot formal feedback on the conduct of their sales staff, both at the time of "pitch" and subsequently afterwards,  where they request that you complete a follow up survey and questionnaire. Perhaps a lesson there for O2