on 29-08-2025 19:13
Having worked as a software engineer for over 20 years, I am embarrassed to be an O2 customer by the shoddy application of the new SSO, and the contact helpline.
In the past, if I wanted any accessories or additional items, it was as simple as ordering through the app and awaiting my delivaery.
Now, my experience was registering a passcode, which was then subsequentially not recognised. Great, Ill use an alternate way via email. Hang on it has an expiry time. No, now you have to verify again via your back up email. But wait, the first page has expired, so you'll have to start again. But wait even further, each verification requires multiple clicks to confirm. Guess what ! youre now locked out for a period of time!
Hey now the emails are marked as spam as well in your emails!
Seriously as no-one ever heard of QA? most of this implementation shouldve been done invisibly in the back end. SSO should be a seamless experience, not a jumble of hoops to force the customer to ring the unhelpful automated 'helpline' which runs you round in circles asking you for codes you took out almost a decade ago.
God forbid if you want to talk to a real human being.
If this kind of ineptitude had been shown at any of the companies I worked for, a lot of P45s would be handed out. This would not be expected from a small company, let alone a multi million pound one
on 29-08-2025 19:17
Updating so its more relevent. Because of this, they lost a sale. I was going to buy an new apple watch, and link it to my mobile, but instead have decided this mobile will be the last thing I ever purchhase from O2/Virgin, and will instead be looking to switch contracts to a different supplier once my contract is up.
on 29-08-2025 19:38
on 29-08-2025 19:38
Have you ever migrated SSO platforms or done any Integration with Ping Federate / SSO?? Have you seen the clusterf that is MS Platform SSO?? I
As if you did you would know that all SSO MFA authentication methods, have time outs in minutes, to be honest it should have been done where by the customer has to download an Authenticator app, installed on their phone to make it more secure, and not use email or sms passcodes...
Not defending o2, but having done from an IT POV many many M&A and SSO integrations it is never seamless, unless you are a startup or can start from scratch there is always customer friction...
Added to the fact that no large change to customer facing platforms where most users are not IT literate , is without issues..
Also BT/EE are still migrating customer platforms, Vodafone/Three is going to be another mess..
All the details on cancelling your contract can be found here Guide: Cancelling Your Contract
on 29-08-2025 20:42
on 29-08-2025 20:42
Better off getting your Apple Watch, and your handset, onto a network other than O2, @KungFuNick - Activate Apple Watch Guide
The "end your contract with O2" guide was shared earlier, above. Good luck!
30-08-2025 13:22 - edited 30-08-2025 13:23
30-08-2025 13:22 - edited 30-08-2025 13:23
Having the very same issues. Zero backend testing is 100% evident.
Even the email address that O2 sent me to log in is invalid even though i know it isnt. Hows this even possible?
So very frustrating as i have several mobile accounts with o2 . If i was close to the end of contract they would be losing a customer that has been with them for 20 years
on 30-08-2025 16:54
on 30-08-2025 16:54
If you have a query or question about your account, you need to contact O2. Unfortunately, this is a customer to customer community so we cannot access your account.
I recommend that you message O2 on social media :-
Facebook : https://o2uk.co/O2CFB
Instagram : https://o2uk.co/O2CIG
on 30-08-2025 18:24
on 30-08-2025 18:24
Ignore the CTRL+V reply above, as like you say CS have no clue how to resolve.
It is to do with the fact the o2.co.uk / o2.com domains dont exist for consumer email, and thus cant receive any email.
If you do a search on here you will find a thread where the community manager is collating reports.
Good Luck
on 31-08-2025 17:10
on 31-08-2025 17:10
Yes, I have done multiple MFA migrations, across legacy systems to modern, including simple token exchanges to full blown proxy SSO, through SAML, OIDC, WS-Fed, LDAP, JWT, etc.
The whole process feels rushed and not tested., and I agree completly that email and sms passcodes are not the most ideal solution.
My point is, I don't think they should've introduced a new layer to the user, and should have dealt with any auth transactions behind closed architecture, and only rolled out to prod when extensive fault pathing had been completed.
I suppose I had been a bit rushed, so my (I admit obscured) question is: Is this a common thing, and is it due to be rectified, or is this the now the next phase of the app, and is there anything I can do to make it more seamless?
on 31-08-2025 17:58
on 31-08-2025 17:58
o2 are not know to fully test things that are customer affecting, but in fairness they are not the only ones, now that we live in a fail fast and fix forward just look at Microsoft and Apple to name 2..
Ping Federate is now here to stay, from what I can tell ( I don't work for VMo2)
I am just glad they didn't go the MS Platform SSO route, as trust me it would be a lot worse
on 01-09-2025 07:09
on 01-09-2025 07:09
I was on Virgin for both PAYG and contract several years ago, their CS teams were (and still are) beyond incompetent.
Because they're probably based on Mars (slight exaggeration yeh?) they don't even understand most UK regional dialects, particularly broad Yorkshire.