Network Down

[Annabel34]

I have virtually no signal strength in my area for the last month. O2 post the following message:

"Sorry, a phone mast close to you isn't working.Our engineers have found an issue and we’re completing the arrangements for specialist equipment to come and do the repair. Your signal might come and go until we’re done. Please bear with us. We’ll update you again by Friday 21st December 2018".

The date has changed from 12/12 to 14/12, now 21/12 so it appears no work has taken place and O2 simply change the date as the last date expires. There is no committment made in the message other than to update the message. On contacting 02 they cannot or will not provide any useful information about the real issue and the planned date for resolution - (any proressionally managed organisation should have a plan and schedule for resolution including committments from their contractors and suppliers). So it seems 02 are quite happy for customers to continue paying the bill for an indefinate and undisclosed period until they can get around to resolving the problem and happy to hide behind their telephone support representative by not providing them with anything more informative than the posted message. 02 seem not to realise that it is much better for a person such as myself to have no mobile phone, than to have an unreliable service (and service provider) where people think they can call or text you, but they do not know that you are not receiving their messages or calls. Has anyone else had a similar experience and has anyone managed to extract more useful information from 02 about similar issues. How long should one be prepared to wait before receiving more infomrative information or giving up and switching to another provider with a more reliable service?

[Bambino]

@Annabel34 It's probably cold comfort to you, but on the plus side, at least they are aware of the problem and are attempting to address it. They will never give a definitive time scale for repair, otherwise you could hold their feet to the fire if it wasn't done in the specified time.

You can lodge a formal complaint here: https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain The Resolver link within that link usually gets good results. As you have been without service for some time, I would think that O2 will adjust your bill, but you'll need to chase them for it.

How long you wait before you change provider is entirely up to you, but be aware that you would still have to pay off any remainder of your contract if you decided to leave.

[jonsie]

Many things determine how long a mast is down ie. access to privately owned land, spare parts and so customer service cannot say how long you will be without signal.

Report it again through the My Network app and they will give you personal updates.

[Annabel34]

I would think that 02 are or will soon be in breach of contract if they are not providing the service that they are contracted to provide and give no indication of how long this is likley to continue for.

[Annabel34]

Yes, thank you, I have already done registered for updates, although unfortunately that does not help in assessing how long the issue is likely to persist.

[Bambino]

@Annabel34 You would need to refer to the Terms & Conditions of the contract you agreed to to determine if O2 have breached it. I suspect they haven't. They usually cover themselves for situations like this.

[Annabel34]

It is a great pity that 02 show such disregard for customers and treat them with such contempt. They must be very aware that savvy customers would rgard a mesage that only promises a further update at a future time as simply a delaying tactic as such a message is of absolutely no use to a customer without a service. They could go on posting such messages for months even years! It is also inconceivable that someone in O2 does not know what the problem / fault really is and have some idea of how long it will take to resolve it. No credible or professional organisation would be operating without such knowledge and a plan / schedule for resolving a problem that has now persisted for a month or more. It would be perfectly possible for 02 to advise customers accordingly without legal obligation if they chose to do so. So this is simply a case of a large organisation choosing not to engage with its customers, hiding behind its telephone support personnel, hoping and knowing that customers probably do not have too many options (unfortunately a number of other mobile providers also rely on the O2 newtwork). There needs to be more providers and far more real competition to stamp out this kind of arrogant monopoly behaviour.  I have actually been very happy with O2 over a fair number of years, and before this would have given them very good feedback, but this most recent episode has completely changed my opinion about them. It takes a lot of effort to acquire and gain loyalty of new customers - and so it is rather unwise to loose them in this kind of way.

[MI5]

I can guarantee that O2 do k own what the problem is and how long it will take, but they won't tell you or I what that is.

[sheepdog]

---

@Annabel34 wrote:

....There needs to be more providers and far more real competition to stamp out this kind of arrogant monopoly behaviour.  ....

---

Well thats the fundamental flaw in your argument. In order for any new network to exist, they will need to have licensed (should say successfully bid on)va particular frequency band. Given those bands are limited, there can only a be fixed number of network operators in operation that can put infrastructure into place. The UK has 4 network operators and bar Russia, other EU countries are on a par: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators_of_Europe

Don't forget that there are other organisations outside of mobile networks that claim frequencies and putting up a mast isn't as easy as digging a hole. 

[Annabel34]

Here we go folks the latest from O2 today (as expected - yet more "kicking the can down the road"). Each time the date expires, a new date is announced. This will  go on for months. No committment or concern for customers from O2.O2 Network Update:  Our engineers have found an issue and we’re completing the arrangements for specialist equipment to come and do the repair. Your signal might come and go until we’re done. Please bear with us. We’ll update you again by Friday 4th January 2019.

It is the fourth such message from O2 on this issue that I am aware of - there was probably several others before that. Trash service!