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O2 Insurance won't replace HD2 like for like

Anonymous
Not applicable
Grateful for advice:

I have an HD2 from O2 with insurance that I took out from them at the same time.

- I damaged the HD2 just before Christmas and O2 Insure agreed that the circumstances warranted a replacement.
- O2 insure then said that they don’t stock the HD2 as they don’t have a contract with HTC yet (and won’t for another 16 weeks).
- They offered me three replacements (a palm pre, a blackberry (not sure on model) and I think one of the XDAs).
- None of the phones were up to the HD2 spec (obviously) and I wouldn’t have started a new 18 month contract for any of them.
- Several people at O2 have indicated that I should get a replacement before moving back to the company line that the other handsets meet their obligations. O2 Customer services were particularly poor and insisted the other phones were good enough despite not knowing their specs! (I am still waited for a call back from a manager after a couple of weeks…).
- I am still waiting for the O2 Insurance to get back to me on a complaint – it has been snowing, but we are talking around three weeks ago since I first go in contact with them!

Have any of you had similar issues and can you offer advice on how to get this sorted. I would just like to get the service I paid for.

Clearly O2 should have made it clear that the HD2 wasn’t covered on their insurance – and the rest of you should be aware of this before buying from them. O2 should also stop pretending that the insurance is part of them when you take it out and then hide behind it being another company when it comes to a payout.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Personally, I would get the most expensive handset on offer; sell it, buy an HD2 and pocket the difference.
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perksie
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Registered:
Quote "Clearly O2 should have made it clear that the HD2 wasn’t covered on their insurance – and the rest of you should be aware of this before buying from them. O2 should also stop pretending that the insurance is part of them when you take it out and then hide behind it being another company when it comes to a payout."

It clearly says that they may substitute a phone of "similar spec" in the terms of insurance, but if you go with prking's idea, it may be the only way to get an HD2.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
That would be a good approach but the HD2s appears to be at the top end of the mobile phone pricing bracket(unless retentions will sell me one at cost which may be worth investigating).

In terms of the phone not being covered - I can understand it when a phone is no longer sold by O2, but this is still a new model and on O2's website as a current phone.

In terms of 'similar spec'. It depends on how far you want to stretch 'similar' - there aren't any other phones with a capaciative 4.3" touch screen out there as far as I know (I also need it to be windows mobile unfortunatley) - cetainly the phones offered weren't up to the spec of the HD2.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
That would be a good approach but the HD2s appears to be at the top end of the mobile phone pricing bracket(unless retentions will sell me one at cost which may be worth investigating).
......


Although you don't rate the Palm Pre, it sells for £30-£50 more than a brand new SIM free HD2.

Please don't be offended but I can't see why you are making so much of this. The insurance doesn't claim to offer like for like and you could get a new HD2 and a small amount of cash. If you bought from somewhere like Expansys you would also get £30 in vouchers as well.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Quote "Clearly O2 should have made it clear that the HD2 wasn’t covered on their insurance – and the rest of you should be aware of this before buying from them. O2 should also stop pretending that the insurance is part of them when you take it out and then hide behind it being another company when it comes to a payout."
It clearly says that they may substitute a phone of "similar spec" in the terms of insurance, but if you go with prking's idea, it may be the only way to get an HD2.


I have to say... are any of the phones offered touchscreen WinMo phones? No. I'd say this is a pretty fundamental component of the phone's specification, so the handsets being offered are not 'similar'.

If your enquiries with O2 are not getting anywhere, I'd get in touch with the Financial Ombudsman http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/, which is set up by the Government to resolve complaints about financial products, including insurance.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
No offence taken.

Not sure writing a post to a forum is creating that much of a fuss though. I am just after some advice on how to get a better service from O2 becuase I don't beleive I have been offered replacements of a similar spec - so thanks for what has been offered so far on other options.

I didn't realise the Palm Pre cost so much new. On ebay you can get 'buy it now' ('new from O2') for around £250 (what I presume I could expect if I accepted and then immediately sold a Pre.). The HD2 sells for around £400 'buy it now' on ebay and the ones that are near to closing bids are around that price. I assume the HD2s spec (I just wish they made it waterproof!) and scarcity is playing a role in keeping the price up. So I would lose out by about £150 and a fair bit of hassle buying and selling, unless I am missing a way to get a price near that expansys ask?

Of couse if O2 insurance would provide the cash or give me a voucher to get one from expansys it would all be much easier...
Message 7 of 10
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks,

Looks like it might be worth me:

- Having a word with retentions to see how much they could sell me one for (i.e. can they do it for near cost - or their highest monthly price of £250) - whilst keeping the £400 ebay option in mind.
- Going through the specs of the phones on offer and creating a table of where they are significantly different from the HD2 and sending it to O2 to give them the chance to reconsider a cash settlement.
- Going to the Ombudsman (thanks for the link).

- It may be worth me reminding them that the main specs listed on their website that they are not matching are:
4.3" WVGA touch-screen (they don't highlight what type of touchscreen unfortunately)
Windows Mobile 6.5

Remind myself its just a phone...
Message 8 of 10
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Reading the T&Cs of the O2 insurance policy, this seems to be a good old "catch-all":
Section 2 – Replacement Equipment
In the event of You making a successful Claim under this contract
that results in Us replacing Your Equipment We will endeavour
to replace Your Equipment with a model of similar specification.
The replacement may be a different model, be made by a different
manufacturer and may not include the identical features, functions
and data capability as Your Equipment. We reserve the right to
provide replacements which have been reconditioned.

So aside from not getting an equivalent model phone as replacement, there's also a chance it may not even be new!
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Surely anyone would find out what the insurance covered before taking it out. Or at least use the cooling off period to see if it suits them.
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