O2 or Aerial - who am I with? and why has my phone stopped working when I tried to ask O2 online?

[Anonymous]

My 02 contract was up for renewal and someone claiming to be from 02 phoned and offered me a new deal for 24 months. My contract now seems to be with Aerial but my bank Direct Debit is still with 02. Are they a bonafide company? Today they (Aerial) sent me a letter saying I'm due a monthly refund for not getting a new phone, and want my bank details including account no and sort code. Is this all OK? I tried getting help with an O2 online advisor but they couldn't help me and now my mobile phone has stopped working. Screen looks fine but I cannot send or receive calls or texts since asking for help!!!

[jonsie]

I would go through O2 complaints to try and get this resolved. Also mail the letter recorded delivery to the postal address on their website.Something is definitely not right here.

[Anonymous]

thanks for your reply. I've tried going through O2 compaints, they pass me to various different people, ask me dozens of security questions, I tell the story over and over and then they just tell me to go to my nearest O2 store then they stop responding to me. I'm sick to death of them. I've sent an email to O2 just now. It's like they have handed me over to this other company and they want nothing to do with it now, but still are getting my money every month!

[perksie]

Using the link I posted you must write a letter to the complaints department, do not respond to the chat pop-ups on that page.

I have asked Toby the Community Co-ordinator here to refer this to someone who will help you with this.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for doing that perksie

[perksie]

You're welcome, Toby should be in touch once he logs in and gets the note.

Let us know how you get on.

[Toby]

Hi claudiaq,

Send me a private message about this (so I can help you get contacted) and we'll see if anything can be done.

A big thanks to perksie for flagging this!

EDIT: Click on my name to find a link where you can send me a message

[Anonymous]

O2 are now totally ignoring me and cutting me off in chat (after saying I must contact Aerial regarding my problems). I had no alternative but to cancel my direct debit. Aerial immediately phoned me and said I am tied to a contract with them for 24 months and the reason my bills are so much higher than they promised is because they have to refund me £5 per month but need my bank details to do this, which I have refused to give them. They say it will cost me £75 to cancel my contract with them!! I signed my contract in July 2013 but thought I was just renewing my contract with O2. How can this be fair???

[perksie]

My belief is that stopping the direct debit is the worst thing you can do, as you have now breached the contract and can be pursued for the outstanding balance.

There may well be legal issues about the way the account was moved and whether O2 had the right to do this, which we couldn't advise you on here.

All we know we have told you and Aerial do seem to be an approved partner of O2.

I also believe O2 have the right to pass your account to another company.

Referring you back to the Complaints page, you can after 8 weeks from your original complaint, refer this to the Ombudsman who should be able to adjudicate on this:

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref%28User%29:str%28Mob...

Failing all this I would suggest you will need legal representation if you wish to take this further, although personally I don't think you would win with this, but O2 may release you in order not to have to attend court.

Everything here is my personal opinion and I bear no responsibility for any of it.

[Anonymous]

O2 are cutting me off in chat as soon as I mention Aerial, just saying I need to contact them direct. I went to the O2 store and they said the same. I have tried e-mailing O2 complaints who say I need to use the correct on-line form, the on-line form does not allow me enough characters for my complaint but I tried to condense it and they ignored that too. Aerial are demanding my bank details which I am refusing to give them as all the contact details they provided on the Standing Order mandate was false. I showed it to my bank manager along with the letter from Aerial and he told me to cancel the direct debit immediately as he tried to phone the number and could not get through, not even a recorded message and he noticed the address printed on the reverse flap of the envelope was not the same as on their website. Also why did O2 allow Aerial to put me on a business contract when I clearly do not have a business! I don't know what to do anymore. This whole matter is making me ill.

[Anonymous]

My problems with O2 and Aerial remains unresolved. I have complained to O2 following their complaints process, but they are ignoring me, they say I have to sort it out with Aerial, but I have been unable to contact Aerial, they have failed to telephone me after promising a manager would get back to me months ago, and they continue to ignore my subsequent e-mails.

I have been promised twice via O2 on-line chat that someone will call me back on my landline within 72 hours (as I no longer have a mobile phone), but weeks have now passed and no-one has phoned me back.

Today I received a bill from O2 for December for £433.96, even though they cut off my phone on 7th November and I no longer have a mobile phone or SIM card. I am totally disgusted at my treatment at the hands of O2 after being a loyal customer for over a decade. Is there anyone who can help me here?