O2’s Systematic Failures – A Customer Experience from Hell

[lewisr51]

Why I’m Sharing This

Over the past four months, I’ve experienced what can only be described as a relentless and exasperating ordeal with O2. My intention in sharing this is not to seek sympathy or even a resolution from O2—I’ve already escalated my case to the Financial Ombudsman. Rather, I aim to shed light on O2’s systemic failures and warn others about what to expect when dealing with a company that appears to have completely lost sight of customer care, accountability, and even basic competence.

Here’s my story in detail, highlighting every issue, escalation, and failure I’ve encountered.

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The Background of the Nightmare

In September 2024, I attempted to upgrade my iPhone 14 under O2’s Switch Up program. For those unaware, Switch Up is a flagship offering that allows customers to upgrade devices every 90 days, with O2 paying off any remaining balance on the old device. It sounded simple enough, but O2’s mismanagement turned what should have been a straightforward process into a four-month-long nightmare.

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IMEI Mismatch and Its Consequences

O2’s first major failure was registering the wrong IMEI for my device. They listed my phone as a black iPhone 14, 128GB (Midnight) when I actually owned a blue iPhone 14, 128GB. This mismatch caused a cascade of problems:

1. Switch Up Blocked: I couldn’t access the program that I was paying for because the IMEI mismatch locked me out.
2. Insurance Invalidated: My third-party insurance was rendered void since it required a correct IMEI for claims. If my phone had been lost or stolen, I would have been financially exposed due to O2’s negligence.
3. Repeated Evidence Submission: Despite providing O2 with clear evidence of the correct IMEI (via receipts and the device box), they repeatedly failed to correct their records.

This issue, which could have been resolved in days, instead became the foundation for an ongoing disaster.

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The Manual Upgrade Debacle

After weeks of failed online attempts, I was advised to visit the St James Quarter O2 store in Edinburgh to complete a manual upgrade. I was told that this process would resolve everything, including closing the old account linked to the iPhone 14.

I upgraded to the iPhone 16, handed over my iPhone 14, and was reassured that this would be the end of the ordeal. I was also credited £240 in-store, which I was explicitly told was compensation for the inconvenience, and that this amount was mine to keep.

Fast forward to November 2024, and I received a demand for £295.90 to close the iPhone 14 account, including:

• The £240 they had credited me in-store and said I could keep.
• An additional £110 in credit charges.

Why Was I Billed?

1. Switch Up Should Have Paid the Balance: Under the terms of Switch Up, O2 was supposed to pay off the remaining balance on my iPhone 14. Why was I manually upgrading in the first place when Switch Up exists to handle this process?
2. Contradictory Promises: I was assured that the iPhone 14 account would be closed and that I wouldn’t owe anything further. Why was I suddenly being billed for charges I was promised wouldn’t exist?

This billing demand directly contradicted what I was told in-store, leaving me confused, frustrated, and questioning O2’s integrity.

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The Phantom Account Mystery

Compounding the issue was the phantom account linked to the IMEI mismatch:

• This account cannot be accessed via the O2 app, and when viewed online, it is incomplete and inconsistent.
• It lacks essential details, such as a credit agreement or order number, raising serious concerns about its legitimacy.

This has led me to question whether O2’s mishandling is purely incompetence or if fraudulent activity could be at play. Am I being billed for a device I don’t own? Could someone else be benefiting from an account linked to my name? O2 has offered no clarity, forcing me to spend countless hours piecing together their mistakes on my own.

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The Customer Service Abyss

Over the past four months, I’ve made:

• 15+ online help chat attempts, often speaking to representatives who lacked the authority or tools to resolve the issue.
• 5+ phone calls, each requiring me to re-explain my situation in exhausting detail.
• 3-4 in-store visits, where staff repeatedly gave me false assurances that the matter was resolved.

Additionally:

• Contradictory Information: Representatives frequently assured me the issue was resolved, only for new problems to arise.
• No Records Kept: O2 doesn’t appear to log customer interactions properly. Each time I reached out, I was forced to start from scratch, wasting hours of my time.
• Blame Shifted to Me: At one point, O2 even blamed me for failing a soft credit check—an issue that only arose because they had performed 15+ credit checks on my account in rapid succession.

This lack of coordination and accountability has been deeply frustrating and unacceptable for a company of O2’s stature.

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Multiple Complaints, No Resolution

• I’ve filed 3-4 complaints with O2, none of which have led to meaningful resolution.
• I previously raised a case with the Service Ombudsman, which I closed prematurely because O2 assured me the issue was resolved—only to have it resurface weeks later.
• I now have an open complaint with the Financial Ombudsman, as O2 has proven incapable of addressing their own failures.

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The Financial and Emotional Toll

This saga has taken a significant toll on me:

1. Invalidated Insurance: O2’s IMEI error left me without coverage, exposing me to unnecessary risk.
2. Unjustified Charges: I’ve been billed for an account that should have been closed months ago.
3. Stress and Anxiety: The endless back-and-forth, combined with O2’s lack of accountability, has been overwhelming.
4. Wasted Time: The countless hours spent explaining my case over and over again have been utterly exhausting.

Why This Post Matters

I am not sharing this story for sympathy or expecting a resolution from O2 directly. I’ve already escalated my complaint to the Financial Ombudsman, which shows how little faith I have left in O2’s ability—or willingness—to address their own failures. My purpose in writing this post is to expose the systemic issues within O2, a company that has not only failed to deliver on its promises but has actively disrespected me as a loyal customer.

This is not just bad service; it’s a systemic breakdown in accountability, communication, and customer care. My experience highlights a culture of disregard where the customer seems to be an afterthought in a tangle of mismanagement and incompetence.

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Final Thoughts

O2 portrays itself as a leading telecom provider, yet my experience has shown the opposite. Their service is chaotic, their communication is non-existent, and their handling of customer issues is outright disgraceful.

If you’re considering joining O2, think twice. No amount of enticing offers, flashy advertising, or supposed perks is worth the frustration, anxiety, and wasted time you may endure.

To anyone reading this who has faced similar issues: you are not alone. O2’s systemic failures run deep, and the only way to demand change is by speaking out and holding them accountable.

As for O2, I sincerely hope they reflect on the gravity of their failings—not just for me, but for every customer they have let down. A company of this stature should aspire to far higher standards, and anything less is a betrayal of their brand and their customers.

My advice is simple: Avoid O2 at all costs. They are a textbook example of how a company can lose its way.

#O2Fail #CustomerServiceNightmare #AvoidO2 #BoycottO2 #SystemicFailure

[madasaf1sh]

@lewisr51 

Nothing anyone on here will disagree with what you are saying, as we have all seen it...

All the owners of o2 and VMo2 care about is the bottom line, and to be fair same goes for all the 4 UK Network operators they all have there moments of been incompetent, but at the moment o2 seem to be leading the pack...

I have had in the past the same type or run ins with EE at the time of the BT Merger, and that was another cluster**** Voda and 3 are as bad as each other 
Good Luck..but dont expect much from the Financial Ombudsman they are as useless as OFCOM and the Telecoms Ombudsman

[Enlli]

When it comes to IMEI numbers I noted on the shop screen when I was getting a SIM swap they had me down for my Galaxy S20, that's not been on O2 for more than two years.

Interesting the IMEI in MyO2 is correct!

[lewisr51]

Thanks for your response—it’s frustrating but not surprising to hear how common these issues are with O2 and other providers. It’s disheartening to see such a lack of accountability across the board, especially from companies that are supposed to provide essential services.

O2 offered me what they claimed was a resolution about three weeks ago, but, predictably, I’ve heard nothing further since. It’s the same story—promises without follow-through. I’m not holding my breath for the Financial Ombudsman to move mountains either, but it’s the only official route left short of escalating this legally.

At this point, I’m seriously considering seeking legal counsel to explore other options. I’ve been patient and thorough, but O2’s blatant disregard for their customers’ time and rights has pushed me to my limit. If the ombudsman doesn’t deliver, I’ll likely proceed with legal action to hold them accountable.

[lewisr51]

I completely agree—it baffles me how O2 can manage to mess up something as basic as an IMEI number. These should be tied directly to digital receipts and logged automatically in their system at the point of sale. There’s no room for manual error here, so how they’ve managed to link incorrect information is beyond me.

What’s even more alarming in my case is the existence of a phantom account that only shows up in the web version of my O2 account—not in the MyO2 app. I’ve never received any emails for this account, yet it has a direct debit hooked up, taking payments for a phone I’ve never owned—a black iPhone 14. For the record, I showed them the physical box and receipt for the blue iPhone 14 I actually bought, so there’s no ambiguity about what’s mine.

Despite presenting this clear evidence, their response has been nothing but empty promises. They’ve assured me multiple times that they would fix it, but here I am, months later, with the same unresolved issue. Honestly, O2’s handling of this has been as much use as a chocolate teapot. As well as some "community representatives" on here

[Enlli]

O2 have basically walked away from this forum. The only 'representative' here is not really customer service and has to do things when he is not doing other things 

Again, all they can relay is what they are told

[lewisr51]

It’s painfully obvious at this point that O2 has completely abandoned its commitment to customers, especially on this forum. The so-called 'representative' here isn’t really customer service—it’s someone tasked with juggling this alongside other responsibilities, which means little to no actual resolution happens.

I’m speaking from firsthand experience. I had a liaison from one of these threads who directed me to the O2 store to perform a "manual upgrade." That process was supposed to fix everything but went catastrophically wrong, and now I’m the one paying the price. Months later, I’m still tangled in the fallout, with no clear path to resolution.

Even the Financial Ombudsman seems to struggle to get O2 to cooperate. The lack of communication is staggering—O2’s customer service is like shouting into the void. I’ve never encountered a company so poorly managed when it comes to handling complaints or taking accountability.

At this point, I’ve lost track of the number of chats, calls, and store visits I’ve endured to fix this disaster, only to be met with more confusion and inaction. Meanwhile, the phantom charges keep coming, and the stress just piles up.

It’s beyond infuriating to see such blatant disregard for customer loyalty. O2’s failure to resolve issues—let alone communicate effectively—has left me and others with nothing but frustration and a sense of being utterly powerless.

Honestly, O2, if you can’t even engage properly with your own customers or the ombudsman, what’s the point? Maybe it’s time for customers to seriously consider if staying with O2 is worth the hassle. Right now, it feels like the answer is a hard no.

[Enlli]

I don't think any regulars here would disagree.

Worth trying PAYG SIMs from the other 3 networks to see which is best for you if you decide to jump ship