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O2's Upgrade Scandal

Anonymous
Not applicable
Let me start from the beginning again . My wife took out an iPhone 3G contract with O2 last year, which was for a year and the tarif about £35pcm. Soon after we visited the O2 shop in our area to upgrade my contract and my wife was advised by the sales assistant that she should change her contract, which was a personal/residential contract to a business contract, paying a higher tarif which is about £50 and the contract would be for 2 years as opposed to her yearly contract, but would get a free upgrade after the first year.
When her first year of the contract was completed, my wife went back to the O2 shop to ask for her upgrade and was told that O2 had changed the terms of her contract and she would have to pay £150 for an upgrade to an iPhone4. There was no option of a 3Gs. Of course my wife complained, but the O2 sales assistant said that she would have to call customer services and remarked that if she was a customer she would complain also.
Having spent several hours in total, speaking with a number of different people at O2's customer service, my wife was told that O2 had changed 'legally' its terms and that again, my wife would have to pay £150 to upgrade to an iPhone4. I must point out, that generally, the people in customer services proved to be rude and aggressive, adopting an attitude of 'there's nothing you can do about it, so go away'.
In addition to phoning customer services, my wife also registered her complaint via O2's online email form, to which replies were to phone customer services upgrade team, which she had already spoken to. When this was pointed out via email, my wife was again instructed to call O2's retention team, given the same phone number. Each time my wife was told the same story that O2 has changed its terms and that my wife would have to pay £150 to upgrade to an iPhone4. It was also pointed out that the definition of an upgrade in her contract didn't necessarily mean an iPhone upgrade, but could be anything else that O2 deemed to be an upgrade. The last call to the retention team, which is customer service, the guy was adamant that my wife would only get an upgrade if she paid £150 and said that he would get a manager to call her back the next day. Of course this didn't happen.
A good friend of mine, who got the same business contract around the same time as my wife, had the same problem, but capitulated when O2 offered her an upgrade to an iPhone4 for £110. In addition, O2 are offering on their website an iPhone4 for a tariff of £47pcm for a payment of £38.99 and a free iphone4 for a tariff of £63pcm. So, why is my wife paying over £50pcm for an iPhone3g and can only upgrade to an iPhone4 for a payment of £150, apart from the fact she was told it would be a free upgrade? O2 will probably say it's because my wife is on a business contract, but I would say she was mis-sold the business contract as O2 are now not honouring it. Why would she change her original contract from a residential contract to a business contract, paying a higher tariff for the same phone, if an upgrade was not part of the deal?!
In addition to the above, my wife has also wrote a letter to O2, but has not received a reply.
My wife has not received any notice to the changes made by O2 to her contract, or indeed agreed to any changes.
Message 1 of 49
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48 REPLIES 48

Anonymous
Not applicable
Well I've fired off an emai to the ceo's office - dunno what good this wil do but i've telling them you can't shaft customers like this or in any other way. Lets see if anything comes of it.
Message 31 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi I have also had the same problem that has been discussed on here. I took out a business contract last August with an iPhone 4, and was told I would get a free mid term upgrade without extending my contract but now 02 are trying to argue this. Have managed to get them to agree to an upgrade with out extending my contract but they are quoting very high prices for the upgrade to an iPhone 4s and wanting to put my tarriff up. Has anyone had any luck getting 02 to honour what they sold?
Message 32 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
I can only add that I feel I have been misled by the same free upgrade offer. When I have just asked for my free upgrade on my iphone 4 on a business contract, I was told that if i wanted to upgrade to an iphone 4s, I would have to pay 290 pounds plus vat and take out a new 24 month contract. I was told that if i did not want to pay anything I could only have one of their crapper phones.. wheres the free upgrade in that.. 350pounds isnt free and a change to a lesser phone than an iphone 4 isnt an upgrade. i signed onto the contract in the belief that I was entitled to a free upgrade after 12 months... that was part and parcel of why I signed on the dotted line.
On pressing these points home and clarifying these points for around 15 minutes, i was told that if I didnt want to take up my "upgrade", I could have 10 pounds a month knocked off my bill instead... talk about changing the goal posts after youve taken your shot... the only way to get something done would seem to be complaining online as o2icon dont seem to want to do anything about this just now.. so I would encourage more people to get these posts up.. their business needs to be affected by reviews like this.. the more the better.. i feel i have been conned . If I knew what their idea of a free upgrade was when I signed up, I wouldnt have signed at all .. an upgrade on an iphone4 is iphone4s or better.. free means free... except of you are an o2 customer...
Message 33 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
The mid term upgrades were a huge selling point for us. We have had phones with O2 for over 7 years but I am seriously considering going elsewhere now. Most phones don't last much past 12 months with heavy business use anyway, batteries start to fade etc.
Message 34 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi
I have had the same problem like the rest of you.
Been on the phone to retention team and managers etc and all are saying the exact script.
If you want the upgrade you should sign a new 24 month contract which defeats the purpose of mid term upgrade.
Has anyone managed to find a copy of the T&C anywhere where we can argue the case properly. We are unfortunately dealing with a big company that has advised us about something and later decided that it was not worth it and thus changed the T&C and affected all of us.
I would love to cancel my contract with O2 but they want me to pay the rest of the contract out which is not worth it at all.
Any ideas guys.
Has anyone managed to get something done.
I will definitely cancel my contract and move my number at the end of this contract whatever the outcome. I can't deal with idiots on the other end of a phone who keep apologising for no reason!!!!!
Message 35 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Well I had some luck.
After e-mailing the CEO I got a call from the exec support team.
I managed to negotiate a great rate on a couple of iPhone 4S' (half the price they offered me originally) and my contract down to 18 months rather than 24. Good will gesture though so whether they will offer to anyone else I don't know. Worth a try though!
Message 36 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Well I had some luck.
After e-mailing the CEO I got a call from the exec support team.
I managed to negotiate a great rate on a couple of iPhone 4S' (half the price they offered me originally) and my contract down to 18 months rather than 24. Good will gesture though so whether they will offer to anyone else I don't know. Worth a try though!

i went down the same route, emailed the CEO and got called by the executive support team last October. got my contract lowered by a tenner a month, and got a free Samsung Galaxy S2 (they had previously quoted me £250 for an upgrade). in fairness, i got it free as o2 had a 2 day online offer to any new customers on their site.
Message 37 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Well! I must say I have 6 contract with O2 and never had trouble with them! I am going to have my upgrade on March again and looking forward for the new Sony Xperia S white. The thing with iPhones, it is an expensive device so if you want to have it for free you have to get the highest tarriff otherwise you have to pay some part of it, if you want a lower tarrif. It's business after all they are not stupid to just give it away! Every business makes profits! I have iPhone 4S 64GB white and my son has iPhone 4S 32 GB white and it's not for free! but I just want to have it! O2 never over billed me like other providers. Some people they misinterpret what is the packaged deal by not paying attention and not really sure what they are signing for! If you are not sure why make commitments? Stick to just buying your device cash if you don't want any problems! I must say the policy of "customers are always right!" Is not right! Some people are naturally rude and arrogant! you can tell the way they speak and write! Some people has talent to be patient no matter how horrible the person they are dealing with, they stay calm! I must admit I never had any trouble with O2, every time I call their customer service they are very helpful and polite! Even their staff at the shops. I think they are well trained in comparison to other providers staff that I experienced calling and dealing with before O2 are the best that's why I stay with them. slight_smile I just hope they stay the way they are, so I don't encounter any trouble that I encountered with other providers. PS! dont be paranoid! I don't work with O2, I am just an ordinary happy customer
Message 38 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
I'm not wasting my time .....instead issuing court proceedings against o2 and going to directly put there incorrect wordings and definitions to the test. Lets see what a court of law says about there T&C's.
If you want to join me in a joint action please contact me at **** and i will advise my lawyers details.
Have a great day......
Message 39 of 49
2,794 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Dave - "If you want to join me in a joint action please contact me at **** and "
They cut off your contact details - happy to join in - have suffered the same thing
Message 40 of 49
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