O2 scam

[Anonymous]

I'm an O2 customer on a pay monthly data allowance of 500MB which is usually enough for me, so far so good.

I found out a few days ago that I could use my phone as a personal hotspot to connect to the Internet on my laptop which is useful at the moment as I am working away from home with no internet.

I topped up 2GB of data as a bolt on to allow me to use this feature which worked perfectly and allowed me to surf the Internet and download items on my laptop but soon used up the data allowance, all good so far.

The problem arose when I added a further 8 GB data bolt on (£22.50) and received the confirmation text stating that it is non sharing data. Because of this obscure technicality I am unable to use my phone as a hotspot and have no use for 8Gb of data on my mobile. No where does it say before you purchase said bolt on that it is non sharing, and no where in the about data page I this site.

Raised with customer service and spoke to three different people who have all been varying degrees of patronising. Point blank refusing to acknowledge that I should either receive a refund or that the data should be made 'shareable'

****** customer service, it will be the last dealings I have with O2. Very very dissapointed but not entirely surprised.

[adamtemp64]

I take it you have tried to tether since purchasing it ? I wonder if it means the data is not shareable as part of a sharer plan and not tethering as that is allowed on paymonthly 500mb tariffs? can you post the exact text message ?

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous You may wish to make a complaint. Use the process outlined in the link https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain  Many people find the Resolver website very useful https://www.resolver.co.uk/

[MI5]

Sharing isn't the same as tethering so we need to understand a bit more from you regarding what's happening now when you try and use it etc.

[Anonymous]

Hi folks. Not aware of what tethering is I'm afraid, I don't think that was mentioned by the people I spoke to but I could have missed it. The text message I received after adding the 2GB data topup is as follows

O2: You've topped up your data with One-off 2GB Data topup. This will keep going until your next bill date. Anything you haven't used by then will roll over into next month's data. And we'll let you know if you're close to running out.

I was the able to use my phone as a wifi hotspot connected
to my laptop and download some
TV etc to my laptop.
The problem arose when this 2 GB had run out and I decided to go for the 8Gb topup to allow me to download some more documentaries/ films. The confirmation text is as follows


O2: You've topped up your data with 8GB Non Sharing Data Rollover Topup. This will keep going until your next bill date. Anything you haven't used by then will roll over into next month's data. And we'll let you know if you're close to running out.

After trying to use as a hotspot then phoning O2 they confirmed that the 8GB could not be used to run a hotspot.
My problem is that when you select the data bolt on there is no mention of whether the dats is sharing or no sharing so I can't see how they can justify having different terms of use for two packages in
The same menu. The options for the data topup by phoning 2202 lists only size and price, no mention of sharing data, tethered data, etc.

[MI5]

Unless it's specifically mentioned in the T&C's you need to register a complaint.
Use resolver off the complaints link.
http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[adamtemp64]

Tethering = Using a mobile as a hotspot

[PhoneChanger]

You should have still been able to use the 8GB for tethering as it is still personal usage. Sharing usually refers to sharer tariffs where your data can be used by multiple devices on the same plan

Have you actually tried to do this?

[MI5]

Yes he has and been told by o2 that it can't be used for tethering ^^^

[Anonymous]

I prob shouldn't mention this but you could prob try foxifi