To our Managers and Social Media teams

[Cleoriff]

@Marjo @Martin-O2 @Chris_K 

An open post to you all.

Those of us who are on this forum day after day, 24/7, know that we are having many issues reported

from hundreds of customers.

The one which concerns me most is the major problem reported by a fair few people on here.

Apparently the system is failing to take monthly Direct Debits from customers who have money in their banks to pay. Then they have their accounts suspended through no fault of their own.

This is beyond belief actually.

Add to that, these customers are unable to get through to O2...

1) Due to their phones being cut off (even using Skype)

2) Also as there are not enough O2 staff to take the calls.

This will have an impact on their credit rating.

Something needs to done and quickly to rectify this matter.

My bill is due on the 23rd of this month. If this happens to me I will be more than angry!

I hope you read this and give a response. More than that, I hope you get this issue sorted out without delay.

Thanks.

[Cleoriff]

That's good to know @pgn 

Although, not so good for those who didn't have their DD debit processed and are now cut off.

[pgn]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

That's good to know @pgn 

Although, not so good for those who didn't have their DD debit processed and are now cut off.

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I fail to see how a cash-hungry outfit can let its lifeblood, ie keeping its customers connected and concurrently taking what it is owed from those customers, fall into such a state of disrepair. 

Almost as if it is a manual process behind the scenes, and the team responsible is out on lockdown with no access to the system to keep DDs working... 

I wonder if O2 will move to VM's billing system post-merger, or vice-versa? VM's customer forum is also Lithium (Khoros!) btw 🤔

[Cleoriff]

Just  checked. Ray's DD is due to be taken tomorrow. I shall be watching that very carefully!!

[pgn]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

Just  checked. Ray's DD is due to be taken tomorrow. I shall be watching that very carefully!!

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At least you know the number(s) to ring and the time to call, @Cleoriff 

[Cleoriff]

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@pgn wrote:

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@Cleoriff wrote:

Just  checked. Ray's DD is due to be taken tomorrow. I shall be watching that very carefully!!

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At least you know the number(s) to ring and the time to call, @Cleoriff 

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I'll go straight to management @pgn . None of that faffing about for me!

[Chris_K]

Hey all,

I know tensions are running high, and unfortunately O2 have recently had some unfortunate issues such as some customers experiencing voice call issues on Tuesday, and yesterday some customers experiencing SMS issues - both unrelated and now resolved, and we apologise for any inconvenience or frustrations either of those caused.

The coronavirus situation has caused issues for all businesses everywhere, where new and updated processes needed to be created, new systems, new ways of working, new ways of communicating, looking into ways to best support our customers. It has been a changing picture on a daily basis and we've been responding as swiftly as we could to these challenges.

For any customers experiencing issues paying their bills because they can't afford to pay due to coronavirus, we urge them to discuss this with our Payment Management Team who will be able to help further and ensure no customer is cut off. 

With regards to this direct debit issue, I understand this thread was created because you've seen a couple of examples causing concern and wanted to highlight this to us, but thankfully these appear to be individual issues and not related to anything bigger than that. We don't have known or wider issues with direct debits or our billing platform. If a bill is due and the money is taken, we are not aware of customers subsequently being cut off having made payments and bringing their accounts up-to-date. If that is happening with some individual accounts, this is likely to be a deeper account related issue rather than anything with our systems.

We will of course monitor for any further developments or changes, but we are not seeing any increase in billing issues or failed direct debits, and no suggestions from any area of the business that we have any issues on that front. If we see any examples, these should be referred to our customer services so they can investigate at an individual account level and get this sorted.

[pgn]

Thanks for the update, @Chris_K, appreciated.

Eyes are watching DDs now - and who is to say the DD issues appearing here are not related to failure of a particular bank's automated systems, or indeed to an account going into unauth overdraft and a legit DD being bounced by the O2 Customer's Bank?

Two sides to every coin, we just need to observe and report, or refer to CS, as necessary, I guess.

[Mi-Amigo]

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@Chris_K wrote:For any customers experiencing issues paying their bills because they can't afford to pay due to coronavirus, we urge them to discuss this with our Payment Management Team who will be able to help further and ensure no customer is cut off. 

If a bill is due and the money is taken, we are not aware of customers subsequently being cut off having made payments and bringing their accounts up-to-date. If that is happening with some individual accounts, this is likely to be a deeper account related issue rather than anything with our systems.

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A quick search using the Community`s own search box

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?q=paid+bill+cut+off&collapse_discussion=...

PROVES that is NOT the case. 

Although some date back to before the Covid crisis, just the first three pages show at least 20 customers - including a NHS frontline nurse - who have paid their bills and subsequently have been cut off. All of these date from April 3 2020 onwards.

I note there is no apology from O2 in your reply to any customer who has suffered from being cut off.

Further to this, there is no reply to my post with regards to O2 doing the decent thing and removing the automated cut-off.

I would add that, if the threat of cut off is due to "some deeper account related issues", then, surely, it must be possible to impliment a system where the customer is given ample warning by text or e-mail of possible cut off before this is done and equally to allow time for the customer to question the reasons and/or to request O2 to check if the bill has been paid before taking such drastic action.  

As said, the sooner that the automated system of cutting off customers is discontinued the better for all concerned and will go some way to showing that O2 do actually care...

[Cleoriff]

@Chris_K 

Thanks for your response.

I will wait and see what happens this month with my families Direct debits before agreeing with your comment..

"it appears to be individual issues and not related to anything bigger than that. We don't have known or wider issues with direct debits or our billing platform".

However, on this part of your comment

"For any customers experiencing issues paying their bills because they can't afford to pay due to coronavirus, we urge them to discuss this with our Payment Management Team who will be able to help further and ensure no customer is cut off. 

If a bill is due and the money is taken, we are not aware of customers subsequently being cut off having made payments and bringing their accounts up-to-date. If that is happening with some individual accounts, this is likely to be a deeper account related issue rather than anything with our systems".

@Mi-Amigo  has shown you in his post that isn't the case (and I thank him for his efforts  in gathering the proof of that)

I would also add that customers trying to get through to the 'payment management team' is proving nigh on impossible at times. They are told 'we are only taking emergency calls' and the call is dropped..

We then advise them to ring any number and press any option including fraud.

Finally, I agree with everyone who has said NO-ONE should be cut off during this unprecedented crisis.

Other large businesses have employed furlough schemes. I can't see why O2 is unable to allow a payment extension for 3 months without being disconnected. Someone, somewhere should be able to override the disconnection system.

Currently, this is appalling business practice.

[Anonymous]

Makes me glad I've always stuck to PAYG as at least I can't have my credit report trashed by a dodgy billing system.