Upgrade farce - any ideas ?

[CINQ]

After finally choosing a new iPhone xl and ordering in online to be delivered to my local store as part of refresh upgrade - went to pick it up and trade in iPhone 8-plus .

Nice shop assistant gets iPhone 8 out of case and a time chip ( unseen before) was pointed out , sorry it’s a broken phone can’t recycle. I pointed out I had insurance ( part of refresh ) package .cant I just leave you the very slightly damaged phone for this to be sorted by o2 ? No you have to sort it out with o2 so you can then hand it to o2. I left with no new phone , and called o2 to fix the (slightly) broken screen , they sent out a replacement next day.

As soon as this arrived , unwrapped I take it to the same store. All fine nice phone ( it’s new from o2), ok can you show me some I’d please. Ok , I have official government Id, a bank card and letter of new contract from 02. Manager says , I need a passport or driving license. I say I don’t have the first (expired) and the second is being updated that’s why I took my official photo I’d. And the contract and I had replaced the (slightly) broken trade in Phone for them. Is there anything to be done, answer no - nothing i can do. I ask can I get it delivered to my home address. Answer - no , you will have to wait and it will be cancelled . How long ? Can take a few weeks. After actually having this phone in my hand , two bits of I’d and the actual contract they will not let me have the phone.

Livid I go hone and unwrap the replacement , no powe , charge it up, old iOS, upgrade . Restore them I notice no connection . Turn out I had been sent a blocked phone.

So phone less for a few days another replacement arrives from o2 , that whenever the order gets cancelled will be traded in for hopefully a new iPhone, that I’m being charged for , can cancel and is in store prison .

At what part of this process would some customer support / commmon sense be appropriate ? At the very first step , and a no point should a jumped up sales person feel the need to doubt a long term customer , with a copy of the contract and a high value phone to trade in.

Completely frustrated , and angry with this treatment.

[CINQ]

So mad it’s effecting my spelling 😞

[Bambino]

@CINQ We are all customers here, and as much as we can be sympathetic to your problem, there isn't anything we can do. You can lodge a complaint here: https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[CINQ]

Already complained , just wondering if this is a normal process during upgrades ? If I wasn’t stuck with a year to go on contract, would move carrier .

[Anonymous]

@CINQ You could always pay off your device plan & move to another provider if you wish 

[jonsie]

I'm sorry but everything you experienced was in the O2 biblical process manual. The computer is God and cannot be overridden. I doubt anyone has the nous or authority to do so.

Dealing with the common sense you mention, sorry but it doesn't exist whether you are a new customer or have been with them since the Cellnet days. Procedure must be followed!

Customer service or the complaints department will certainly adjust your bill and may well offer you a generous goodwill gesture of credit for your troubles.

It was just a set of unfortunate circumstances, no driving licence or passport and the phone with slight damage whereby you had to go through customer service for it to be replaced.

I hope the phone is still in stock when you place the next order (they won't keep the returned one for you) and I wish you much good luck.

Do let us know how you go on.

[dgilbert2]

I would be as frustrated and annoyed as you, I'm so sorry!

I'd would get proper grumpy, tell them to forget it and go elsewhere. But that's me!