I had used the O2 bolt on Extended Family Bolt On, for a few years.
I changed my P&G account to a Pay Monthly and stopped the Family Bolt On, before the change over.
Having removed the Bolt On, I tried to set it up again on my wife's phone, a few days later.
Cut a long story short, after at least a one month period and 6 calls to O2 and being told wait 3 days...wait 5 days...I gave up for a while.
I went back in and tried to set up the Family Bolt On again.
I tried on my own phone and then my wife's phone.
My phone gave a message saying " A problem has occurred your account may not be eligible for the Family Bolt On.
My wife's phone gave an error page not found 404.
Tried Chat on O2 twice and then spoke to O2 again on 202, and they said "call back in 3 days".
I am convinced that the set of phone numbers used in the Family Group I previously set up, has somehow 'locked out' these numbers and prevents them from being used again in a new Family Group.
O2 apparently are happy to lose £150 per annum, by not giving me the O2 Extended Family Bolt On.
Incompetence doesn't even come near to it.
How can O2 make a simple facility impossible to use?
Even when I used to have a Family Group, the facility to add or remove numbers never worked, and needed a call to O2 to do that.
There is a major problem with the O2 Family Bolt On infrastructure or their staff.
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16 Dec 2016 Update
Spoke to O2 on 202.
Long talk, CS person tried to set up a Family Group for my PM phone.
Asked for the numbers I wanted to add - gave them over.
CS person tried to submit a request to create my new Family Group.
It failed ,saying that my phone and other numbers I had requested were already part of a Family Group.
I requested that the CS person raised a technical request to the team responsible for Family Group.
I asked if our numbers can be released from the previous group so I can set up the new Family Group.
This really should be a very simple issue to resolve.
Told to call back in...3 days!...by which time the CS person should have heard from the Family Group techies.
This issue has gone on since October 2016, and I wait to hear about the latest developments in 3 days time.
I will raise a complaint next time.
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17 Dec 2016 Update
My account is showing that I have the Family Bolt On.
My number and one other number are showing as "Pending Addition".
Have been here before.
Will speak with the O2 CS rep on Tuesday, to see if the 'experts' in the Family Bolt On Team have responded.
I expect that staff will be taking annual leave, soon, for the long break.
If the Family Bolt On is not working properly, I will cancel it next week, so I am not being charged, for a service O2 can't provide over the holiday period.
Then we start again in the New Year.
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20 Dec 2016 Update
Wow!
Family Group now showing two numbers as active.
Me, as the Group owner, and my wife's phone number.
Tried to add a new number.
Here we go...back down to Earth again with a bump...thought it was much too good to be true!
Would not allow me to add a new number!
My Wife's number...already shown as Active, was highlighted with the error message -
"This member is not eligible for addition to the family"...even though it is shown as Active!
Long call to 202...1 hour!
Explained this has been going on since October 2016.
Said about 3 times that I believe the phone numbers I want to put back into a new Family Group are still LOCKED by the O2 system, and the system won't allow them to be used.
The CS person asked me to check the new numbers to be added by sending a text from eachphone, with the word FAMILY to 21300.
All three of the numbers confimed they were not part of a Group. Yet they can't be added!
They have been in a Group before, that ended in October, but I believe they are still LOCKED out by the O2 system.
Escalated to a CS Supervisor who promised to progress the problem with the Famous, yet elusive, FAMILY GROUP 'Technical Team'.
Promised a call back tomorrow on 21 December.
Supervisor said they may Delete the Group and set it up again.
As always, living in Hope but not Expectation, that O2 will one day resolve this problem...
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21 Dec 2016 Update
The "promised call" from O2 never happened.
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23 Dec 2016 Update
Still awaiting that "promised call" from Supervisor at O2.
I have come to the conclusion that my previous use of Family Bolt On was purely down to luck, and that O2 are completely incapable of providing technical support for the Family Bolt On.
That Bolt On should be withdrawn.
I will raise a Complaint with O2 in the New Year.
Merry Christmas O2!
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28 December 2016 Update
Raised a complaint with O2 on 23 December 2016.
Received standard email acknowledgement back.
Family Bolt On still not working...of course...
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28 December 2016
Received call from O2 person dealing with my complaint.
Told to expect a call from O2 within 5 days.
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5 January 2017 Update
No call received from O2 Complaints Department...but...but...but I now have 4 numbers back on the Family Bolt On!
Yes...unbelievable, I know.
Tried to add a final number to the list, using Manage Bolt On, but it gave an error as usual.
Somehow O2 have managed to get previous members of my old Family Group, back into a new Family Group.
I just need to get one final number added now, so I will call them.
Will also try to find out what the actual "Technical problem" was, so others with the same problem may be able to get a resolution, in less than 3 months!
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12 January 2017 Update
O2 Complaints Depertment have been in touch and have been very helpful.
My final Family Group number cannot be added by myself or by an O2 CS rep.
The Complaints Dept have promised to raise another request to the O2 Technical Department to add the number.
That should not be necessary, but it works!
I still believe that...because my numbers were previously in a Family Group they were 'locked out' of joining a new Group, until an O2 Techie probably amends the data record, manually.
The lesson seems to be, that the only way to get a positive result, is to escalate the matter up to the Complaint level, because the Complaints Dept seem to be able to get things done, by the Techies...
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28 January 2017 Update
No word from the O2 Complaints Department, yet, about getting that final number added to my Family Group.
