How difficult can it be to top up a new PAYG -SIM? Very difficult it seems with O2...

[JeanMichelJarre]

Worst experience ever.

Ordered a new PAYG SIM last week so I could still use my old phone that I recently upgraded as a spare.  Was hoping it would arrive on Monday as I would be away from home until Friday, but it didn't show until Wednesday as it happened.  Not a biggie as I can just get it going on Friday (today) now I'm back.

But, got got cold-called by someone from O2 on Tue evening under the guise of 'helping me understand my new PAYG SIM' but it was in fact just an attempt to upsell me to a contract as it slowly transpired over the course of the call.  Once I realised it was just a sales pitch, told them I wasn't interested.  Pretty annoying as it wasn't a great time to be called (just after I got back from work) and it was just a fake sales call disguised as a 'help service'.

Well, tried setting up my new SIM today.  Put it in the old spare phone and installed the o2 app.  Multiple attempts to load the SIM from my app failed and the app implied I should chase it up with my credit card provider.  Weird, as I was getting requests on my banking app to authorise the transaction so the card was surely fine?  Anyway,  I duly wasted half an hour with the CC to establish that there was absolutely no problem/block on my card and that they could see O2 requesting the payment, me authorising it on my banking app, and them not taking it for some reason.

OK, managed to get a helpline number via a bit of internet searching and called them on the old phone via the new PAYG SIM (it was a free call on the o2 SIM, otherwise would have been pricey).  They started off by asking me a series of seemingly pointless questions which tuned out to be ANOTHER attempt to upsell me to a contract.  Told them no, I just wanted to get my PAYG SIM loaded.  Then they said they'd have to check - the line went absolutely dead quiet for over 20mins but I was on a bluetooth headset and it was of course a free call so stayed on.   Eventually, the rep got back and said that the SIM had needed to be activated (nothing about that in the instructions .. Just put the sim in, call 4444 or use the my02 app) and they'd now done that.  Advised me to use the dial-on 4444 service to top up next.  Strange, would have thought that the app would be fine but whatever....

Dialed in to 4444 .. went through the most tortuous voice-menu system ever as each step was trying to sell me something .. and finally put in my CC number to be told that the card couldn't be loaded!!!!!!!!!

OK, maybe power cycle the phone and try again with 4444 ... nope.

Try the app again - still a fail.  Try another CC I have .. still a fail.  Try my debit card ... still a fail.

Literally hours of my time wasted, the new SIM still not usable for me (though clearly it works as I get txts from o2 on it and I could use it to call the helpline) and absolutely ZERO desire to waste any more of my time or buy an o2 service ever again.

Still, it was cathartic to type this rant so thanks for providing this forum, I guess.

[alfred11 · Accepted solution]

exact same experience.. nearly word by word... 

[TallTrees]

Hello totally agree terrible very sorry :  @JeanMichelJarre 

Welcome to the O2 Community Forum.

I believe the first top up for a PAYGO sim must be by a Voucher

available from retail stores.

[TallTrees]

Guide: How to set up a SIM pin on O2 

Guide: Sim Swap: a mini guide 2017 update 

Hope I have been able to assist in some way @JeanMichelJarre 

[JeanMichelJarre]

Thanks for trying to help but firstly nothing about topping up with a voucher in the instructions - they basically say to put the SIM in phone, Download the o2 app and then use it (or 4444) top add credit to the PAYG plan.  So, poor form if they actually expect you to buy a voucher in the retail shop .. that needs to be in the instructions

and secondly:

I'm pretty done wasting my time with this crowd.  I did use o2 in the past but this experience has been so awful all around (the failed loading, the upselling, the long time on the phone for no good reason) that I do not feel like doing ANY business with them, or sinking more time into this.  I'll just order a PAYG card from a competitor and see how that goes.  Probably should have stuck with my current network for the second SIM as I know I had good reception with them but the o2 offer looked good.

[JeanMichelJarre]

Thanks for confirming it's not just me, Alfred.  I'd have given you kudos but seems I can't do that (must need to make a certain amounts of posts or something).  I've just given up - wanted to have a good old rant and maybe warn others ...

[JeanMichelJarre]

Thanks, but not related to topping up unfortunately.  I see at least one other person here had a similar experience.

[MI5]

@JeanMichelJarre 

Our forum guide clearly states to use a voucher for the first top up.

If there's a next time you need help, try here first.

Guide How to Top Up (PAYG) 

[Oxonian]

@JeanMichelJarre 

Please just bear in mind when considering leaving O2 that the customer service standards in the UK mobile 'phone industry are mediocre. If you leave O2, you are likely to endure similar standards of customer service elsewhere.   

If you want to take a non-scientific temperature check of customer service standards elsewhere, please take a look at the community forums of the other networks ; that will indicate the issues that they are struggling with.   

[JeanMichelJarre]

Your forum guide may clearly state to use a voucher for the first top up but the instructions which come with the SIM itself do not.  They are pretty straighforward:

to quote the enclosed instuctions:

" Let's get you started

1 Pop the SIM in your phone.

2 Download the MyO2 app or scan the QR code below.

3 Top up via MyO2, or call 4444 (you'll need £20 for the £20 bundle)."

.. nothing about vouchers from 'Customer Service' either who claimed after almost half an hour of me on the line to have 'activated' the SIM .... 🤔


Am I now going to traipse down to the nearest O2 shop buy a voucher in the hopes that this will work (which will entail a load of hassle getting my money back when it probably doesn't)?  LOL, Nope.