PAYG Credit to expire after 6 months!!!!!

[j14lls]

The web site says the Classic Pay as you Go credit will expire after 6 months and the number will be disconnected.  See    https://www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-as-you-go/classic-pay-as-you-go

"If you don't top up, or add a Bolt On at least once in any six month period, your mobile will be disconnected and you'll lose any credit on your account. If you want to be reconnected you'll be given a new mobile number."  And a new deal, where you have to pay monthly, as Classic Pay as you Go has stopped.

This limit was 999 days a few months ago.  If this is true, I will be removing my number and those of my parents.  This is ridiculous for elderly people who need an emergency phone. 

[gmarkj]

There is a glitch on the o2 website (not sure about the My o2 app) @j14lls
See message from o2 below:
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-As-You-Go/Prepay-Credit-Expires/m-p/1273223#M13929

[j14lls]

I had a chat with O2 and this seems to be a different issue.  They seem to be addressing where the app shows expiry in 1 month.  He wouldn't confirm or deny this change from 999 days to 6 months.

[gmarkj]

Sorry for the mix up.
As far as the community are aware the chargeable activity in 6 months and top up every 999 days is still active - see link below.
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-As-You-Go/How-often-do-you-need-to-Top-up/m-p/1271798#M13886
If this has changed recently then it is a new thing.
I would raise one caution though - live chat are not the most reliable method of customer service, and are known to have said the wrong thing.
@Martin-O2 @Marjo can you confirm if @MI5's advice still stands?

[j14lls]

I have flagged this with them.  It is on their web site and, if true, will be enough for me to change 3 phones to another network.

[MI5]

Only the chargeable activity is required every 6 months.
I've got one of these which was topped up 11 months ago and is still connected.

[j14lls]

I have 3 that were all topped up more than 6 months ago.  All still working, at the moment.  I can only tell you what the web site says and that the agent refused to be drawn on the matter.  I can no longer find the 999 days on the site, it was there about 6 months ago, I think.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

999 days has never been written anywhere officially. This information was given to us by a proper customer service agent who used to be on the forum.
We know what the website says and we have challenged it in the past. O2 have always confirmed that only the chargeable activity is required but have never changed the website wording.
Cynically, we reason that this is to "persuade" customers to top up regularly.

[uk]

I'm on Classic PAYG also, and have been looking at this.

I've downloaded the Android app a few days ago and it shows Credit Expiry on the 1st of January.

That could be referring to January 2020, as if I had been touched by a "blanket" expiry on 1/1/20 of all Classic PAYG customers who hadn't topped up for a long time, or it could be just a non-initialized field (screen fields not filled in sometimes default to 1/1).

My 999 days won't run out till later in 2020, but I will just in case top up on a date like 30/12/2019 (so a few months earlier), and see what the app will say. If the app will still say '1st of January' in the future I'll ignore that. If the app says something like 30/6/2020 I'll give myself 6 months to switch providers and leave O2 by mid-2020.

I could only be caught by surprise if the app still said '1st of January' after topping up but the credit ran out without warning on 30/6/2020, but I don't think that could happen, as if it did I'd phone O2 arguing that I read '1st of January' the second time around to mean 1/1/2021 so they have to restore it.

[MI5]

@uk 

There is a known issue with date of credit expiry in the app which O2 have said they will fix with an update.

Your credit will not expire or be lost providided that you keep the sim active.