@Bambino
I’m in a 5G area that’s why I came to o2, my BT line has a fault and Openreach are saying wait till up to 2025 full fibre coming in-line with copper retirement. 4G Vodafone is average 45 megs BUT ping etc can drop. o2 5G launched here in June - not that o2 emailed me even although they harvested my email and postcode to tell me (no it’s not in spam).
Apparently all sims issued are not 5G, compatible, they are still giving out 4G sims. 5G is active on my account, Mix 3 5G - this sim isn’t 5G.
Swaps are done instore or via phone, You would think in Covid time’s and stores being closed that they would especially default to 5G sims or have a option at order.
Obviously they have agreed to send a replacement out.
So network good, used to be really slow but seems 5G has had 4G tweaks (fall back speeds upped? MIMO/QAM/Carrier Aggregation???) but I’m going to highly criticise the o2 offshore sales team...
I spoke to sales pre web order, the phone number off the webshop, the number was strange hold music & a strange American males IDV ?? I wasn’t even sure I dialled the right number, no welcome to o2, strange music, strange American male announcer I didn’t recognised was o2 having dealt with elderly relatives relatives accounts (which calling 202 today was the usual o2 music & system) then a offshore accent answered (arousing more suspicious eyebrow motion on my part (Lol) as I’ve always spoke to UK staff in sales) about *simple* questions I had...
Q1) Are all sims 5G compatible? (I made it clear I was buying a 4G phone but already had a 5G)
A) Yes
Q2) I need to test the network speeds at home, if I order under 14 days returns can I up my plan for more data within the period?
A) Yes
Further:
I was trying to order online and payment screen wasn’t working. I called sales again, who refused to let me purchase with a payment upfront & 36m and 30 day plan, tried to sell me 24m, I reiterated I couldn’t take that & I wanted the plan on the website if he could take the upfront payment & process. Again he’s trying “to save you money” really? “no upfront payment” again I stimulate I need the flexibility and upfront payment/36m option. I’m told he can only give me the 24m option and free handset. When I ask again he tells me he can “ONLY SELL 24m contracts”, I ask again for the plan off the website, again I get “no only can sell 24m contracts here”.
I say nothing & hang up the call.
Now I know it’s Covid times but the sales experience was beyond pathetic, the strange non o2 system whilst holding, they’ve told me nothing but nonsense pre sales & repeatedly tried to mis-sell me because the website wouldn’t work to order.
Anyway I called the bank about the payment problems to make sure the online upfront payment wasn’t taken & they acknowledged the ‘problem’ was a security one but they had made a error (when I rejoined the same bank 12 years later they overwrote current data using old data they had - a number I hadn’t had in 16/7 years lol) so their automated system was trying to call me to verify, in two years the issue had never came up but then I generally don’t use cards online unless prepaid but for a contract it’s got to be credit/debit for address security checks and payment screen was getting stuck, bank took off the online blocker and I paid online, order accepted.
So all in the problem that wasn’t o2 fault was resolved quick, but trying to buy over the phone with card was a nightmare, I could not even get the plan I wanted.
So yeah o2 buck up your customer services of whatever third party offshore you have running it, it’s like a scam operation.
Lastly the 202 woman I spoke with abroad from my handset was excellent.
Role reversal there, usually customer care fails AFTER sales not at sales???
A word of warning to anyone do not call the o2 sales number, absolute xxxxxx, winging it & mis-selling.
Anyone else like me on that hold IVR would have hung up and went to another network, wholly unprofessional then the humans answering are actually untrained xxxxxxx, but trained in mis-selling, at a time of Covid o2 really is losing the ball on that sales shambles.
So thanks to the lady on 202 I have a 5G sim coming but I can’t change plan, it wouldn’t allow her.
All in a email will be heading to the CEO, if they can’t sort out a plan change then 14 days return it is. I don’t expect to have to tell any CEO anytime the sales IVR & team don’t quite identify as their company or they won’t sell something on their website...
