I have been a loyal o2 customer from before 2006. On average I've been paying them £720 a year, which works out at over £5000.
I faithfully renewed my contract in April of this year and took out a new 2 year contract with a HTC one X.
On Saturday the 1st of September I put my phone on charge and left it for 20 mins, when I looked at it again it wasn't charging. I tried my daughters charger (also a HTC) and tried charging it from my laptop, none of which worked. It wouldn't switch on at all either.
I phoned the customer service line who offered me the option of having it picked up by courier for repair, or I could take it to my local o2 store. I decided to physically leave it to the o2 store as I was told they would issue me with a brand new handset on the spot as my phone was still under warranty.
I needed a handset urgently to run my business.
When I got to the store on Monday the 3rd of September, I was told the phone would need to be sent off for repair, and should be returned within 5 working days. I was really upset by this as I really needed a phone for my business and had been led to believe that I was entitled to a phone that day. I was offered a "loan handset" in the meantime for a deposit of £25. Which I instantly took as I needed to access clients details and needed internet access.
To my dismay, the phone was a very basic phone (worth under £15) and I couldn't access either of what I needed for my job.
However, After losing a lot of business, I patiently awaited for the call from the o2 store, I had to contact them myself on the Tuesday 11th of September (8 days later) I was told my phone was back from repair .
I went up to collect it and thankfully decided to swap sim cards from my loan phone to my HTC one X at the counter in the store. When I peeled back the blue plastic on my phone, I discovered that the screen was smashed to pieces. I explained to the girl that this was either not my phone and not the way I had left it in. She tried to argue with me that it was my phone and I must have left it in like that. I asked her why a phone sent off for repair would come back with a broken screen. Thankfully her colleague beside her remembered me from bringing the phone in and had put in his notes, that my handset was cosmetically perfect.
She was then was very apologetic and went off to sort out what had happened and what could be done. I'm only grateful now that I didn't walk out of the store before opening the box. She came back some time later, again apologising for what had happened and promised me that by way of apology a "BRAND NEW" handset would be issued out to me within 3 working days. I took this to mean Friday the 14th of September.
However Friday the 14th came and went as did Saturday 15th and Monday 17th of September. I had phoned the store several times and tried to take the matter up with o2 on-line and over the phone customer services and all kept telling me that it was an issue with the store. I had phoned the o2 store iagain and was told the phone would be in soon, as they had no "BRAND NEW" HTC's in stock, and they were still waiting on confirmation from o2 regarding the damage to the handset. By this stage I was becoming very upset and frustrated, and had lost over £500 worth of business. I felt like I was continually being fobbed off.
As luck would have it, I got a phone call from the store on Tuesday 18th September to say my phone was ready for collection. I was extremely disappointed to see a reconditioned handset, and not the brand new handset I was promised.
After 2 weeks without a proper phone and still paying my contract, I was just glad to have it back and took my beating by o2 and left the store to reset up my phone.
Yesterday 10th Oct, I looked at my phone and saw that the battery needed charged, I plugged it in and guess what? It wouldn't charge, and wouldn't switch on. This handset was 22 days old.
So off I went on my 4th round trip in the space of a month to the o2 store.
The asst manager was very apologetic, and tried to charge it for me in the store, it wasn't happening.
She did say she was now in a position to offer me a totally different and again, "totally brand" new handset and I wouldn't have to take the HTC One X back again. All she needed to do was wait on o2 giving her a list of phones that were available to me that were the same "spec" as the HTC one X. She promised me that they would get back to her by the latest the next morning, and depending on my choice I could collect the phone in the store or it would be sent out immediately by courier.
Here is a copy of that list
HTC Desire
HTC Desire S
HTC HD7
HTC HD Mini
HTC Mozart
HTC Salsa (Icon)
HTC Sensation (Pyramid)
HTC Wildfire S black or silver
Nokia E72
Nokia C7
Palm Pixi Plus
Palm Pre
Palm Pre Plus
Samsung B7610 Omnia Pro
Samsung Galaxy S1
Samsung Galaxy S2
Samsung S5830 Galaxy Ace
Samsung S8530 Wave II
Sony Ericsson X10
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Zeus black or white
Not one of these phones are anywhere near the spec of the HTC one X, nor the worth anywhere near as much as it is. I do not want to go backwards in a replacement phone.
I didn't renew my contract 5 months ago for 2 years to take on a handset worth @£150.
I explained to asst manager the only phone I would accept in its place was the samsung galaxy s3, and would pay any difference required, as all I wanted was a phone that works and does what I need it to do for my now failing business.
I've been refused.
Ive been treated appallingly and am paying for a contract phone that I cannot use. My brand new HTC was under warranty, why was I given a shoddy reconditioned handset that didnt last a month (22 days)? Why am I the one who is out of pocket, diesel and business? Do I have any come back at all??
Thanks in advance for any advice
Claire
