Can't upgrade from sim-only deal

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Three months ago I went to a store and asked whether I can go with 1-month pay monthly contract and transfer my existing prepaid number. I was told that it's better to go with 12 months sim-only deal (I told them that I am looking forward to iPhone 6 and that's why I don't want a long-term contract) as I can upgrade anytime so it should be super easy to do it online once iPhone is revealed (just to clarify - I exactly asked about pre-ordering ability).

Two weeks ago, totally by a mistake, I checked my upgrade options and ended up with a notice saying "Check again after 21 September". Weird, I said.

One week ago, I went to a store to replace my broken SIM card with a new one. I exactly said that I do want to replace the broken SIM card. Not sure why I had to sign up a new agreement once again, but now my upgrade date is by the end of Decemeber. Under My o2 there is a 'recent order' that I've done exactly the same day I replaced my card, but it gives me no idea what it means.

How is that possible?

Is there any possibility to unlock that online ability to upgrade so I can pre-order tomorrow? If not - I will probably buy it directly from Apple and look somewhere else for so-called 'better experience'.

[Anonymous]

I am at the office right now so I'll go to the store where I went that time to sort that out. Will keep you guys updated, but anyway, as very disappointed client will have to raise a complainment.

[Anonymous]

Just went to a store. Guys told me that its standard procedure to save clients money to upgrade while you replace your SIM card. They told me that I can cancel that and the only way is to pay burnout fee. Moreover, they said that I have a kind of '3 months' limit and if I will try to cancel a contract and make a new one, then I will have to pass a credit check which is very unlikely to pass. He also said that I should call customer service and tell them that I want to rollback and if they will tell me to go to store, I should say that I have no stores nearby. 

Really?

[MI5]

@Toby is this really the way O2 stores are treating customers these days.

Lying and cheating them out of unwanted contracts and recommending they in turn lie to CS ??

Disgusting !! 

[Anonymous]

I am thinking about writing a letter of complainment! Finally called customer service, choosed "thinking about leaving us" option to get a faster connection, been redirected to a guy who cancelled that fake 'upgrade' and he told me that he will fix the error at My o2 for me so I will be able to upgrade at anytime! The changes should be visible by tomorrow but if not - he told me to give them a call in the very morning. The change that I can see right now is that my 'upgrade date' under My o2 is now 20 Oct (3 months from the very first contract), not Decemeber, as it was before.

The only people that were kind and helpful, the rest was as you can read above. Hopefuly there will be something in stock by tomorrow.

Quite worth noticing: 

Customer service said that it's not a standard procedure as far as they are aware to upgrade while you replace your SIM card. The guy at the store said that exactly today! O2 should really consider further investigation. 

[MI5]

I agree, which is why I flagged our Toby into the post above.
Hope it goes OK for you now

[Bambino]

As a matter of interest, if you're planning on trying to pre-order the new iPhone tomorrow, prepare your self for either a very long wait, or a lot of disappointment. It's almost a certainty that the phone lines won't be able to cope with the probable demand.

[Anonymous]

@Bambino, I still hope that my o2 will refresh today before midnight and I will be able to do the upgrade online. If not - quite don't know what to do. If I will have to wait for like 2 weeks, then it might be a bit disappointing. Probably I will try to pre-order from Apple Store and if I'll be satisfied with O2 dispatch date, then I might consider cancellation. But unlikely that it will work as the guy from customer service told me that the system should refresh my data by tomorrow at any time.

Really thanks to all of you, @MI5 , thanks for asking @Toby for investigation, I'd be very nice to sort that out, especially as there might be others facing that problem if this is 'standard procedure' in store. 

[Bambino]

Don't be surprised to find the website overloaded as well. You won't be able to pre-order before midnight. The Apple store will be no different.

[Anonymous]

Will try to do it somehow. Either via store or apple store app after midnight. 

[Bambino]

Good luck. Just remember that the exact same phone will be available the day after......and the day after that too.