Checking Goodwill Allowances

[Anonymous]

I recently rejoined O2 Pay & Go Go Go (I bought a secondhand iPhone in Nov 2010, but was locked to Three and I only just figured out how to safely jailbreak it - no laughing please!).

I was briefly with GiffGaff, however their customer services is appalling (they don't even have a number you can call to speak to an advisor!), but as they run on O2's network, I knew the signal quality would be as good as whilst on GiffGaff, so it seemed like the logical choice.

Anyways, I decided to keep my GG phone number and got my PAC code, etc. But due to a system failure, instead of taking 1 day to port my number to O2, it took 3 days. As compensation, O2 gave me a goodwill allowance of 100 mins and 100 texts (they were going to also give me some free data, but the goodwill allowances only cater for mins and texts or texts and web/data).

However, these goodwill balances don't show up on any of the normal balance checking services, like texting BALANCE to 20202 or the iPhone app MyO2. Nor does it show up on the MyO2 website when accessed from a computer. I've been checking this balance using the WebChat from my computer at home. I also have this chat facility available on the MyO2 iPhone app, though it never seems to be able to connect to an advisor (it always says that all the advisors are busy - I tried to connect maybe 25 separate times for 30 mins a few nights ago!).

I was wondering if there was another way to check this balance without having to use WebChat or calling O2 customer services and being charged 25p for this call?

[jonsie]

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref%28User%29:str%28Mob...

How do I check my remaining Bolt On & tariff allowance on Pay & Go?

You can send a SMS with the word "balance" to 20202, or call 4444 free and select option 2,2 to find out your balances and anniversary dates. You will be told your remaining Tariff free allowance and/or Bolt On balance (depending on what you have on your account) and the date when these will expire – your anniversary date.

If you have topped up with £15 or more in the previous month and you are eligible for additional minutes/texts. These will be allocated to you within 24 hours after your first allocation which you received on your anniversary date. Please see below example:

Example:

You are on Text Anytime

Your anniversary date is the 1st of June and you have topped up by £15 before his anniversary date.

You are now eligible for 500 free text messages

On the 1st of June, the customer will receive 300 free text messages

On the 2nd June, the customer will receive the additional 200 free text messages

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your reply jonsie, but as I said in my original post, these services (texting BALANCE to 20202) doesn't work. Goodwill allowances do not seem to show up like Bolt-Ons or tariff balances. For example, if I got to MyO2 on my computer and login to my account, it tells me I currently have £0.00 and no Bolt-Ons/allowances.
The only way I've found so far that works is to use WebChat from my computer (this is also available on my iPhone via the MyO2 app, but it always says all advisors are busy and to go back and try again in a few mins).
It would be helpful if it's possible to check this balance without having to talk to or WebChat with an advisor, and my query here was to ask if that's possible?

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Usually the goodwill allowance will only last for a month so unless it was less than a month since it was applied it may have now expired.

[Anonymous]

No it hasn't been a month yet. I only requested porting my number to O2 on 6th Nov. I was told it would be done by 8th Nov. When I contacted CS on the 8th Nov, they gave me my goodwill allowance.
All I really wanna know is if there's a way to check the remaining balance without having to faff about contacting advisors?

[Anonymous]

Whoops! I accidentally accepted MI5's comment as a solution, when it hasn't answered my question - my iPhone screen went dim, so I tapped it to wake it up again and it thought I touched the accept as solution button. Does it matter?

[MI5]

When you find the answer let me know and I'll edit my post