Click & Collect - Not fit for purpose

[htafc23]

I've been an o2 customer for around 10 years. Never really had any issues. But the experience and lack of customer service, due diligence and common sense I've had today is seriously considering me leaving.

I'm on o2 refresh. I go to Canada tomorrow (the 28th) and decided rather than upgrade my current device to take out a secondary contract (as I could use a second backup number for work) and would then switch the sims across. I was going to get a Google Pixel 6 Pro delivered today through the next day delivery but after seeing the below it would be easier to do click and collect rather than potentially waiting in all day and could set off to London earlier:
Find the device you want online, and we'll check the stock in your nearest stores. If it's available you can collect the same day, and could even get it in minutes. 
If it's not immediately available in your local store, we'll order it in for you, or you can choose a different store.

What. A. Mistake.

I checked the stock of the phone at 11pm last night and it stated it was in stock and would be available to pick up tomorrow (now today). Great. So I placed the order. I then received a confirmation email stating that the expected completion date was the 29th...

This morning before contacting o2 I checked online as if I was doing a new order. Guess what? Available today. 

I've since spoken to o2 as well as the store who all informed there's nothing they can do. No explanation as to why it stated it was in stock when it wasn't. Worse of all? No sign of common sense. Surely if the phone is in stock (which /i checked and it is) in-store they could provide the in-store phone and then retain the one for my order?

Ridiculous. To top it off I then rang 3 other stores which all showed as in-stock to enquire if this were true. Only one was. 

How hard in this day and age is it to get an accurate stock reading from stores from their ePos system? The advisor on the phone (who was more helpful and less rude than the advisor on live chat) said my only option would be to cancel and then re-order which I wouldn't be able to do in the same 24 hour period. She then asked if I couldn't just wait until the 29th and then go to Canada...

[Cleoriff · Accepted solution]

@htafc23 

Unfortunately O2's stock system is NOT live. Whatever it says on the shop pages, ignore it. Some people are lucky, many are not. We have been asking for years for them to change this, all to no avail. The best thing to do is to go instore and choose a phone from the stock there.. Not what you wanted to hear I'm afraid but I expect you have realised that.

You can complain but it wont help you getting a phone from O2 before tomorrow I'm afraid.

[htafc23]

If only they had some form of disclaimer!
If the store has the stock and I were to cancel the order now and then go in store in say an hours time to re-order... would me going home with the stock in the stop be a possibility? Or would they still order in? Or do I have to wait 24hrs to re order

[Cleoriff]

@htafc23 

I expect you want to cancel your order anyway as they don't have the phone you want in time for Canada.

If they have stock instore, there is no reason you can't have one of those. You won't be allowed to take the show phone though (if that's the only one they have)