Complaint Raised

[Anonymous]

Complaint rasied:

Re. My number xxxxx

Dear Sir,

   I wish to make a complaint re. my recent web chat to resolve a billing issue.

I contacted O2 because I was getting spurious £4.99 charges on my bill for roaming, these amounted to £24.96 on the last full bill and £4.99 on my current period.

It transpires these were billed because I did not 'opt out' of 'O2 Travel', and as soon I sent what has always been on my Simplicity contract a free text* abroad to the UK I was billed £4.99.

For years I have been able to send free texts when roaming anywhere in world with O2 on my Simplicity contract with the International Traveller Service using 4 of of my inclusive free texts for every one I sent (4 for 1).  I have had this service and contract for what must have been >10yrs, I have been with O2 for nearly 20 years.

My complaints are :

1) Your customer service agent on web chat was only willing to refund £10 to me for what is nearly £30 of spurious charging.

2) I was never notified that I have to opt out of 'O2 Travel' to avoid these £4.99 charges.

3) When on numerous occasions on the web chat I asked for 100% clarification that the 4 for 1 free international texts have been withdrawn I was told 'yes'. 

It was after this I asked for my PAC number.

4) It now transpires from the forums and work colleagues on the same contact as me that the 4 for 1 international free texts are still available, and all I needed to do was switch off 'O2 Travel'.

5) I now feel very disgruntled I was given 'duff' information and on that basis terminated my contract with you.

Please can you confirm if I don't use my PAC code with another mobile network I will revert to my Simplicity contract and still receive the 4 for 1 free international texts from anywhere, as I have done for years?

If this is not the case, and the 4 for 1 texts have been withdrawn please can you send me a copy of the notification I am supposed to have received for this change to my contract?

Kind Regards,

[Anonymous]

I've been on the 4 for 1 international texts deal for years, but have just come off a web chat with O2 after being charged £4.99/day abroad and it seems it has been scrapped for existing customers? Can anyone please confirm this before I get my PAC code!

[MI5]

Unless you've changed your tariff they can't just remove it without giving you 30 days notice.
If you have activated O2 travel though there will be a £4.99 charge a day (in some countries) for data (if used) but your texts aren't included on PAYG so should still be 4:1 when abroad.

[Anonymous]

Thanks MI5,

I'm on Pay Monthly.

I haven't activated O2 travel : seems this is an opt out not an opt in by default.

I've told them to switch off O2 Travel bolt on.

They claim the 4 for 1 texts is no longer an option ....

Its such an old contract I don't think they know themselves! 

[Beenherebefore]

Was it Live Chat that told you ?

[MI5]

Which country did you go to (USA?) and have you checked if travel is off in your MyO2?

[jonsie]

I used to have the same sim only tariff, unlimited data, 600 minutes and 300 texts with the same 4:1 overseas. They did put a fair usage limit of 4GB on data though it was never written down in the t&c's. As far as I'm aware they cannot change your tariff. You remain on it until you decide to change. Some people are still on the old Genie tariffs. Opting out of O2 means you should still get the 4:1 texts anywhere overseas. Best way to check is in My O2 and look at your tariff and then look again at the t&c's for that tariff. If you have problems let us know the tariff and we will look at the archived t&c's. It would have to be tomorrow for me as it's past our bedtime here.

[MI5]

I suspect travel is on and has overridden the 4:1 option.

[jonsie]

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@MI5 wrote:
I suspect travel is on and has overridden the 4:1 option.

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Yes almost certainly I think.

[Anonymous]

The O2 Travel was on, but the old 'International Traveller Option' has gone, which is where I think the 4 for 1 texts came from.

O2 were pretty sure its been withdrawn and they had emailed these changes to my contract.