I've been an O2 customer since 2006, and last Monday (today is Wednesday), I rung to upgrade my 50Gb data package to unlimited. I'm out of contract, and have since bought a new iPhone13. When I bought it, I got a 5G sim, and ported my number onto the phone... The 5G has been excellent, and I've been getting 5G on my phone for about 3 months, which is partly why I wanted to update the package. This is important...
When I spoke to the sales guy, it all seemed to go through fine - and it was cheaper than what I'd been paying. Great. However, he said, "Shall I send you a 5G Sim, as you're upgrading?" - I said, no, it's fine - I've already got one, and it's been working fine... That's where the problems started.
A few hours later, I get a text, "welcome to your new package, etc.", and my account show unlimited data. Also great. But I've dropped to 4G. And my visual voice mail has gone. Bear in mind, I've been getting 5G 100% of the time in my house and at work for the last few months...
So I call tech-support. 1st mistake. After 3 hours of frustrating conversations with them explaining to me that I can't get 5G in my area, and I've got a 4G sim (aaaaarrrrggh - I've been using it for ages) - they tell me that the 5G bolt-on has not been included in my new upgrade, and the visual voice mail was missed off too. Ah ha. Sales guy in his eagerness to close a deal has bodged the order. They fix the visual voice mail (hooray), but tell me they can't fix the 5G as I can't get it in my area (I slowly bang my head against a wall).
They then tell me they can activate 5G if they send me a new 5G sim, as I don't have a 5G sim at the moment (I do...). I say, "Ok, if that's what it takes, please send me a sim". Okay sir, sim is on its way. Okay - can you activate my 5G now? Oh, no, that happens automatically when you put the new sim in... Aaarrrggh! I don't want this sim anyway, I already have a working 5G sim that has been great up until sales-man borked it this morning. Ok's I'll wait for the sim. Fumes, hangs up.
An hour or so later, I think, this is stupid - I'll ring the sales team. So I do. I get a really helpful guy that says, "I can see what he's done wrong, and I'm not sure why that's happened. I can cancel that order, and here's a different one - 160Gb data, £10/m for 3 months, then £20/m after, and you get a load of freebies. Actually, I say, that sounds great. And it will fix the 5G issue. I don't really need unlimited data.
During sales process, he says, because it's a 5G tariff, and our system says you don't have 5G, it will send you another sim. This is normal - you can just ignore it, keep it in a drawer, along with the other sim that's also on order - you just carry on using the sim you've got. Makes sense. Yes, I say. Contract done. I hang up, faith in humanity restored.
Couple of hours later, my data package updates, 160Gb. Still 4G. I reset network. Turn iPhone on/off. Weep quietly. Resolve myself to go into the O2 shop in a couple of days and beg for help from a person I can look in the eyes.
At this point, I should point out that I had Covid, and was isolating at home... No symptoms, and felt fine - so was carrying on work - but I could not get out directly to a shop, as I was being an upstanding citizen. I wasn't going to be able to get outside until Wednesday. No big deal - I can survive 4G until Wednesday.
Half way through Tuesday, my phone dies. No signal. Weird I think. I check O2 status page, and it says there's a mast problem in my area. Co-incidence, but I go with it. I try again a couple of hours later, still nothing. Nothing on down-detector, no people moaning on Twitter. Slowly come to realisation that it's just me. Wall now has a head-shaped indentation in it.
So no 4G, 5G, 3G or 1G. Nothing. Can't text, or call. Or get voice-mails. So I think, maybe original sales guy is out to get me because he's lost his commission?! I go to the 'My-O2' app to try the chat again - surely this should be an easy fix. My phone is off, please help? Turns out the My-O2 app only works if you're connected to the O2 network... So I can't use the chat-support. I also can't call (202 or any other number doesn't work). And I don't have a home-phone (who does?!). I decide to wait my isolation out and hit-up the O2 store on Wednesday (today).
It's half an hour away, so I drive in, park my car, and wander hopefully into the store. Morning, sir, how can I help? Yay - I look the helpful looking person in the eyes and explain my problem. Have you got photo ID on you? No... I have a copy of my passport and driving license on my phone, but my real-life ID is sensibly locked in a cupboard half an hour away. Well I can't help. A whimper creeps out. "Can I at least borrow your phone to call support please?", I say... Yes, of course. I'm painfully grateful for the unhelpful help that is all I'm going to get today without the hour-long-round trip to get my passport.
The pleasant support staff dial tech support for me, rolling their eyes at the ridiculous voice-recognition options that don't work and everyone hates, and skips through until a real person is in the queue. I'm passed the phone, and sit on hold, and eventually a voice answers, and tells me that my number has been ported to a new sim. Ok, I say, but I haven't got a new sim yet. It's still showing as 'in-transit', and I was told that my number wouldn't port until I put the new sim in (which you'll recall, I had no intention of doing). I'm sorry sir, not sure what's happened, but the serial code for the new sim is xxx. I'm suspecting original sales guy again - as someone is clearly out to get me.
At least when the 2 new sims turn up, I'll know which one to try. I check the app hopefully, and the sims show as 'out for delivery'. I wonder how long they'll be... I'm now a day and half 'disconnected'.
In the mean time, my phone is dead, my clients think I'm ignoring them, and I've had to resort to WhatsApp over WiFi to conduct any meaningful interactions at work.
Is there a question in here? I'm not sure. Maybe, O2's sales systems need an update. Or the tech support staff should be given better options (e.g. activate 5G, even if it doesn't appear the customer has access to it). Or maybe consider that a customer's phone is quite important to them, and don't port a number without their express permission.
Anyway, wanted to leave this hear in part to vent my frustration, and partly in case anyone else is considering upgrading to unlimited - be warned.
