Current balance £14.92* Your balance was too low to get your monthly allowance.

[Anonymous]

I have an absolutely sour taste in my mouth after this experience;
I have been using the £15 pay and go bundle and thought I would put my (next months) £15 credit onto my phone early, as I might not have had the money by my renewal date.
Worst decision I have ever made with a phone..

I got a text one day to listen to a voicemail, so I clicked the linkin the message to dial O2's service. I instantly hung up the phone when it connected as I realised Id been sent a text too but low and behold O2 had charged me 15p (for approx 1 second connection) to their voicemail.

I am now punished for topping up early by having my money taken from me so I can now no longer get my Bundle unless I pay O2 at least another £5!?
What an absolute con.
I have had a mobile phone for over 15 years and voicemail has always been free on the networks ive used.
Extremely shady tactics from O2, this is a warning to other users.
You are not warned about the charge in the message which alerts you of your voicemail, you are expected to have researched for an obscure T&Cs file within their website.
I will be swapping to another network who doesnt deal in such practises, as a former employee of O2 I am disgusted.

The message that is displayed to me now is:
Current balance £14.92*
Your balance was too low to get your monthly allowance. Top up to get your allowance.

I did top up, a month in advance yet the O2 system punishes people for that by removing their credit in any way possible beforehand.

I have heard about O2 refunding these small amounts sometimes but apparently it can take 8 weeks or more?
I could have a new SIM on another network that doesnt screw me over in 30 minutes or less...

Losing customers over 8p is abysmal customer service. O2 should be ashamed of themselves and should consider removing the voicemail charge for bundles in the future. It is free for contract but not rolling monthly contracts (more confusion for you)

Well thats my rant over and I hope I raised awareness for someone else.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi

One bug bear for me too about voicemail on Payg. One reason I don't use it.

You could ask customer service on 4445 or live chat for a goodwill gesture explaining and they may return the monies so you can start your new bundle of allowances.

They have done this for me before and it's been instant to return the credit and start the new allowances.

[MI5]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
I have heard about O2 refunding these small amounts sometimes but apparently it can take 8 weeks or more?
I could have a new SIM on another network that doesnt screw me over in 30 minutes or less...

---

But, have you actually asked the question or are you just assuming?

http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[jonsie]

Try live chat first off but to be honest the charges relating to out of tariff services are there in My O2 including cost of voicemail. As you rang it unaware of the effects on your credit is really no fault of O2.

However, chat or speak to them and I'm sure they will add a goodwill gesture for you.

[Anonymous]

I was going based on the experiences of other members on this board when I searched for this issue.
I will message them anyway but dont expect anything in return.

[gemz4the1]

Hello @Anonymous 

Sorry to hear about this problem.  I used to be the same when I was on PAYG.  I would top up £10.00 and my tariff was £10.00, but if I sent a text to a non-O2 mobile number, rang voicemail or accidentally sent an MMS, then I wouldn't have enough for my tariff to be taken out.  Unfortunately O2 don't allow you to top up £5.00 so I had to top up another £10.00.

I would suggest that you contact O2.  On a few occasions that they have reimbursed me, they did it within an hour.  If you don't ask them then you'll never know.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

"tariff services are there in My O2 including cost of voicemail. As you rang it unaware of the effects on your credit is really no fault of O2."

Im sorry but the charge shouldve been stated within the message asking me to retieve the voicemail. Im pretty certain the average O2 customer doesnt even know what My O2 is, let alone how to access information on it. (I know from experience working in this sector)
O2 are very shady with their wording and exposure so you make slips ups like this and they make more money. Its a money making business at the end of the day, they dont really care or they wouldnt havr these practises in the first place. Charging for voicemail? This isnt 1999.
Some of you will blissfully lap up anything they say or do though.

[Anonymous]

"Unfortunately O2 don't allow you to top up £5.00 so I had to top up another £10.00."

Yet another slice of genius from O2.
They used to offer £5 some years ago when I was last with them.
It's looking more and more promising to just switch back to another network. O2 really dont have many incentives to keep you as a customer do they?

[Bambino]

If a different network can give you coverage as good or better than what you get from O2, then you should switch. If not, then contact O2 CS to see if they can sort out your problem.

[jonsie]

Without getting into a debate about this, ultimately you are responsible for knowing all of the aspects of the tariff you are on. OK, you made an error, everyone does sometimes without thinking. But to lambast a company for your own inability to read up and know your tariff isn't really on.

People on here know that when O2 mess up, frequently, I am the first to slate them but in your particular case O2 have done nothing wrong. OK they charge for voicemail, many networks do. You have to top up a minimum £10 yes but some other networks are the same.

If you had taken the earlier advice to speak to them you may well not have needed to top up.