Got a new SIM card 02 now say I owe £80

[Anonymous]

Bought my wife a new iPhone S from an 02 store for Christmass ( turns out they are only AGENTS nothing to do with 02) and guess who got her old phone yup, me no probs, changed to my own number etc and that was that.

After Christmas we went to the 02 store where I got the new phone from so we could get the right size SIM card as none was with the phone, the contracts with 02 had expired long ago, the gent was most helpful and sorted the new SIM card out no problem, great and that was that wife kept her old number etc.

A few weeks later we changed over to BT as it was only £5 each per month we are pensioners you see so looking to save as many pennies as we can, then 02 sent me an email stating that I owed them £80 so I contacted them for an explanation and they said we had terminated our contract with them ( WHAT CONTRACT ) and this sum was what we owed them ???? We were always on the pay and go monthly thing and NEVER agreed to any contract, 02 blamed the store were we bought the phone, the store said it was 02s problem and not there's !!! we have now got a letter demanding this money from a debt  collection firm, have contacted 02 and they say they have NO record of any outstanding debt, completely mystified, what do I do now ? Cheers HM27.

[MI5]

I'd start with a complaint and ask them to investigate for you http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[Bambino · Accepted solution]

Sounds as if the OP took a pay monthly sim only contract and not a Pay & Go sim. @Anonymous Did you top up your sim every month or did you have a set number of minutes and texts and data? Have you looked on your My O2 page to see what tariff it says you're on?

[jonsie]

It would appear that the store have put you on a 12 month sim only plan. Definitely make a complaint if it's not something you agreed to and you didn't sign anything. 

[Anonymous]

Hey, thanks for the support folks, I feel a lot better now and will certainly follow your advice, am a bit slow with all this computer stuff but I'le struggle along, cheers HM27.

[MI5]

Good luck and let us know how it goes for you

[Curr946]

Seems common these days for sim only to be sold as an alternative to pay and go but without making it clear is a contract. Some folk like the idea of auto topup (like giffgaff) and it seems the sim only is being sold that way.

[Martin-O2]

Hi @Anonymous are you able to give us an update on your issue? 

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone, this I my third attempt to post a BIG THANK YOU for my problem with 02 and the £80 bill, I received a very assuring letter from 02 via MR LIAM DEWAR who has very kindly sorted this matter out, apparently when we went to the 02 store to get the correct SIM card for my wife's new phone we apparently were given a new 12 month contract, unfortunately the gent who was serving us although very helpful DID NOT MAKE THIS CLEAR and we did not sign any agreement.

However MR LIAM DEWAR has sorted this matter out and the debt ??? has been written off, so a great big thank you one and all for your great help in this matter.

you know I would never have left 02 but for the fact that they started charging me for sending texts to a friend of mine who just happens to live on THE ISLE OF MAN 02 say the isle is ABROAD !!!! hence the charges, absolutely ridicules BT don't charge for texts to the isle so why should 02 ???

Well that's got that off my chest cheers everyone and thanks again for your help and support, HM27

[MI5]

Glad it's all sorted out for you