Help! Stuck in limbo after click and collect order

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

I just wanted to ask for some advice.

I ordered a 16gb iPhone 5s on o2 simplicity online for click and collect from a branch on Wednesday 30 March. I passed the credit check and all was fine. I have an order number starting ms-, and have a PDF with confirmation of my order on it. I also received emails with key information, consumer credit information etc on. However, for some reason I didn't receive a confirmation with a collection reference number on it either by email or by text message. Because of this, when I tried to collect the phone on Thursday 31 at the store, although the phone was there waiting for me in a bag with my name on, I was unable to pick it up. The store looked through my emails including ones in my junk folder and confirmed no collection reference number was there. They tried calling customer services on my behalf but had no luck. I then called them myself later in the day and was given a 4 digit reference number over the phone but when I tried to use this at the store today, Friday 1 April, it didn't work.

I then called o2 customer services again today, 1 April. They advised it would be easier to just complete a new order for the same phone and leave the existing order uncollected. I went through the entire order process again from scratch but this time the credit check only allowed me to have the sim and not the phone - presumably because I had already taken a credit check and ordered a phone two days previously. When I asked what could be done i was just told to email creditfilereferrals@o2.com. I asked whether there was a way that I could be supplied with the 4 digit collection number, or anyone I could speak to to sort it out, and was told no. The person I spoke to said that there should be an email with a link on it that I need to click on, and it was not possible to resend it. The point is I was never sent it!

I'm a bit cross because I now have no new phone at all despite there being one there waiting for me in the shop; I am unable to collect that one and I am also unable to make a new order for one. Also because of the advice given to me by o2 customer service to make a new order I seem to have damaged my credit file.

Anyone have any advice? I have emailed creditfilereferrals@o2.com already but that will take a while and in the meantime I really need the phone...

[jonsie]

Obviously two credit checks in such a short space of time would be the reason that the system would only allow a sim contract. There is little you can do at this stage because O2 staff can't override the system. Only the credit referral team can do that for you so if you want the phone from O2 it's a matter of patience until they get back to you. Annoying I know.

[Beenherebefore]

When something as simple as an order process goes wrong like this, take it as a warning sign.

My advice is go to another network provider.......that's what I would do.

[Cleoriff]

I can't see the fairness in this whole debacle at all. It seems to have been a catalogue of failures on the part of O2 and their systems....one system failed to produce a reference numbe even though the phone had been despatched and waiting in store. ...and then as no one could find the ref number another order failed .....what a shambles!

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. It looks like there is nothing I can do. It did feel a bit like that Little Britain sketch when trying to sort this out with o2 customer services - computer says no. The whole thing is a little bizarre.

Hopefully the credit file referral people will respond soon (I don't want to risk another credit check until I know that the o2 ones have been sorted out). Once they do I will probably choose a different network to take my business too.

[Bambino]

I think that's exactly what you should do @Anonymous. Just make sure you can get good coverage from the network you choose. O2's ordering system, and online payment system is in meltdown,and no one will step up and take charge to fix things. The only thing that will eventually make them take notice is when they start to lose customers.

[MI5]

Well done O2.
Staggering failure of epic proportions!

[gindygoo]

Shocking!

Actually this happened to me with my new iPhone 6s but the store just overrode the system and gave me the phone after showing them the debit card I'd used to pay the upfront and remaining phone balance on refresh!

The reference number came through the next day via text!!

[jonsie]

You were lucky because these days O2 follow the gospel of Saint Computer

[PhoneDoc]

Hi @Anonymous, have you spoken to the store manager about this?