Mis-sold contract + Terrible Service

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

I have been a loyal O2 customer on contract for 7 years now, never had any problems until recently. Frankly, the service is crap now that what it used to be. O2 used to have the best service all over Nothern Ireland but now it has turned to the worst! EE and Vodafone are swiftly taking over.. I am mostly in 3 locations, home (Markethill), Work (Newry) and college (Armagh). In each of these places, constantly I am experiencing dropped calls, failed calls, unsent messages or an annoying noise throughout the conversation and it cant be fixed unless I hang up and ring back several times! It's starting to become a joke. O2 are the ONLY provider not to have 3G at my home, yet they put it in the smallest village near me. Doesn't really make sense? Newry 3G is the slowest ever and never works.

Anyway, the main reason why I'm writing here today is because I've been mis-sold a business contract. In December 2010 I got a Blackberry 9780 on business £36 (ex. VAT) on a 2 year contract from Barclay Communications and was told that I could bring the contract down to a SIM only £12.50 per month 12 months into the contract. Sounded pretty good, and this was the only reason I took the phone on such a high tariff. 12 months into the contract I ring to bring down my tariff, and no such a thing exists. I needed to bring the price down because that was my plan all along and the only reason why I took out the contract, and was told that if I extended my contract by an extra year I could bring it down to the SIM only tariff. I didn't want to do this but I bit the bullet and went ahead. Now, I SHOULD be able to cancel my contract in December, but no. I rang and I find out I'm in contract until NEXT DECEMBER 2014!! The sales advisor I was talking to had actually put me onto ANOTHER 2 year contract AND added the extra year from my current one!!! Livid is not the word especially when getting this kind of mobile phone service. I rang O2 one day about their coverage, holded for 1 hour and asked the guy why the phone queues were so long. He said, "It's because of the new iPhone launch." Your network is so crap lately! They'll never admit they're having problems.

Anyway, I need out of this contract because with the no and slow 3G I cannot function my online business as well as work tasks, and the call coverage is driving me insane.

Can anyone advise me on what to do?

Thanks,

Josh

[adamtemp64 · Accepted solution]

As you are on a business contract with a partner you first have to use their resolution process as your contract is with them and not o2.

After you have exhausted that try the o2 impartial complaints review process.

Then if all fails the ombudsman.

Some of o2's business partners employ some very dodgy practices and we see it all the time on here.

That is why we now only deal direct with o2 business sales directly.

Good luck in resolving this.

[jonsie]

Follow Adam's advice, he is well clued up in business contracts

[Anonymous]

Tried explaining to Barclays the situation, but they say they have all the signed paperwork to prove I accepted this deal when infact I never would have accepted it if I knew this was the case. It must not have been clearly explained in the new contract. Adam, how do I go about the impartial complaints procudure? Is there any point in ringing O2 at all to see what they can do?

Thanks for the replys guys.

Josh

[perksie]

As Adam said you must complain to Barclays first, then you can use their arbitration service to get this settled.

So contact them and say you want to make a formal complaint.

If they won't help then you will have to try the O2 Complaints service, but remember your deal is not with them and you're really asking for advice:

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref%28User%29:str%28Mob...

If you're still stuck then you'll need a solicitor's letter to Barclays to make them listen to you.