I appreciate that under current conditions staff have been furloughed and O2, like all operators, are operating on reduced staff numbers, but I would expect with current technology and networking, O2 could still provide something of a service to its customers.
I have a contract with O2 for two mobile SIMs and a pocket WIFI. I now wish I didn't. On 27th April I reported my second SIM lost/stolen. I knew it was being used via My O2 and called O2. They stopped it at 1640. At 1720 the person with my phone rang a premium number for 18 minutes, costing nearly £14, which remains an unsolved mystery as to how that was possible given the SIM was blocked 40 minutes previous. Allegedly.
I was fortunate to have spoken to a human to report the SIM lost or stolen otherwise the SIM would still be active and being charged today. Any attempts to contact O2 result in interminable wait times, regardless of which option is chosen in the many automated "Press 1 for....." style menus. I know, I have tried them all. The only human voice I have heard from O2 informed me the SIM was blocked and a new SIM would be sent out. It was received a couple of days later. Since then the SIM has remained unable to connect to the network and shows "Emergency Calls Only".
Then ensues the now routine, myriad of ways and methods to contact O2. My O2 is dire, consists of links that loop around the website, link after link via the 'Help' pages or 'Contact Us', both named to reflect the direct opposite of the O2 support experience. My O2 is good for account and billing management, oh and of course making purchases in the shop. Even under a global pandemic, the cash has to keep rolling in. Which reminds me, I was unfortunate to be between jobs when COVID struck and I knew my first pay from my new job would not be until just after my O2 payment was due. As many others did, I rang the O2 COVID Late Payment Line and found myself in a menu loop, never getting to speak to anyone to inform them of my late payment. I have been charged for the late payment.
But to finish off the SIM which has now been inoperable since 29th April. I have made one other kind of contact with O2, via their elusive and magic, disappearing Live Chat button. I have caught it once on their site and spoke to a pleasant gentleman named Suraj. I informed him my replacement SIM would not connect to the O2 network. I was engaged in senseless chat for well over an hour and got nowhere.
Suraj informed me he had put a request in to swap my sim but it could take 24 hours so to keep switching my phone on and off. I told him I had already text SWAP to 20220 and switched my phone on and off but he didn't respond. In response to me objecting to being billed for a premium call made by someone with my phone, AFTER O2 had supposedly cut it off, he offered me £10 credit. I refused. He then offered me £17 which roughly covered my losses except for pence so I begrudgingly settled for that. The £17 would be credited to my account within 24 hours. I am waiting.
My SIM did not work. But weirdly, I received a new SIM which I could only assume was a replacement for the replacement, so put it in a phone. It's now four days and it can make "Emergency Calls Only". And O2 have been impossible to contact, listening to a ringing tone for over an hour at a time. Now is not the time the 'Live Chat' button likes to put in an appearance and if it does, I can't find it again. My account still shows the charges despite an email confirming the charge was to be dropped. And I am being billed for this months use for all devices. Including the latest SIM. And O2 have made it impossible to speak to a human, or even type to one. I will be cancelling each contract at the end of their terms. I returned to O2 after a short break to try another network and I can sincerely say I regret it now.
P.S. Why is my data allowance across all devices seeming to disappear very quickly of late?
