O2 Refresh and Customer Loyalty - a good idea but again little help for existing customers

[Anonymous]

Well having just got off the phone with a very nice lady at O2, whose own line manager said they thought it ridiculous that with the new Refresh available, O2 still won't look at this on a case by case basis, I'm tied into this - and whats more ridiculous is that on the current contract I am on if I wanted out not only would I have to pay off the phone but pay for services which are no longer being provided - IE: airtime etc etc. I checked, that's over £600 left over the next 16 months of my 24 month contract. The person on the phone said have I tried to see "what O2 would give on Recycle" - yes I have and it's £240 - that doesn't even begin to cover. Yet O2 won't look at each case separately and see if they can work with EXISTING and LOYAL customers.

I have a phone which is useless for my needs and I am now stuck with it for the next 16 months. O2 won't look at this on a case by case basis and amend contracts to transfer to Refresh, so basically O2 have swung a shiny carrot at its customers that won't actually help a lot of us at this time. Yet again I feel loyal customers are being kicked in the teeth. I see no reason why O2 can not look at this on a case by case basis, especially if they know the customer is willing to sell the phone back to them (and we all know O2 sells refurbished phones back at double what the customer will get on Recycle) and take out a new phone contract with them for a different handset.

Seems wholly unfair, and it's left me feeling very upset - I look at the brick I have sitting on its charger right now (iPhone 5) and it sickens me to know I can not get out of this phone contract and there is nothing O2 is willing to do to help. Please don't get me wrong I am well aware what a contract means BUT what I am upset about it O2 puts this new system out there which would benefit a LOT of existing customers and yet they are not willing to work with them to see if there are merits to moving customers over based on the case presented to them.

It seems that loyalty is no longer rewarded.

[adamtemp64]

Why is it a brick an iphone 5 is in warranty and apple will replace warranty handsent on the spot?

If it is just than handset is not what you want sell it get the phone you want and then swap the data bolton to the correct type for replacement handset.

[Anonymous]

It is a brick in the fact that iPhone 5 is a bad phone - there have been 5 updates to the operating system in the past six months and it is not fulfilling the needs I have as a small business.

As for selling it - as I detailed above, to get out of the contract would mean giving £600 to O2 to pay off the remainder 16 months left.

I have no issues with contracts per say, the data bolt on I have is fine, the phone though, is impractical for what I need and I have really tried over the past six months to work with it. The main issue is, O2 have come up with something interesting in O2 Refresh and yet loyal customers again won't be the beneficiaries of this and won't look at things on a case by case basis

[adamtemp64]

Selling the iphone will not break the contract (can do what you want and use any phone on the contract) get what you want sim free with the procedes of the iphone 5. Keeping existing contract just change data bolton to non iphone.

Now if you are claiming that under the sale of goods act the iphone 5 you have  is not fit for purpose then seek legal advice and see if that will get you out of the contract (but many iphone 5 users are happy so it must be fit for purpose)

[Anonymous]

I am well aware I will not be breaking the contract by selling the phone but this not my complaint. Nor am I claiming under sales of goods act the phone is not fit for purpose in the letter of the law. It is impossible for me to sell the phone back to O2 as their recycle scheme doesn't even give a half of what will still be owed on the contract, and selling it privately may not get the same back either. The iPhone 5 is not meeting my needs - I go out to see a customer to run a spec by them, I have to take my ipad as well as my phone. It is not fit for what I need and it has not lived up to what Apple said it was - but this is by the by.

Again my complaint is O2 come up with a fantastic scheme but are not willing to work with existing customers who would find it useful. At current if I want to change handsets not only would I have to pay off the remainder of the phone but also the remainder of airtime usage etc.  Under Refresh I would not have to pay off the airtime, just the phone.  It would be nice if for once, when a phone company comes up with a great new "tarriff" so to speak they would be willing to work with customers on this.

[MI5]

You are missing the point of what you are been suggested to do. Sell your iPhone (on ebay, CEX, wherever) and buy another phone of your choice. Put your current SIM in the new phone and carry on with your contract as is......

[perksie]

So all 22 million O2 contract customers should be allowed to jump to a new contract every time a new one is released, I think I get what you're asking.

Why did you take out a two year contract, which you must have been happy to do, if you can't stick with it?

[Anonymous]

Sorry but missing the point is not what I am doing here.  I looked on Ebay and I am not going to get nearly enough for the phone to pay the balance left.  

[Anonymous]

perksie

I am able to stick with two year contracts, this is my second with O2 - its the unwillingness to look at things on a case by case basis - I have now found I am also stuck to the tariff I have so I can't even downgrade that to the lowest to enable me to try and find a solution and afford a second handset.

[MI5]

Surprisingly it was all laid out in the T&C's you agreed to.......