Unimpressed

[Anonymous]

Just finished a 1.5 hour online chat with support staff and have the following comments. Not sure that O2 want my continued support:

• Couldn't save the chat conversation - handy for sending to the complaints department:
  • Got passed to 3 different operators who passed me over without fully answering my questions
  • Couldn't even preview this message: web site says an error has occurred
  • So copying this messsage in case it all falls over!
• My contract ends in 2 months and have discovered the following:
  • If I retain my current iPhone 6, I still have to pay the same monthly fee:
  • £38 per month - a crazy situation, when I've paid for my phone for the past 2 years
• • I can upgrade for "free" in the next 4 weeks - details are:
    • A new iPhone 7, 128Gb and 3GB of data
    • Not available for at least 6 weeks minimum
    • Free means an up front cost of £60 - work that one out...
    • Deal is monthly = £51.50 (£21.50 airtime tariff + £30 phone plan)
  • A quick check at USwitch showed I could get the same O2 deal for £50 less through Carphone Warehouse:
    • So, what's the free upgrade for an exisitng O2 customer all about then
    • Computes as worthless - actually worse - when pitted against the CW offer

Anyone else come across a similar 'comedy of calamities' ?

O2, please feel free to comment...

[Curr946]

ive used online chat and at the end there is an option to email the chat to you, cant see why this would be removed.

The upgrade option is free, just you want iphone, that is always over prices and has delays/stock issues because apple like to limit the number to build up the hype. Others such as Samsung sell more units but dont have the same stock level issue....

CPW is always cheaper because O2 (and others) pay them a fee. They also buy the handsets in greater bulk as they sell cross network, so can offer small discounts on network direct handsets. The issue with CPW is you dont get refresh, you get standard plan so no paying off the phone and upgrading early, youd have to pay the full price plan off cost x months left.

[MI5]

Completely unrelated to any phone you choose but upgrade for free means you don't have to pay to get out of any contractual obligations.
It doesn't mean a free phone, free tariff or anything else for free.
All stated in the T&C's that every customer agrees to.
http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions

[Anonymous]

@Curr946, @MI5 Many thanks for your swift response.

I did find the e-mail option but it was on the screen following the end chat (looked again when I 'chatted' to CS again today.  I didn't spot it the first time around because I didn't see it on the end chat window, and didn't expect it after this point.

Gosh, as for the "free" tag, who reads in-depth Ts&Cs these days, although we are always 'advised' to do so.  Again, I suspect that a adept bit of marketing / psychology made an appearance here with the headline banner of 'upgrade for free' leads "normal" people to read that word as it is delivers and expects.

Not sure why CW would buy more stock that a direct seller, i.e. BT, O2, Voda..., and pay others such as CW a fee.  Surely O2 could pass that on to customers rather than pay CW a fee - makes for more economical sense to keep existing customers on side by giving them the discount directly...

Anyway thank you both for responding, appreciated.

[adamtemp64]

The iphone 6 was not sold from memory on the upgrade for free on us promotion

AS you have had the iphone 6 for 22 months they will allow you to upgrade 1 month early this is not the promotion that started last year for the 6s

[MI5]

Anyone can have a "free" upgrade at the end of their contract period.

[adamtemp64]

@MI5 Agreed but for clarity as so many posts are going on about last years offer not being honoured!!!