Upgrade awful service

[Anonymous]

On Tuesday 4th November I dropped my current handset and the screen went white, thinking my phone broke and requiring a phone for work I applied for an upgrade online. Having to pay £109 handset £100 to leave current contract and enter into a new contract. Within 60 mintues my phone started to work again and I contacted 02 to try and cancel the upgrade. I was told the phone was out for delivery and the only way to cancel this was to refuse delivery which I could do on an email or text, explained I was going offshore and would not get phone signal. And was told I could cancel by email (which I didnt receive) or by refusing delivery at home address this was done on the 5th November. It has taken me over a week of contacting o2 to see when the money will be refunded for an item I have never taken physical collection of, and I had to phone the courier myself to find out it had been received back by o2 as every time i rang up to enquire if they had received it I was told it had not come back. Even the next day they were claiming not to have it until I got the details from courier.

When they finally agreed they did have the phone and I asked when I could expect a refund I was told i would only get refund for the handset. That I had bought out of the contract, and I was now on a rolling contract. I find this quite disgusting as this is not made inherently clear when purchasing on the website, it says 14 day peace of mind return which I was fully under the understanding I had. At no time did anyone allude to the fact that if you try to cancel within 60 minutes and return upgrade you have basically both yourself out of contract for no good reason and are out of pocket. A duty of care to the consumer, empathy and good will seem to be straight out the window and o2 have basically take £100 off me and I havent gained a thing..shocking

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately the T&C's do state that early upgrade fees are not refundable and as you have paid off your contract it does indeed continue as a rolling contract.
You will now only be charged airtime and no longer be required to pay the handset part of your contract.
To escalate this issue higher you need to make a complaint and pursue it through that channel
http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[Anonymous]

Thanks I have already emailed o2 complaints and the mobile ombudsman.  To be fair I tried to cancel the transaction within 60 minutes. Because o2 are not in touch with their supply chain I was unable to do this. As I say the whole concept of customer goodwill is out of the window. It would be a different matter if I'd accepted the handset used it for a week then changed my mind.

And to rub salt into the wound i have to wait 7-10 days for a refund for the handset. Really not very good customer service whatsoever

[jonsie]

I can never understand why an order cannot be cancelled when it hasn't even been picked yet alone dispatched. Refusing delivery as a way of cancelling just seems a ridiculous way for a big (?) company to run an order and supply system. Anything can go wrong and you have to wait for the item to be scanned back into stock and then a further 7-10 working days to get your money refunded.

Not really acceptable is it O2? 

[Anonymous]

17th November now and still no sign of refund to bank account. Absolute zero customer service 

[MI5]

They won't rush now they have your money!