Upgrade payments not processing with any cards

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm trying to complete an upgrade and it involves a payment. I tried with three different cards yesterday (one debit, two credit - all visa) and in every case was told the payment did not go through.

Then I have a text telling me O2 would hate me to miss out, sending me back to the store, where I have to start the whole process again. I've tried with two of these cards and a mastercard. Again the same message. The debit card and one of the credit card never give me problems on other sites - the other cards I rarely use, but also have not had problems before.

My registered address - which I selected - is the same for the accounts I have tried.

Where I have a secure password set up with the bank, I've entered the details in the widget that comes up, but it hasn't done any good.

I've tried contacting O2 with the livechat and I'm told "Give us a moment - We're just checking to see if there's an available agent." Nothing then happens.

So I thought I'd try here.

Is the system down? Is there another way to complete the payment?

[Anonymous]

Well, as only "some" people had problems, I thought I'd try on a PC rather than a Mac. I logged in and my order was in the cart, but when I entered my payment details it said it had expired, so I had to start again. This time my payment processed, but then I noticed the sum did not include a payment to clear my current phone (I'm a month early) and I was being asked to sign a new airtime deal - it had gone through as a new purchase, not an upgrade.

So I went to chat - this worked on the PC, perhaps because it is in a popup window and those were blocked on my Mac.

I have spent one and a half hours going through the whole deal again in the chat window (actually getting a new phone rather than a refurb as I've been a customer for so long). I was sent a link, but I haven't been able to complete the payment again, so no joy.

I've followed the suggestions of trying different browsers and even tried my own theory by clearing all cookies to do with the payment system. Still, every time I get the same notice that the payment hasn't gone through, whatever card I try.

The person on the chat was as helpful as possible, given the system is at fault. I have shared the link to this discussion and pointed out that this has been a known problem for months. I've been assured it will be escalated.

I have a reference to go into the store to get the same deal. Which would probably have been my best move in the first place as I've spent two hours getting nowhere because of this payment bug.

[Cleoriff]

@MikeUK Going is in store is an option but no excuse for O2's payment system which is failing miserably and has been for months. I am so pleased other major retailers don't have this issue.  I would be travelling to Amazon on a weekly basis! (I shop online for nearly everything) Appalling service

[Bambino]

As you said the payment last time you tried processed but didn't include the full payment, you should check your card statement before you try this again in store.

[jonsie]

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@Bambino wrote:

As you said the payment last time you tried processed but didn't include the full payment, you should check your card statement before you try this again in store.

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^^^^^that

I certainly wouldn't bother with Live chat where payments are concerned to be honest.

[Anonymous]

My reason for going to Live Chat was to check whether the payment would have been collected. I was told it happens only after getting to the final screen. But I'll be checking all the cards I've tried to use.

[Anonymous]

I am returning to say what happened in the end with this matter.

I received several texts encouraging me to complete my order. I did try again, but had the same problem of no payment cards being accepted.

I had the reference for the order from the chat so went to a shop with this. They said they could not access my full profile to see the deal I had been offered. The deal available in store was not as good as the one I had been offered on the chat.

Ironically, I received a call from O2 on the way to the store asking me about completing my order. I didn't pursue it on the phone as I thought it would be easier in story. That not being the case, I called O2 on the 202 number just now. 

I had a bit of a wait, but the guy I spoke to was very helpful and arranged to take the payment to clear my current device and the upfront payment for the new phone. Both went through fine using a card that had been declined repeatedly online.

The link I was then sent had no upfront payment to be made so I was able to proceed through the screens and complete the order.

So I'm happy with the way the problem was solved, even if it would be better to deal with the problem itself.

I've reported to everyone from O2 I've dealt with that the comments in the discussion forum show this is a problem affecting other customers.

If someone from O2 comes along and replies to say that it is being investigated and/or has been resolved, then we'll know the forum is monitored.

Personally I found it useful to have the replies made here to know this is a system problem, so thanks everyone.

[MI5]

Glad you got it sorted eventually.

[Cleoriff]

Indeed...it is good it was sorted though what a lot of hoops you had to jump through to get what you wanted. Well done you...though others may just have given up....

[jonsie]

Glad you got the deal you were originally offered. Many people would have just said, stuff it, and gone elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Bad news folks.

Martin-O2 came along and tagged my post of 30 March as the solution to this problem - which is to spend one and half hours on the chat going through the ordering process again, only to have the payment fail whatever credit card you used. 

That post finished explaining I was given a reference to take to a shop. But if Martin-O2 had looked down the discussion, he would have seen that shops do not actually have access to such reference numbers and could not offer me the same deal.

As I said in my last post, we will know if O2 pays attention to these discussions if someone posts are response saying the online payment problem is being investigated or has been resolved.

We are still waiting for that.