Worst service ever!!

[Anonymous]

Yesterday I decided to go from pay monthly to PAYG, the lady on the other end of the phone made it sound all very simple. She said to expect my new O2 Sim card in the post today and said that everything would be swapped over as soon as the Sim card had been received and popped into my phone. The only problem is, my current contract has now been disconnected, however this brand new shiny Sim card has yet to be received. So i contacted customer service using the online chat to be told that it would take between 2-4 hours to reconnect my phone. Ok i said, yes it would be inconvinient waiting this long but as long as my phone was reconnected within this time then so be it. So for the next 4 hours i switched my phone on and off several times to see if this has been sorted. Imagine my dismay when after 4 hours I am still without a phone. So I pop back on to the chat to be told that it would take up to 24 hours to rectify. I inform my 'helpful advsior' that I hadn't been informed it would be 24 hours but it would be 2-4 hours and that due to having a newborn baby my phone needed to be reconnected right away. So the 'helpful advisor' told me that this was the time limit and the chat disconnected. This in itself has made my blood boil. Not only have I had my phone disconnected, which I will be expected to pay for come my final bill but now I have to open another chat and inform yet another advisor of the situation!! Again I got told 24 hours, not good enough I say. The dear advisor then escalates it to their supervisor, who sends a message through to fast track.The dear advisor takes my email and says that they will track the reconnection and email me when this has been done. I won't hold my breath that I will get such and email, nor will I hold it that my phone will be reconnected before the clock turns midnight.

What I do know is that as soon as the Sim card hits my door mat tomorrow it will be going straight in the bin, as first thing tomorrow morning I will be popping in to my local carphone warehouse to find another provider that can actually offer me a service whereby they don't disconnect my phone without me having another Sim card to use and can actually reconnect my phone should they be that incompetent, without it taking a week to do so and countless online chats, because I do not have a phone to personally phone O2 up and tell them how crap they are verbally!!!

[Anonymous]

Here's the story:

I've been an O2 customer for years. In 2005, I went away to Univeristy and my mum kindly paid my contract which obviously had to be set up in her name. 3 years later I graduated and we changed the direct debit details so it came out of my account. About a month later we realised that although the bank details had changed, the account still said my mother's name. Annoying. But I managed to forget about it. Anyway to cut a long story short, I just decided to live with the situation and would rectify it at my next upgrade. Two weeks ago I upgraded and was told that I either had to pay £30 to change the name or I could follow a simple process after the upgrade to change it. Of course, I thought 'I'm not paying when the money actually comes out MY direct debit anyway so I'll sort them contract/upgrade now, then follow the simple procedure'. Two nights ago I went on the Guru Chat Line online and was told I'd have to take out a new sim. I didn't understand why so last night I phoned O2 themselves and was told I wouldn't be able to change the name until I took out a new contract. I explained the situation and that I had just taken out a new contract under the guidance that a name change would be 'simple' particularly as the direct debit is mine, not my mother's. The advisor response was 'you've been given false information'. Sorry, what? That's not good enough. I want the phone in my name for obvious reasons and now I'm told I can't do that for another two years (contract length)? WHAT? Completely unacceptable. Terrible, terrible service and I am EXTREMELY disappointed in O2.

[Beenherebefore]

@Anonymous Play the Breach of Contract card......verbal statements and agreements are binding on both sides.

[jonsie]

To change the name on the account both parties have to be present on a call to customer service. The only way to change is to end the contract and take out another in your name.

This should have been done at the time of upgrade. There is no £30 fee although there may be charges if the account hasn't run the minimum term. It is too late now as you would have to pay off the account in full in order to get one in your own name.

Totally incorrect advice that you were given Think about making a complaint though I'm unsure if O2 will make a special dispensation of their own terms and conditions.

How to complain

[Anonymous]

It's completely unacceptable.

No point complaining as they won't do anything. Completely useless.

[Beenherebefore]

@jonsie It's still breach of contract......the renewal was handled incorrectly. So if a new contract needs to be taken out then no penalty should be attributed to @Anonymous 

[jonsie]

I would think so @Beenherebefore but he needs to make the complaint as customer service won't do it until instructed to do so by the higher echelons.

[Anonymous]

So my best option is to put in an official complaint? I'm actually incredibly upset. I've been with O2 since it was BTCellnet! Thats a good 14 years. Its just disheartening to have such terrible, misleading customer service.

[Cleoriff]

And meanwhile...unless O2 agree a mistake has been made @Anonymous is tied into another 2 year contract?

How frustrating and I can understand their anger

[MI5]

Too late now, but we know more on here that live chat know, so it's always best to ask us first.......

[jonsie]

Put it in writing stating the advice you were given that you carried out in good faith only to find it was misinformation. You will get an acknowledgement straight away and a response normally takes 7 working days.

See what they are prepared to do to rectify things to your satisfaction. There should be notes on the account they can refer to.

After that, if you need their phone number, send me a PM.