cold called and Mis sold a contract and now I'm in a mess.!!..thanks o2

[Anonymous]

Right..ive been an o2 customer for years,even used to work for o2 when The Listening Company ran the call centres.

So I was cold called directly from o2 last month and offered a new phone and contract.I was interested,had about a year left on my existing...  I clearly asked 3 or 4 times about the 120 refresh bill on my account,but was told not to worry about it as it would be wavered and my old contract be cancelled and i would start the new contract on next bill date..  it wasnt true..alex(the cold caller)had set up a seperate and new contract,new account..  i found this out after maybe a week when i phoned up to ask what i should do with the new sim as i wanted to keep my original number..then it all became clear.

I insisted that the phone call should be listened back to,CustService agreed and told me they would get back in touch within a week to tell me the outcome of the investigation(nothing yet,its been weeks)..i was told that as a gesture of goodwill,i wouldnt be billed on my original account this month.i got billed..i now have a new contract account thats defaulted and when i actually do send the new phone back in,ill have no phone as my old one has been given away as a present..  i really am not impressed.  Im looking for some suggestions as what to do next..should I go to OFFCOM?Trading Standards? ive tried calling custservice but just end up explaining the same thing over again once i get through,ususally after about an hour on hold.. i never asked for this mess to happen and really dont want to be an o2 cust anymore...          sorry for moaning 

thanks     Riddi

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

To start with, OFCOM don't deal with individual complaints.
There is a complaints process that you need to follow and if no resolution from that you can take it to the Ombudsman. http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html
All explained here http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[Curr946]

Right, the first thing to do is put your complaint in writing, send it by recorded delivery. o2 will have 8 weeks to address the issue and after that you can approach an ADRS

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/problems-and-complaints/adr-schemes/

One question though, why didn't you send the phone right back when you found out what had happened, and why did you give away your old phone, surely you knew you couldn't keep the phone without paying the bill

[MI5]

The bracket at the end of your link is messing it up ^^^

[Anonymous]

i gave the phone away to my son on the evening that i recieved the cold call..the new phone arrived the next day..   it was nearly a week before i started to think something wasnt right..i phoned up 02 to ask what to do with the new sim as i wanted to keep my old number..no one could inderstand what i was on about as the new contract(in my mind at that time was just an upgrade ).. ididnt realise this sooner as the cold call totally mis led me into setting up the new contract..i reiterated numerous times that i dont want to pay refresh,im happy with what ive got,to be told not to worry,i wont have to pay refresh.it will be wavered.. i though i was just getting tied into a new contract to retain me before my existing starts to near its end. i was led to believe this. the truth is

i didnt have to pay refresh as i was having a totally seperate contract setup..who wants 2 seperate contracts??

[Curr946]

@MI5 - Fixed

[Anonymous]

...p.s...   didnt send back due to the total inconvenience of needing a phone for work daily and being in a position where not having a phone will be a massive detriment to my daily work routines...and dont see my son so often,we live a good 50 miles apart..will see him next at xmas,where im gonna have to ask for his xmas pressie back...

[MI5]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

who wants 2 seperate contracts??

Many people do, but through choice usually, not by being conned.

Follow the complaints process I linked to above and then the Ombudsman if o2 won't resolve it.

[Anonymous]

thanks..will do

[Curr946]

@Anonymous if you want to keep the new phone you can pay off the handset then ask to have the contract cancelled (ie the airtime)

But as @MI5 said, you will need to follow the complaints process before you can seek outside help.