I just fell foul of this too: months over billing for nothing.
I've been on contract for many years with multiple devices and My O2 Account online always showed bills split into Device tariff and Airtime tariff adding up to Total tariff.
I upgraded a phone in Jan 2016 at Carphonewarehouse. Kept same number. It was explained, as expected, that Total was some for Device and some for Airtime. Happy to pay quoted Total. Paid significant deposit to minimise Device amount and keep monthly Total lower.
Now May 2018 Total being removed from my bank account by Direct Debit has not dropped at all yet Device has obviously been paid off in full.
Three hours on phone to O2 and Carphonewarehouse, today, eight different advisors to learn:
(i) I have no contract with Carphonewarehouse, they want nothing to do with me and transfer my call to "one of their advisers". It turns out they have transferred me directly to O2 claiming my contract remains with O2 and it is O2 who remove money from bank account and continue to do so. Fair point but O2 say they were instructed by Carphonewarehouse what the monthly Total I agreed to pay in their shop was.
(ii) Carphonewarehouse changed my contract with O2 to a standard contract, not what it was before (Refresh maybe), so no longer does My O2 online show my bill split into separate Device and Airtime pieces, just Total and it is now all recorded as Airtime, despite it being the Total figure I initially signed up in Carphonewarehouse and that was clearly sold as Device plus Airtime tariffs both.
(iii) Device may be all paid off but bill Total does not drop when it is. Neither O2 nor Carphonewarehouse communicate this to their customer in any way. I am supposed to know untold that if I don't now cancel my contract exactly 2 years after signing it that it rolls over, auto-renews at the Total monthly rate – a now extornonate Total continuing for receiving Airtime only. There is no longer automatic switch to Airtime only tariff as in the past.
BEWARE. Carphonewarehouse have done the same to me again on two other upgrades in the last four months with their shop staff not explaining implications of contract change they make. Nor does O2 inform you when they change your contract type either.
