o2 upgrade - Is this fair?

[Anonymous]

Hi all
I started my contract with o2 in May 2009. I received emails and texts from o2 telling me that I could upgrade in Feb 2011. A week before my upgrade due date, o2 demoted me from Gold rewards to the Silver and said I could not upgrade until April 2011.
I contacted them about this and although they were polite, they just kept coming back with the same answers.
I have an iPhone 3G and it's really paying up now which is understandable as it's nearly 2 years old. I called o2 CS this morning to find out what it would cost me to upgrade today. I was quoted £68.70, which is fine I guess. I was then told I would also be charged for a new handset and could only have an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. I wanted to go for the HTC HD Desire, but I was told I wasn't allowed.
So, I've been with o2 for nearly 2 years, I have never missed a payment, I will be charged to upgrade early and charged for a phone I don't want even though they will be locking me into abother 24 month contract.
Is this fair?

[adamtemp64 Level 65: Ultra-cool]

the tiers are always calculated in febuary there have been several posts similar to yours in the past few weeks.
Fair or not that is the way it is done

[Anonymous]

Ok, that's fine regarding the tiers, but why can I only upgrade to an iPhone? They want to lock me into another 2 year contract yet I have a choice of two phones?

[adamtemp64 Level 65: Ultra-cool]

no idea only us customers in here but I thought they only allow early to iphone but could be wrong there.

[Anonymous]

I have an iPhone 3G and it's really paying up now which is understandable as it's nearly 2 years old

Just shows how well Apple make stuff
A phone not even 2 years old & its playing up, id be mighty angry if that happened to me.
Why dont you get yourself a nice Nokia or Sony Ericsson, you know a product form a manufacturers who gives a 2 year handset warranty

[Anonymous]

LOL
I'm not a lover of Nokia or Ericsson. I've had them both before. I just feel if you sign up to a 24 month contract then at least get a decent phone out of you. Yes, my iPhone is playing up, but it has been used constantly for nearly two years now so you would expect some battery issues and it to become sluggish and slow.
I just don't think it's very fair the way they are now trying to palm off the iPhones by saying it's the only phone I can have, plus they would charge me for the handset!