Signal is terrible after being moved from virgin

[StephChivas]

Been moved over to o2 from virgin since they're putting everyone on it now and my data has been absolutely abysmal since the switch. Went on to data checker and they claim a mast isn't working as it should but nothing seems to be getting done to fix it as I just keep getting the same msg about how they'll update me in a week. 

I'm apparently getting unlimited data with my plan but really it's zero as my phone might as well turn into a brick when I leave my home. I use it all the time to check bus times and when I'm at work and most of the time it either doesn't load my apps at all or it loads it without showing the most up to date information.

Got colleagues who are unfortunately on the same network and they said they've never had great signal after being with for months. Can't find an online chat function to speak to anyone either.

Used to be with o2 for more than a decade and signal was great, switched as they couldn't help me out with a better contract than I was on without having a crazy monthly bill despite being with them so long and now I'm forced back to them with crap results. 

[jonsie]

The problem is that you have come to a network absorbing a million plus Virgin customers

So aa lot of the 'trust me bro' comments are coming from our experiences with other Virgin customers having the very same experiences of yourself

First thing to try is an O2 sim card if you are still using Virgin cards

After that there are a couple of help guides but really you are in the hands of customer service which has deteriorated badly coinciding with the merger

O2 will deny that but customers, for the large part, aren't as stupid as O2 try to make out

[pgn]

@meatologist - Given VM moved you effectively from Vodafone to O2 almost immediately after the merger,

https://www.mazumamobile.com/blog/mobile-phone-news/o2-virgin-mobile-merge-everything-need-know/

then if your area was better covered by Voda than it was by O2, I would expect you to experience issues as you describe - for me, O2 is the only network that gets signal into the place I live, nestled in below a land ridge on 3 sides of us. Voda coverage here is poor because of the mast positions - tested, and a factor which meant VM would only ever be good for broadband, not for mobile service, back in the bad old days 😖

If you have good broadband where your O2 signal is poor, WiFi calling will help https://www.o2.co.uk/connectivity/wifi-and-4g-calling

And as others have noted, moving the VM customer base, as was (cac3 million customers?) to O2 en-masse was always going to make parts of the network creak some, and the ensuing issues with some batches of VM-branded SIM cards also did not help.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/virgin-mobile-customers-being-moved-to-o2-what-you-need-to-know...

A search of the wider Internet would tell you this, as well as the anecdotal evidence presented by knowledgeable contributors here on the O2 forum, @meatologist.

The approach has been one of "like it or lump it" - so it goes.

[Oxonian]

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@meatologist wrote:

Anyone on here got some actual proof or evidence or even perhaps someone who has had the same or similar issue as the one mentioned in my first post and can confirm that a replacement SIM resolved the issue?

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@meatologist

I am unsure why you seem reluctant to change your SIMs for up to date one. It is an easy and cost-free exercise that just might solve your problems. 

The most straightforward way to do this is to visit an O2 retail store so it can be done "on the spot" :-

Store locator | O2 UK | Find Your Nearest O2 Store

https://stores.o2.co.uk/

I did an instore SIM-swap several months ago ; it was a ten-minute job and the new SIM was active almost immediately. 

Please try it - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 👍