O2 Switch Up: Everything you need to know
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10-08-2022 09:41 - edited 03-08-2023 10:01
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10-08-2022 09:41 - edited 03-08-2023 10:01
Hello everyone. As previously announced, we're making some changes to O2 Switch Up from 3 August 2023 and I've done a complete overhaul of this thread to bring it up-to-date. We're making this change so we can continue to offer a market leading proposition where customers can continue to get the latest and greatest phone, or one they’ve been eyeing up for a while, every 90 days.
What is O2 Switch Up?
With O2 Switch Up, you can swap your current phone for a new one every 90 days, as long as it meets our grading criteria. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve got left on your current contract – we’ll pay it off for you. Each time you use O2 Switch Up, the 90 days restart and you can then Switch Up again at the end of that period.
How can I get Switch Up?
You can get Switch Up by heading in store, online or by calling us on 0808 002 0202. You’ll need to take out or upgrade to a new Plus Plan, which includes Switch Up at no extra cost.
When you're ready to Switch Up, find out what condition your device needs to be in.
ℹ️ We no longer offer the O2 Switch Up Bolt On for Custom Plans. O2 Switch Up is only available on our Plus Plans
How does O2 Switch Up work?
Once you’ve got Switch Up, you’ll need to head to an O2 store and hand back your current phone, which we’ll check over to make sure it’s in good enough nick. If it is, you won’t have to pay off any outstanding costs on your current contract – we’ll settle things for you. We’ll then start you on a new Plus Plan or custom plan for whichever new phone you pick.
This sounds different to what I’m used to. What’s changing?
From 3 August 2023 we’re changing the O2 Switch Up T&Cs, so customers will be able to swap their current phone for a new one every 90 days. Customers will still get O2 Switch Up at no extra cost when they take out or upgrade to a Plus Plan.
If you got O2 Switch Up before 3 August 2023 as part of a Plus Plan tariff you can continue to swap your phone whenever you like.
We have also removed the O2 Switch Up Bolt On for Custom Plans. Customers who already have the O2 Switch Up Bolt On via a Custom Plan will still be able to swap to a new phone whenever they like, one last time. However, when redeeming, you'll need to upgrade to a Plus Plan if you want to keep O2 Switch Up. You'll be put on our new 90 day Switch Up T&Cs.
Unsure which customer scenario you fit into?
No problem, we'll help clear this up for you:
- If you currently have O2 Switch Up as part of a Plus Plan, and have continuously done so since before 3 August 2023, you can continue to swap to a new phone whenever you like. When you Switch Up, you'll be kept on our anytime Switch Up T&Cs (if you choose a Plus Plan)
- If you currently have O2 Switch Up as part of a Plus Plan, but have not continuously done so since before 3 August 2023, you can swap to a new phone every 90 days. When you Switch Up, you'll be put on our 90 day Switch Up T&Cs (if you choose a Plus Plan)
- If you currently have the O2 Switch Up Bolt On via a Custom Plan, you can swap to a new phone whenever you like, one last time. When you do Switch Up, you will have to take out a Plus Plan if you still want access to O2 Switch Up and you will then be put on our 90 day Switch Up T&Cs
Switch Up Q&A’s
I've included below some of our top Q&A’s, but we have even more details, info, questions and answers for O2 Switch Up here on our website, so please check it out.
Q. What’s O2 Switch Up?
A. With O2 Switch Up, you can swap your current phone for a new one every 90 days (as long as it’s in good condition).
Q. What do I have to buy to get Switch Up?
A. To get Switch Up, you need to take out a Plus Plan with whichever phone you want. It’s not compatible with laptops, tablets, smartwatches or any other connected devices.
Q. Where can I swap my phone?
A. Head to any O2 store to swap your current phone for a new one. You can find your nearest store by heading to o2.co.uk/storelocator.
Q. Are there any restrictions?
A. You need to be on a Plus Plan. Your current phone also needs to be in good enough nick – meeting our grading criteria – and your O2 account can’t be in arrears. Upgrades may be subject to passing a credit/fraud check.
Q. What happens to my old phone?
A. To do our bit for the planet, we take back your old phone and refurbish it, wiping any data before we sell it on to someone as one of our Like New phones.
Q. When I use Switch Up, can I take advantage of the Enhanced O2 Recycle Payment as well?
A. No. You have two options to choose from once you’re ready to upgrade:
- You can use Switch Up to get a new phone, which means you won’t get any money back when you recycle your old phone.
- You can recycle your old phone using the Enhanced O2 Recycle Payment and be reimbursed for the recycle value of it (plus any enhanced value), but this means you won’t be able to use Switch Up.
Q. Can I add Switch Up partway through my plan?
A. There’s no need - you’ll automatically get O2 Switch Up as part of a Plus Plan when you first take it out. If you’re not on a Plus Plan but want O2 Switch Up as a benefit, you can upgrade early by paying off your remaining balance and starting a new Plus Plan.
Q. Where can I find Terms and Conditions for O2 Switch Up?
A. If you started a Plus Plan tariff from 3 August 2023:
O2 Switch Up terms and conditions (from 3 August 2023 onwards)
If you got O2 Switch Up before 3 August 2023 as part of a Plus Plan tariff or as a chargeable Bolt On:
O2 Switch Up terms and conditions (11 August 2022 to 2 August 2023)
Q. How many times can I use Switch Up?
A. Once you’ve got Switch Up as part of your Plus Plan, you can swap your phone for any of the latest and greatest, or for one you’ve been eyeing up for a while, every 90 days. It doesn't matter how long you've got left on your current contract – we'll pay it off for you. You just need to make sure your current phone meets our grading criteria.
Q. What if I change my mind and want my old phone back?
A. We can’t give your old phone back once you’ve swapped it for a new one, as we’ll have already started to refurbish it as one of our Like New phones. The good news is, as long as you’re still on a Plus Plan, you're free to swap to a new phone every 90 days.
Q. What happens if I want to keep my phone but change my plan?
A. If you move from a Plus Plan to any other custom plan, without swapping your phone for a new one, you’ll lose O2 Switch Up as a benefit. If you move from your existing Plus Plan to another Plus Plan, you’ll keep O2 Switch Up as normal.
Q. What happens if my phone doesn’t meet the grading criteria?
A. We can’t accept and take back any phones that don’t meet our grading criteria. You do, however, have four alternative options:
- You can make a claim for any damage to your phone through your insurance (as long as you took it out)
- You can book your phone in for repair with O2
- You can recycle your current phone and offset some of the remaining balance on your plan before you upgrade
- You can pay off your existing plan to upgrade early – and you’ll keep your current phone, too
Got any other questions?
If you’ve got any other questions please check the above Q&A's out first as there’s a good chance your question is already answered there. We've also got loads more Q&A's here.
If you’ve got a question about something else relating to Switch Up, let us know in the comments and myself or one of our knowledgeable members will do our best to help.
INFO: This thread has been updated from its original announcement. To see the original thread, click below. More info
So, you saw the title and you’re thinking “that’s too good to be true… gotta be clickbait, right?”. Well, you’re right. It is too good to be true, and yet somehow, it is!
First of all, a quick recap of O2 Custom Plans. A Custom Plan gives you the ability to choose your own contract length from 3 to 36 months, and also lets you fine-tune how much data you need each month. With a Custom Plan, you can already upgrade at any point by simply paying off the remainder of your device plan.
Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2 said: Switch Up Q&A’s
More info
How does Switch Up work?
What happens to my old phone? Got any other questions? |
iPhone 15 Megathread // Don't fall for scams // How to get Volt benefits
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on 10-08-2022 09:50
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on 10-08-2022 09:50
This looks good and would love to be involved...
o2 back to been innovative
iPhone 16 Pro Max - o2 and Spusu
Xperia 1V - Spusu
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This is not customer services and we dont have access to your account
I do not work for o2 or any VMo2 /Telefonica/Liberty Global Company
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on 10-08-2022 10:56
This is a phone switchers dream!
As if O2 Refresh was not already a great proposition, the fact you can just hand back your phone and upgrade to a different one anytime is such a great thing, I know EE do something like this after 12 months but you have to pick a plan higher than what you are on, am I right in thinking this is NOT the case with this on O2?
It makes it hard if you get a top end phone like say a 256GB iPhone 13 Pro Max at for example £70 a month to be able to change to something lower should your situation change as they will only let you go up, will O2 let you drop do you could in theory give back a 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max at £80 a month and upgrade to a Samsung A13 at 1GB data at £20 a month (just an example)
Kudos on another great innovation and value for money
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on 10-08-2022 11:05
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on 10-08-2022 11:05
@mobilemandan wrote:This is a phone switchers dream!
As if O2 Refresh was not already a great proposition, the fact you can just hand back your phone and upgrade to a different one anytime is such a great thing, I know EE do something like this after 12 months but you have to pick a plan higher than what you are on, am I right in thinking this is NOT the case with this on O2?
EE is now after 14 days for £200 and the phone back, the cost reduces after 12months to £100 and then £0 45days before contract end date...
iPhone 16 Pro Max - o2 and Spusu
Xperia 1V - Spusu
--
This is not customer services and we dont have access to your account
I do not work for o2 or any VMo2 /Telefonica/Liberty Global Company
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on 10-08-2022 23:07
Hi, can I do this on an existing account
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on 11-08-2022 08:25
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on 11-08-2022 08:25
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on 11-08-2022 09:06
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on 11-08-2022 09:06
Now this sounds promising!
I hope it is not let down by having to rely on O2 Recycle of old to make sure the value of your trade-back phone is maximised.
So my Pixel 4A could go to a Pixel 6A for no uplift) Oh, yeah, I am not on Refresh as 3rd party actually gave me the best value for my £ when I upgraded December before last ... 😖
Great idea to get this into the Guides, @Cleoriff and thanks, @Chris_K - I would love to take part!
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on 11-08-2022 10:06
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on 11-08-2022 10:06
@Mouseninja wrote:
Hi, can I do this on an existing account
No can do I'm afraid. We've got an extensive Q&A for Switch Up on our website here and I've copied one below that's most relevant to your Q.
Can I add Switch Up partway through my plan?
No. You can only add Switch Up to your Custom Plan when you first take it out, or if you’re still within your 14-day change of mind period.
What you can do, however, is upgrade your Custom Plan early by paying off your remaining balance and taking out a new Plus Plan (getting Switch Up automatically at no extra cost) or any other Custom Plan (and adding Switch Up as a Bolt On for an additional monthly cost).
iPhone 15 Megathread // Don't fall for scams // How to get Volt benefits
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11-08-2022 10:33 - edited 11-08-2022 11:12
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11-08-2022 10:33 - edited 11-08-2022 11:12
Not seeing switch up as a bolt on yet, nor, if I go through the MyO2 upgrade process, am I offered it as an option against a 24m new Pixel 6A with a 30GB plan (which should double with Volt to 60GB and still allow International (non-EU) Travel Inclusive to be added if needed...)
That said, renewal today seems to have dropped from £120-odd to £68-odd, with 4 months to go to my December renewal date 🤔
Will check again later, @Chris_K 👍
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on 11-08-2022 11:06
@Cleoriff sure no problem we'll get this in the index and # today. I'll tag you in this topic when it's done. 😊
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