O2 Switch Up: Everything you need to know

[Chris_K]

 
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.

Spoiler

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:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. You can make a claim for any damage to your phone through your insurance (as long as you took it out)
2. You can book your phone in for repair with O2
3. You can recycle your current phone and offset some of the remaining balance on your plan before you upgrade
4. 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.

Spoiler

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.

With me so far? Good. Switch Up is something new, something VERY exciting, and VERY unique to O2. In fact, as far as we’re aware we may be the first* in the world to do this! (*from what I can tell, anyway, but there are a LOT of mobile network operators in the world!)

What is O2 Switch Up?
With O2 Switch Up, customers are free to swap to a new phone, whenever they like, as many times as they like, with no extra charges. The Switch Up bolt-on is available for new and upgrading customers on an eligible Custom Plan, and comes included in our Plus Plans.

For techies like me who love new tech and hate being committed to a single phone model for several years, Switch Up is a game changer! I could upgrade to the latest Samsung flagship today and then switch to the next Samsung flagship whenever it gets launched, for example, without paying any extra charges. Without Switch Up, I would need to pay off the remainder of my device plan (Several £££’s) before I’d be able to upgrade to a new device.

Like I said… Absolute game changer!

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 then need to take out or upgrade to a new Plus Plan or any other Custom Plan. If you choose a Plus Plan, you’ll automatically get Switch Up at no extra cost. You can choose to add it as a Bolt On to any other Custom Plan for an additional monthly cost.

How do you switch to another device?
To swap your current phone for a new one, customers with O2 Switch Up will need to go into an O2 Shop. Any phones being returned to us should be in good condition: no cracks, chips, deep scratches or any other kind of damage.

Customers don't have to worry about paying off their current plan either - we'll settle that for them and start them on a new Custom Plan for whichever new phone they choose. We'll then refurbish their old phone as a Like New one, so we reduce the amount of e-waste going into landfill.

Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2 said:

“We’re ripping up the rule book and giving our customers even more freedom and flexibility so that they’re in control. O2 Switch Up gives our customers the power to decide what phone they have and when they have it, all on their terms and with the peace of mind that their previous phone won’t go to waste.

With a whole host of exciting new phones set to be released in the coming months we can’t wait to see our customers start switching and getting the most from their new handsets.”

---

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.

Spoiler

How does Switch Up work?
It’s automatically included with a Plus Plan at no extra cost, or you can add it to a Custom Plan as a Bolt On for an additional monthly cost.

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, we’ll take it away to be refurbished and settle your plan for you – meaning you won’t have to pay the rest of your plan off. We’ll then start you on a new Plus Plan or Custom Plan for whichever new phone you pick.

So you know, Switch Up isn’t available on our sim only plans.

Where can I switch my phone?
Head to any O2 store to switch your current phone for a new one. You can find your nearest store by heading to o2.co.uk/storelocator

How many times can I use Switch Up?
You can switch your phone for a new one whenever you like, as many times as you like. Just make sure you’ve got Switch Up – either included at no extra cost with a Plus Plan, or for an additional monthly cost with any other Custom Plan. Your current phone also needs to be in good enough nick, meeting our grading criteria.

And remember, every time you switch your phone for a new one, you’ll start a fresh Plus Plan or Custom Plan.

How do I know if my current phone’s suitable to switch for a new one?
If you’re planning on returning your current phone to us, you’ll need to make sure it meets our grading criteria. This means it’s free from:

• Cracks, chips or scratches (including hairline) on or around the edge of the screen that could obstruct the view in any place
• Any LCD damage that consists of clear lines or lighting issues
• Cracks or heavy/deep scratches or chips to the edges or back cover
• Any functional faults, e.g. (but not limited to):
• Camera (front and back)
• Audio – speaker and mic
• Connectivity – Bluetooth/WiFi/calls
• Power and charge
• Buttons not working as expected
• Any water damage shown on the phone’s indicator or moisture visible on the screen or camera
• Fake parts like a non-genuine screen replacement
• Software locks like Find My or Google (must be removed before you switch your phone)
• Stolen, barred or fake software

What happens if my phone doesn’t meet the grading criteria?

We can’t accept and take back any phones that don’t meet our grading criteria. You do, however, have four alternative options:

1. You can make a claim for any damage to your phone through your insurance (as long as you took it out)
2. You can book your phone in for repair with O2
3. You can recycle your current phone and offset some of the remaining balance on your plan before you upgrade
4. You can pay off your existing plan to upgrade early – and you’ll keep your current phone, too

What happens to my old phone?
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.

Can I cancel Switch Up?
Yes. If you’ve added Switch Up as a Bolt On to any of our other Custom Plans, you can remove it at any time. Just head over to My O2.

If you’re on a Plus Plan – with Switch Up included at no extra cost – you’ll need to move to any of our other Custom Plans if you no longer want Switch Up as a perk.

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).

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 though, let us know in the comments below and me or one of our knowledgeable members will do our best to help.

For our O2 Community members, we’re seeing if/how we can get some of our loyal members involved. We’re not making any promises, but keep your eyes peeled

[gmarkj]

Reading the FAQs on page 1 of this thread, and putting it simply @TipToeTiger , yes.

o2 used to offer something similar to this with their early upgrade plan (where you handed back your old device which ended the device plan and you took a new deal for a new phone) but I think that was for iPhones mainly where this seems to be for any and all phones.

Just remember that the new deal may not be for the same amount due to changes in the phone cost...

[Amg63]

In short yes, but remember you will go onto a new contract every time you switch. This means that - while a 36 month contract would give you the lowest monthly cost, you are tied into the contract for 36 months each time. The airtime cost is pretty expensive and will only go up (because of the inflation increase each year etc).

However I do think this is one of the best, if not the best, initiatives O2 has offered. Unfortunately the free 'extras' are still a bit lacking (i.e. it would be nice if they offered more variety in the freebies and for longer periods) which means for me it is still better to buy the device outright and go sim only. The downside for Switch-up users is that you pay a hefty price if you go for a shorter contract (as you effectively end up paying more per month for the device) so its a neat trick from O2 to get lots of people on to 36 month contracts!

The ultimate question is are you going to stick with O2 long term, and are you getting value for the airtime tariff you are signing up to. 

[mobilemandan]

Anyone used this to change already. I change my phones a LOT as get bored quickly. 

was wondering if say took an iPhone 14 Pro Max then in 4 months wanted a Pixel 7 Pro just hand back the iPhone and upgrade again. And if I get bored later swap to something else etc….

always keep my phones in pristine condition so that’s never a worry

cheers

[mward82]

How would this work in regards to preorders?

For instance, I have just upgraded to iPhone 14 Pro Max with a plus plan, so I will be eligible for switch up. If I wanted to upgrade to iPhone 15 Pro Max on release day next year, would this be possible using switch up? Or will it be a case of having to wait until the phone is available in stock? Obviously, I wouldn't want to part with my existing phone until I received my new one.

[Amg63]

The answer to your question is effectively yes, you can swap phones whenever you wish. Just beware you will be entering a new contract each time. 

[A_N_T_H_O_N_Y]

Yes, with O2 Switch Up you can take any phone (new or refurbished) and any tariff when you hand back your phone in excellent condition - the only thing you can't do is hand it back, disconnect and stop being a customer as you have to take out a new pay monthly phone contract.

[gatrell]

I'm after the same answer on this! 

[gatrell]

Hopefully clause 10 would apple here

Where necessary and as instructed by us, we may ask you to contact our Voice team to progress your swap request instead of going via one of our store agents. In this scenario, you will still need to bring your existing device to one of our retail stores, so that we can review it in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. If your request to swap is approved, we will ask you to return your existing device to us using a returns jiffy bag (that we will provide to you) within 14 days of receiving your new device. We will send the jiffy bag to the same address that your new device is to be sent to. Please note that if your current device is not returned to us within the timeframe mentioned, we reserve the right to charge you for the outstanding balance of your existing agreement.

[Pla567]

I’ve got to ask, most stores don’t always have the like new devices on the website or the specific device you are after so what happens then?!

[Suribrrr]

Does the o2 insurance cover if not pristine?