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Unique Situation - O2 Absolutely NO customer service....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Markiexxxx
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I am in a unique situation for which there does not seem to be any process for O2 to resolve!!!

 

I got an O2 PAYG SIM about 15 years ago - it is the old LARGE SIM card with 'O2' logo on back. (1st generation?)

 

I was using it to 'keep' my old contract number which was getting a large volume of sales/spam calls and I check the voicemail about once a month. This always worked ok.

 

At the end of 2019 (October/November) I swapped the SIM into a different phone and got a message "no sim inserted". I tried in other phones and get the same error.

 

I logged into my account online and found information how to replace a damaged SIM which told me to go to an O2 Shop.

I went to an O2 shop and they told me I need to telephone customer services.

I then thought it might be easier to just get a PAC code (no new SIM card to be sent in the post) over the phone and join another network.

 

I telephone customer services and after passing security the man starts his sales pitch asking why I am leaving. Once he finally gives up trying to sell me something he tells me the SIM needs to be working to receive the PAC code (I'm sure online help said customer services can give out the PAC code over the phone).

The man tells me he has to put me through to another department to send me a new SIM card.

 

A lady takes the call and I pass security then explain the situation. The first thing she asks me is to read out the 16 digit code from the back of the damaged SIM card.

I explain to her my damaged SIM card is a LARGE 1st generation SIM card with no numbers written on it - just the O2 logo on the back. And I have had this SIM for a long time and O2 have never replaced it with a modern micro or nano SIM card.

The lady keeps asking me for the 16 digit number on the SIM like she just does not understand or is NOT listening to what I am telling her.

I repeat myself 3 times that this is an old LARGE SIM card which doesn't have any codes/numbers on it and I cannot make one up for her.

 

She still does not seem to understand or care and I ask if she can put me through to a supervisor or manager. She tells me to hold.

 

Then another lady takes the call and I explain to her that I have an old LARGE 1st generation SIM card from at least 15 years ago which seems to be damaged as multiple phones report "no sim inserted".

And that I just want to get a PAC code to move to another network and the previous customer services person kept asking me to tell her the 16 digit number from the SIM card which does not exist on my damaged SIM card.

She tells me that I need a working SIM to receive the PAC code and she asks me the basic security questions asked by the other 2 already. I get a slight feeling this lady may finally be able to help.

 

Then she says she needs to ask some more 'security' questions for me to prove my identity and asks me to tell her some 'frequently dialled' numbers from the number.

I tell her I have not used the number for about a year so no chance of remembering and state it's probably just voicemail retrieval.

She then states "within the last 3 months"....

 

I tell her the SIM card stopped working 10 months ago so that is a completely impossible question to fulfil as in this situation NO calls have been made for at least 10 months.

I ask if she can not ask about the other account security questions and answers?

She says no.

I comment that what is the point of having the additional account security questions?

She says it is for online security while customer services use different questions.

 

She tells me without answering her security question (which is not possible as the damaged SIM hasn't worked for 10 months) there is nothing that can be done.

 

How is this even possible with a company such as O2?

 

If you have an old SIM card make sure you swap it for a modern nano version with the 16 digit number AND make sure you make a call every 3 months so you can pass customer services 'security'.

 

Needless to say I'm never going near O2 ever again!

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MI5
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@Markiexxxx 

After 10 months of inactivity it would have been disconnected anyway.

O2 don't leave unused sims active on the network.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.

Currently using:
Pixel 7a (O2 & Lyca), One Plus 6 (Sfr), iPhone 12 Pro Max (Vodafone)
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Markiexxxx
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The number still works and takes voicemail.

 

And if you still have credit?

Do they refund it or just keep it?

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Bambino
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@Markiexxxx If you got a new PAYG sim with a new number you could probably ask O2 to transfer the remaining credit on your old number over to the new one. If you're only using the old number for voice mail it's hardly worth the effort to keep it.

I DO NOT WORK FOR O2



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Markiexxxx
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Thanks for the reply.

 

I don't want anything to do with O2 anymore as it's simply unbelievable in 2020.

 

Besides to transfer the credit they'll probably ask me the impossible 'customer services' security question of frequently called number in last 3 months  rage

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Bambino
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@Markiexxxx That's your choice but you'll lose any credit you may still have. O2's response during the pandemic has been less than stellar, so it's no surprise that you ran into a wall regarding your issue. We are all customers here, so there isn't much else we can do.

I DO NOT WORK FOR O2



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