O2 customer for life - now I'm thinking of leaving

[Zeus_Bee]

I'm 30 years old and I have never been with any other company than O2 since I had my first phone around 13. 

I suppose you might say I've been comfortable with all the errors, but now I'm getting incredibly annoyed. 

My partner passed away in September 2022 and since then I've been struggling financially, but I've been able to afford my way eventually. O2 cut my phone off in September last year and when I tried to call the ambulance service for my partner - I couldn't call out. 

Fast forward to today and I want to pay my phone bill. But once again, I'm late on the payment due to my financial situation still not being stable. I've gone from a two-income household to a 1 income household with the same bills, I'm pressured back into work despite grief crippling me at the moment and all I want to do is pay my phone bill easily on the app. I have internet access and I have the funds to pay my bill (which is incredibly high for what I get as service.) My bill is near to £90. That's more than my average weekly food shop. 

Here I am ready to pay my bill and O2 want to send me a text message from the app to confirm it's me, despite already having access to my emails. My text messages have been cut off... it seems very archaic and technology backwards. 

Once I've paid this contract off with O2, I'm leaving. 

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@Zeus_Bee 

Sorry to hear of your circumstances.

You need to contact payment management
To pay bills, ask for payment extensions etc, you need to contact the Payment Management Team.
You can reach the Payment Management team on 0800 902 0217.
The opening times are:
Monday to Friday – 8am to 8pm
Saturday – 8am to 6pm
Sunday – 9am to 6pm
https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/payment-support
Best time to call is around 8.00am

You can download Skype to call for free Guide: A Guide to Skype 

[Zeus_Bee]

I can accept this as a solution, but once again bereaved customers as well as anyone else are jumping over hurdles to get their voices heard. The company are aware of my situation. Many thanks. 

[Zeus_Bee]

It says that I have to pay 0.021 per minute to call from Skype, what am I doing wrong? 

[Enlli]

The 0800 number should be free.

However they are closed now till 9.am tomorrow

[Kad12]

O2 is the worse they have  previously done a similar act to me and apologised as well as rectified the mistake. As I’m currently speaking they recommitted the act I’ve called about the situation and the agents keep cutting the call. I’m going to spread this all over Twitter with uploads of evidence too.