Switch Up

[DailyDarkly]

I have to say this scheme is the most difficult one to actually use. 

I have checked stock online to see none of the phone I want near me. I called the store to ask and they had the make and model but not the storage size I want. 

They have said they will order one handset of the one I want but it won’t come until Tuesday and it will still be live stock so if someone goes in to buy it they will sell it. Although they said they would try to hold it. 

Surely there has to be an easier way to implement this scheme for customers. Online chat are useless when it comes to asking them about it. 

The store in my town doesn’t hold a large stock of phones due to previous break ins so it’s going to be near on impossible for anyone to use switch up in this area. 

Is anyone else having or had this issue? 

[pgn]

The SwitchUp scheme looks to be problematic, not least for the reasons you highlight. Some time back, O2 embarked on a set of steps to streamline the ordering process, allowing you to start online and transfer to store, or do all on line or all in store or from store to home delivery - but that seems to have stalled. https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Welcome-News/O2-System-Updates-What-you-need-to-know/m-p/1544225/highl...

Personally, I can get better value from a reseller, so long as I remain happy with my handset choice over 24months (Refresh is fine, but adds quite a margin to the cost, 33% uplift on the same phone and tariff from a reseller, for example). If my phone and tariff was paid for by a company, and there was no issue with Airtime and DevicePlan as separate parts of the same contract, then I would explore SwitchUp.

But as an ordinary Joe, looking for a decentish phone on a decent-value tariff for another 2 years, resellers are the way forward. Tech Lovers who flit from phone to phone are the target base for SwitchUp, but the O2 back-end systems just make the whole idea tedious - they need to step up to the mark and make their great ideas work for their Customers. 

And yes, online support via Chat and call-in via 202 is even more burdensome and as like as not, clueless in 60% of first-contact interactions. Social Media are good, but busy - again, slowing down the flighty customer, frustratingly.

Hope you get what you want, soon, @DailyDarkly. Forum advice on Guide: Introducing O2 Switch Up. Swap phones whenever you want! here, if you have not read it already. Good luck!