O2, 1c Weekender, Spar!!!

krpc

Right.

I'm telefunktastik and you may remember me from such movies as ... erm I mean threads on boards.ie that ranted about the false advertising tendencies of mobile communications companies.

I'm raging.

I am SICK and TIRED of telecommunications networks acting in a most customer unfriendly manner, in particular when it relates to their advertising.

Where are the days gone that basically you get offered something, you sign up for it, and the provider delivers on their promise, without hidden charges, hidden limitations and other general crap? Huh???

Argggh.

I ran around the city centre in Dublin today to get two O2 SIM cards for two of my friends that called each other regularly. In particular they wanted "nice numbers". The reason they wanted the cards is there was a nice little advert on TV recently about O2 speakeasy customers being able to avail of 1c off peak and weekender calls. It suited them nicely. So, I got the cards. I also decided to get myself one as it would save on my bill when I went over my inclusive minutes. In addition, I have always been an advocate of O2 over other networks. It seems my dear old reliable O2 are just as bad.

In their advert I believe there was no reference to when this 1c weekender offer takes effect, which of course leads one to believe, buy the card, put it in the phone, top up by whatever amount, and voila, make your calls. But nooooooooooooo ... by looking on the internet, and I mean looking deep in the bowls of their website, do you then find a notice saying that this offer isn't available until November 17th and you should call their customer care after this date. If I didn't have access to the internet I wouldn't have known about this!!!

My question is - WHY DON'T THEY SAY THIS IN THE DAMN ADVERT? WHY CAN'T THEY BE CLEAR!!!!??

Good god I'm pissed off. Don't even get me started on having to fork out an 80c surcharge in a Spar shop in order to get E20 call credit. One would think ... when you ask, "can I have E20 call credit, it costs ... yanno ... E20".

Furious!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

Urban Weigl

The offer was extended until some time in 2007, forget the exact date, but I think it's around summer.

It's only weekends, though, not off peak. You should not need to activate it, it's just there. Made some calls recently from my O2 speakeasy mobile to friends also on O2, on weekends, and was only ever billed 1c per minute for them.

As far as Spar charging a surcharge, that's not O2's fault, though I suppose they could insist that it is illegal to do so. You can top up at an ATM, over the internet, or in many newsagents without a surcharge, though. Just bought a topup in my local town from the local newsagent, and was charged exactly €30 for a topup of the same value.

I do agree about telecommunications companies and advertising, just saying this particular offer is still on, and you don't need to do anything to activate it. Unless it isn't valid for new customers?

krpc

Hey,

There is an offer that allows you to call 3 nominated O2 friends off peak for 1c. That offer you need to register for, so it might be an idea to give them call.

I called O2 customer care, based on the advice of one of my friends and mentioned the advert. In the end, I managed to get the O2 friends activated on my number as well as the 1c weekender (it wasn't there originally).

I wasn't so much blaming O2 for Spar's surcharge, more blaming Spar for being greedy swines!! I've not been a pre pay customer in years, so it was quite unexpected. In future I'll just use my bill account to top up my prepaid one - no surcharge there

Sam Vimes

telefunktastik wrote:

by looking on the internet, and I mean looking deep in the bowls of their website, do you then find a notice saying that this offer isn't available until November 17th and you should call their customer care after this date. If I didn't have access to the internet I wouldn't have known about this!!!

are you sure about this? they've been advertising 1c weekends since the summer.

unless this 1c weekend and evening is a different offer?

telefunktastik wrote:

Good god I'm pissed off. Don't even get me started on having to fork out an 80c surcharge in a Spar shop in order to get E20 call credit. One would think ... when you ask, "can I have E20 call credit, it costs ... yanno ... E20".

Furious!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

get text top up from aib or boi and i think the networks do it too with credit card. then you don't have to pay the extra and can top up in bed. i haven't seen a paper top up in years

yapyap

Promotion runs from 11th March 2006 to 25th February 2007. You have to commend them for fair advertising - it's weekends only - Bank Holiday Mondays & Good Friday excluded

If you top up online with €30, you get 10% free

Tell us more about this offer to call three nominated O2 numbers

krpc

I'm loving O2 again. It was just a tiff! :P

The O2 friends is similar to the weekender, however it allows 1c calls to 3 nominated friends (who are on O2 also) during off peak hours. It's similar to Vodafone's unlimited call a friend for free, except Vodafone as per typical had a hidden cap that made it not limited.

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Price+plans/Speakeasy+prepay/O2+Friends/

Give 1747 a call to register your 3 friends' numbers.

yapyap

O2 online wrote:

O2 Friends

O2 Friends is a great new add on exclusive to Speak easy customers. It gives you 1c calls to your three best friends at off peak times & weekends. For example, if you are Night owl customer, you could call your friends on the O2 network for just 1c between the hours of 6pm to 10am every weekday and all through the weekend.

O2 Friends is only available to customers who join or upgrade to O2 Speak easy this Christmas and your friends also need to be with O2.

To sign up to 1c calls please return to this page after the 17th of November to nominate your three best friends and give us some details about your new phone.

A good no messing offer, unlike the convulated stuff that some of the others come out with

krpc

Yup. I combed the T & C's. Nice, clear and concise. Vodafone could learn a lot from O2!!!

MrJoeSoap

Not all shops have the surcharges on top-up's so its worth finding one that doesn't.

Urban Weigl

Thanks for the heads up on that offer, I wasn't aware of it. I shall be nominating 3 friends shortly.

byrnefm

telefunktastik wrote:

The O2 friends is similar to the weekender, however it allows 1c calls to 3 nominated friends (who are on O2 also) during off peak hours. It's similar to Vodafone's unlimited call a friend for free, except Vodafone as per typical had a hidden cap that made it not limited.

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Price+plans/Speakeasy+prepay/O2+Friends/

Give 1747 a call to register your 3 friends' numbers.

According to the O2 website, though, it only appliese to new customers to O2 SpeakEasy, not existing ones

Urban Weigl

It appears to apply to existing customers as well IF you have recently upgraded your phone. You must upgrade your phone if you're an existing customer.