Are O2 bothered with keeping business?

SachaJ

Not quite sure is this thread a question or a bit of a bitch about O2

Anyway. Contract is up in two weeks and I had a look at my spend over the last 4.5 years - €4,539, with €1,072 in the last 12 months or so. So I emailed O2 stating that my contract was up in a couple of weeks and I wanted to reduce my bill down to around €40 a month. I had been looking at Meteor's rates and they are much better compared to O2. Basically I was asking could O2 to anything to match Meteor's rates.

Short answer seems to be that they couldn't even be bothered to reply with a personalised email to my first query, and in their second one more or less told me to move on.

My spend is not massive compared to other people, but surely a grand a year on average so get me better customer service?

My emails in bold below and theirs in italics.....

Hi,

As far as I’m aware I’ll be due an upgrade in around three weeks time and I’m currently looking at the HTC Desire. My mobile number is 086XXXXXXX.

Can you tell me how much the HTC Desire will be on an upgrade when my contract expires?

As I’ll be free to move to other operators I have been looking at the three others and especially Meteor. On one of their plans (Connect) I can get 200 minutes & 200 texts for €25. A data add-on to this package is €14.99 for 10GB. So for the same price as “O2 Advance 150 + 2Gb” I can get an additional 50 minutes talk, 100 texts and a staggering 8Gb data (which I’m free to tether on).

As I’m aiming to keep my bill at around the €40 mark or less, is there anything O2 can do to keep my business (I.E compete with what I can get with Meteor, especially on the data aspect of the package)?

To be honest, I would prefer to stay with O2 as I have been a customer for years, but with what is available elsewhere I maybe be forced to move.

Many thanks

Thank you for contacting O2 Customer Care.
As the criteria for upgrades are constantly changing, I am unable to advice how much you would need to pay for the HTC Desire when you are eligible for a upgrade.
The current plans we offer for HTC handsets include:

Insert here a copy and paste of the Advance 350 and 150 price plans from their website.

Finally, I must inform you of the many benefits of being an O2 customer for example:

O2 has the best network coverage in Ireland
On my O2 you are entitled to 250 free web texts per month and this includes international texts. Please note you can access my O2 by going to www.o2.ie
O2 Treats - this offers various discounts and vouchers for services such as Health and Beauty and Entertainment
O2 Blueroom - this offers priority tickets for O2 customers 48 hours before general release

Feel free to contact us if you have any other queries.

Many thanks for your email, but there is nothing there I can see to entice me to stay with O2 and there does not seem to be any interest from O2 to keep me even though my spend must be around €800 this year. That seems to be just a standard response email to anyone asking about contracts/plans.

From Meteor I can get a far better contract over 12 months that what O2 are offering over 18. Also from the list of benefits:

Best network coverage – perhaps but possibly not the best 3G coverage in the Dublin area where I spend 99% of my time. Meteor also has EDGE. Also I find a lot of locations in Dublin only have 2G coverage.
Webtexts: might have used 100 in the last 5 years if I’m lucky.
Treats & Blueroom: both of absolute no use to me.

What is the situation if I ported before my contract runs out? I presume I’d just be liable for the remainder of the contract which would probably be around €30?

Thank you for contacting O2 Customer Care.
In response to your email, I am sorry that you are unhappy with what was advised in my previous email.
If you were to port to another network before your contact expired you would be charged a cancellation fee of approximately €28.00 ex vat.
Feel free to contact us if you have any other queries.

So there you are lads. Thats what a grand a year in O2 bills gets you on the customer service front!

angel01

You might have been better to use the O2 forums, might have got you further

youcancallmeal

I was with O2 for years as well, I knew there was much better value for money out there but I put off leaving them for ages. Mostly because I was afraid of change and I had some weird sense of loyality to them. Anyway I switched to Meteor about 6 months ago and I have had no regrets since.

I still wonder how O2 are even profitable when you compare their bill packages to the likes of 3 and Meteor? I reckon it must be contracts they have with companies and as such are only interested in looking after their corporate clients?

SachaJ

I don't know to be honest. I have a business account with them for the last few years and I think it has been laziness more than anything that has stopped me moving. I got a fright when I realised just how much I've been spending with them.

I got a call a few weeks ago from O2 to "review my plan". They said I'm on the perfect one for my usage and offered me €5 off a month if I renewed for 18 months (I presume this is without an upgraded phone).

I took it upon my self to look at my usage and my charges. I'm paying €35 a month for 175 minutes plus €30 a month for 1Gb of data. Perfect my hole...... I could get that 1Gb now for €12.50 with O2 but they never mentioned a word of that or go with Advance 150 for €40 and get 2Gb of data.

I reckon I'm off to be honest. I was with Meteor years ago but the network was brutal. I presume it has improved since then?

SachaJ

angel01 wrote: »

You might have been better to use the O2 forums, might have got you further

Never thought of that!

angel01

youcancallme>al wrote: »

I was with O2 for years as well, I knew there was much better value for money out there but I put off leaving them for ages. Mostly because I was afraid of change and I had some weird sense of loyality to them. Anyway I switched to Meteor about 6 months ago and I have had no regrets since.

I still wonder how O2 are even profitable when you compare their bill packages to the likes of 3 and Meteor? I reckon it must be contracts they have with companies and as such are only interested in looking after their corporate clients?

Not really, I moved from Meteor to O2 ages ago, they work well for me, I got my contract altered and all happy here

I wouldn't move back to Meteor for all the world

youcancallmeal

I dunno maybe its just me then but I havent had any problems with meteor. I'm on pay as you go and for 20euro a month I get the free calls and texts to meteor, this is massively beneficial because most of my friends are on meteor. Most months I would only spend about 5euro of my credit which means I building it up more and more every month I top up. Coverage wise I havent had any problems in Ireland and I've been around a good bit, I don't think thats much of an issue any more for any of the providers anyway

O2_Daryll

SachaJ wrote: »

Never thought of that!

If you have not already joined the forums can you send me a PM and I will see if there is anything I can do for you?

SachaJ

Talk2O2: Daryll wrote: »

If you have not already joined the forums can you send me a PM and I will see if there is anything I can do for you?

Hi Daryll,

After someone above recommended joining the forums, I now have a similar thread going over there.

Thanks a mill....

O2_Daryll

SachaJ wrote: »

Hi Daryll,

After someone above recommended joining the forums, I now have a similar thread going over there.

Thanks a mill....

Cheers, I will get to it in a minute.

tallus

I left o2 because of their ridiculous late payment fee.
Signed up with meteor and haven't looked back since. More minutes & texts for less money.

Our man in Havana

I left o2 bill pay because they would not offer any decent upgrades. They wanted €150 for the Nokia E63. 3 gave me the phone for €1 and got a better package and I am not locked into an 18 month contract.

chillin_penguin

Normally in my experience its not until you ring up and say "i would like to cancel my contract please" that the will begin to try and work something out.

Im on meteor bill pay and have been for a good 3 or 4 years nothing was being done dispute my complaints about how other networks offered me better prices, but when the day came to me actually ringing up to port over they began to to offer me all kinds of things to keep me

Meteor have improved greatly over the last few years and in the last month or 2 the 3G coverage has been amazing im happy to say

ToxicPaddy

chillin_penguin wrote: »

Normally in my experience its not until you ring up and say "i would like to cancel my contract please" that the will begin to try and work something out...

Too little too late, if you ask me..

I am with O2 for 12 years and have spent, by a conservative estimate €25k on phone and data with them and on the verge of walking.. they wanted €130 or so for an iPhone 16GB when Vodafone were offering the same for free and a better data and voice package.. it was 250 for a 32GB phone.. and an 18 month contract!!!! :mad:

I contacted them about this and they didnt want to know, yet they continually contact me wanting to sign up new contracts for these new packages that are "perfect for me".. my a*s are they perfect, they are the same stuff just rehashed using a different name... :rolleyes:

nordiestar

O2, price plans have become a joke versus, the test of the Irish providers!

M450

nordiestar wrote: »

O2, price plans have become a joke versus, the test of the Irish providers!

You bump an old thread for that? Is that english??

nordiestar

M450 wrote: »

You bump an old thread for that? Is that english??

I Googled O2 Ireland price rip off, and this thread came up.
I wanted to say my piece, and my mobile typed TEST, as opposed to REST.

Sorry Master.

I'll go stand in the corner, whilst writing my hundred lines.................

Walkman

M450 wrote: »

You bump an old thread for that? Is that english??

Are you a mod?

M450

Walkman wrote: »

Are you a mod?

Is that a rhetorical question?

Wonda-Boy

TBH, O2 are a tad pricey compared to the rest especially with the latest iphone 4 packages. They really should at least take the trade ins like Vodaphone and "3".

However I think that the customer service is very good indeed which in this day and age counts for a hell of alot.....

Mr Moon

O2 will give you fook all cos they have all those bill payers who joined cos they were the only ones with the iPhone, sure you can only upgrade to the iPhone if you're already a BILL pay customer atm!

They're not interested in new 18 month contracts it seems from those on pre pay!

I'll be going to Vodafone or 3 as soon as I've used up the last of my credit with them and I'll be taking my mates with me!!

Better vaule, and better plans, I can't believe they tried to spin that rubbish at the OP about the web texts!!

Walkman

M450 wrote: »

Is that a rhetorical question?

Ya

Bob the Builder

3 have better priceplans and better value phones. But given a choice between o2 and Three, I pick o2 anyday for their customer service. On the other hand, Three's new priceplans are unbeatable.

angel01

Bob the Builder wrote: »

3 have better priceplans and better value phones. But given a choice between o2 and Three, I pick o2 anyday for their customer service. On the other hand, Three's new priceplans are unbeatable.

The customer service is improving with 3, I have a great contact on twitter for 3, so glad I moved from O2, they are becoming a joke.

Possedion

In my experience - the o2 forum area is top notch b*LL, heavily censored, they dont take criticism too well - I tried and was banned, for basic complaint on upgrades.
(that was the main moderator as well - very nasty tone in his private message)
Its a place for all their mates to chat and pump up o2.

Yeah o2 really su(k on the customer service side, depends on who you get.
Trying to get an upgrade from them is a real begging game.

Ghandee

Possedion wrote: »

In my experience - the o2 forum area is top notch b*LL, heavily censored, they dont take criticism too well - I tried and was banned, for basic complaint on upgrades.
(that was the main moderator as well - very nasty tone in his private message)
Its a place for all their mates to chat and pump up o2.

Yeah o2 really su(k on the customer service side, depends on who you get.
Trying to get an upgrade from them is a real begging game.

Be interesting if that private message got posted on here, (by accident obviously)

thomasj

nordiestar wrote: »

O2, price plans have become a joke versus, the test of the Irish providers!

I'm not sure I agree. For example, iPhone plans

Meteor: great plans but no subsidised iPhone has to be bought sim free/unlocked

Vodafone: same price range as o2, iPhone data included about to be cut to 500mb for new customers okay the using your units abroad is a great option but 500mb?, 18 month contract, no wifi, crap customer service (can only find remaining units by calling customer service) and advance payments required. As a vodafone phone customer have run into problems am regretting joining this network

Three:
Great plans and wifi included but minimum contract of 18 months, network problems at times and customer service not the best

In my opinion, o2 are the best of a bad bunch. Okay, 3 have some really great plans but I ran into enough network and customer services issues and wouldn't go back. I'm convinced that if meteor could sell the iPhone they would wipe the floor with the rest of the networks. O2 are also the only iPhone network to offer a 12 month contract.

O2_Daryll

Possedion wrote: »

In my experience - the o2 forum area is top notch b*LL, heavily censored, they dont take criticism too well - I tried and was banned, for basic complaint on upgrades.
(that was the main moderator as well - very nasty tone in his private message)
Its a place for all their mates to chat and pump up o2.

Yeah o2 really su(k on the customer service side, depends on who you get.
Trying to get an upgrade from them is a real begging game.

Wow, would you like to discuss this and figure out what has happened here because I doubt that a lot of that is true.

Possedion

Daryl: which part, the forum censorship or the upgrade attitude of o2?
I complained on your forum about how people have to plead their case on your forum to get things solved. "send me a PM"...was usual way - nice transparent!

I got banned and told I would be kicked of the forum if I said any more negative things about o2. After complaining on the talk to o2 forum on the upgrade process. "your constantly criticizing o2 on our forum, and not helping other users of the forum" - go figure!

Naturally I stopped using the forum, on the basis of the nasty message.

Maybe you should call the forum... talk to o2 but dont criticize us.

But maybe you should deal with the topic in hand here, as an o2 rep.
Are you bothered keeping business?? eh??
(o2 ->yeah you can have an iphone4 early upgrade(o2 can do) but its going to cost you a whopping 45 EUR extra every month until your due your upgrade...thats our early upgrade policy, customer -> but I am out of contract o2, and I have been a bill pay customer for 5 years... o2 -> we dont care)

---

Fortunately your network coverage is good, cant complain there!

Keano

Daryll, I have a question 1 question?

Can you please advise is there any solid plan in place to introduce a decent data plan for pre-pay customers?

O2_Daryll

Possedion wrote: »

Daryl: which part, the forum censorship or the upgrade attitude of o2?
I complained on your forum about how people have to plead their case on your forum to get things solved. "send me a PM"...was usual way - nice transparent!

I got banned and told I would be kicked of the forum if I said any more negative things about o2. After complaining on the talk to o2 forum on the upgrade process. "your constantly criticizing o2 on our forum, and not helping other users of the forum" - go figure!

Naturally I stopped using the forum, on the basis of the nasty message.

Maybe you should call the forum... talk to o2 but dont criticize us.

But maybe you should deal with the topic in hand here, as an o2 rep.
Are you bothered keeping business?? eh??
(o2 ->yeah you can have an iphone4 early upgrade(o2 can do) but its going to cost you a whopping 45 EUR extra every month until your due your upgrade...thats our early upgrade policy, customer -> but I am out of contract o2, and I have been a bill pay customer for 5 years... o2 -> we dont care)

---

Fortunately your network coverage is good, cant complain there!

What was your username? I don't remember this and the only reason I can think of for you getting a warning would be if we received complaints with regard to posts you put up. I have only banned 4 to 5 people since the forum opened and I am pretty sure you are not one of them.

As for PM's we need them so we can discuss account sensitive stuff. I am sure Average Joe would not like to have their number/name or the amount they spend every month posted on the forum for all to see. If this wasn't an issue I would have no bother posting this information in public.

Anyway, this thread is way off topic. If you want to discuss our Customer Care do you want to do it elsewhere? I am happy to talk about it further and if you have any suggestions I am willing to listen.

EDIT: oh an before I forget, The invitation is open. If the op wants to contact me about his business I am willing to discuss it with him. I can't do anything until I get more details.

O2_Daryll

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Daryll, I have a question 1 question?

Can you please advise is there any solid plan in place to introduce a decent data plan for pre-pay customers?

Eibhlin our head of Customer Care took this question this morning, while it is something we are seriously considering, there is nothing in place for me to discuss at this time.

dicknorris

Talk2O2: Daryll wrote: »

Eibhlin our head of Customer Care took this question this morning, while it is something we are seriously considering, there is nothing in place for me to discuss at this time.

in other words No

nasty_crash

O2 are constantly reviewing there packages - id say it will only be a matter of time before they will offer a competetive data package for prepaid customer cos the amount of prepaid customers that have smart phones are increasing so fast that they have to set something up!

i would agree with thomasj in what he said that o2 is the best overall - 3 the signal is bad outside of dublin and there customer service in mumbai is brutal! Vodafone is on line with O2 but there customer service is crap too. Like i left vodafone bill pay to o2 bill pay - and i was paying 300 per month on my bill from vodafone and they didnt want to know me - and i said could i pay to get free text bundle - they didnt want to know! i think every company has got there own nightmare stories.

I think its important for people to keep there eye out on the latest packages available - one of my family were on the old night owl tarriff!! haha!! thats crazy that they were still on it!!