Computer says no -- O2 declines customers only because the 'system' says no!

claireysl · 24-10-2009 08:37PM #1

Here is my story of trying to get an O2 mobile broadband since about 4 months ago. Life was better before O2.

June, 2009
Around the end of June this year, I went to an O2 shop in Artane Castle (A shopping centre), Dublin, Ireland, tried to apply for an O2 mobile broadband with student discount (I am a student). They typed all my information include date of birth and bank details into that computer, then told me that I was declined.

They couldn't give me any proper reason but told me that many other customers also encountered this problem. 'The SYSTEM declines people randomly, it just happens some time.'

July, 2009
I wasn't told that I have to wait a couple of months to apply again. A few weeks later, at the beginning of July, 2009, I decided to go to the O2 shop on Henry street in Dublin, Ireland. I thought it's a bigger shop and it's in the city centre, maybe I could get at least more information. The sales people in the shop were friendly, they took all my personal information include bank and credit card details, type them into a computer, then told me that because I was declined last time, I have to wait 2 months FROM NOW to apply again.

I asked about the reason, thought they might know better. 'We just type all the information that the SYSTEM ask, the SYSTEM gives the results. It happened to many other people before. Sorry.' he said.

September, 2009
I waited, 2 months, since July. In September 2009. I went to that shop again. There're a lot people there, so I asked one of the sales people if I am able to apply again? Then I was a bit shocked by his answer that the waiting period is 3 months! DEFINITELY, he said.

October, 2009
Then I waited another month, and in October 2009. Last weekend (17 Oct), I went to that O2 shop on Henry street again. I think this time should be ok. It's been more than 3 months now! They went through all the procedure as usual, took all my personal information, bank and credit card details, put them into a computer. That two lines of red words appeared on the screen again! The quite nice sales girl asked me if I was declined before, if so, I have to wait 3 months to apply again. I told her I was declined before, but it's been more than 3 months since then. Then she said she's not sure about this either. She asked another guy in the shop. '6 months, everyone knows that, DEFINITELY!!!' he answered.

I was a bit pissed off, why do they give me DEFINITELY answers every time which are definitely different!? The sales girl kindly offered to ring the senior department of O2, to check if there's another solution. After about 20 minutes' waiting on the line we finally got to speak to some senior member. Then the procedure started from the very beginning again, every piece of my personal information, every digits of bank details and credit card details.

Then I got the most frustrating answer ever. She said: ' It is 6 months, according to the SYSTEM, and you have to wait another 6 months FROM TODAY. Wait the system to delete your information automatically, then you can apply again! '

' We type all the information required into the computer, and the SYSTEM calculates all the data, gives out the results. ' the sales girl tried to give a more scientifical explanation.

' You didn't tell us that you're declined before. ' the guy I talked to in July recognized my face and tried to blame it all on me. ' But it's you who told me to wait 2 month last time I applied. ' I answered.
' I don't know, no body knows, we type information into the SYSTEM. You are declined, the SYSTEM could give thousands of reasons to decline you! It happened to many people! ' he became a little tense.

I left. I think this is the most rediculous thing I've ever encountered.

Y2J_MUFC · 24-10-2009 09:51PM

Uh, what? This makes absolutely no sense. They don't want customers?

I'm not sure I understand why they would randomly decline customers.

JHMEG · 24-10-2009 10:11PM

I'm sure Meteor, 3, or Vodafone will be only too happy to take your money. I don't know why you are persevering with O2...

schween · 24-10-2009 10:16PM

That story actually sounds like it came from Little Britain. Write some letters to annoy them.

foggy_lad · 24-10-2009 10:24PM

then when you finally get your o2 mobile internet they will block many sites on the whim of some english internet net nanny service lol you are a glutten for punishment

Sponge Bob · 25-10-2009 12:12AM

they could be maxed out in your area and keep extending their planned upgrade by a month every time they are asked

better than completely overloading their network !

douglashyde · 25-10-2009 12:26AM

I use to work in O2 and the system you are talking is used to process contract accounts. it's called credit vetting. The system itself doesn't actually decide yes or no.

The system is fed information about you to determine who you are, it then sends your information of and is then sent back your credit score. If your credit score is below a certain number then you are refused and have to wait 6 months to re apply.

Your credit score is got from the ICB. www.icb.ie

The sales person can't see your credit score, or why you where refused.

O2 use this system to determine risky customers.

douglashyde · 25-10-2009 12:27AM

Y2J_MUFC wrote: »

Uh, what? This makes absolutely no sense. They don't want customers?

I'm not sure I understand why they would randomly decline customers.

its not random, its people with a credit score below a certain level that are deemed to be risky.

namelessguy · 25-10-2009 12:30AM

JHMEG wrote: »

I'm sure Meteor, 3, or Vodafone will be only too happy to take your money. I don't know why you are persevering with O2...

Ditto. Come on, the rejected you 3 times and you've been waiting for 3 months. Commons sense should have kicked in by now and made you go else where.

Honda08 · 25-10-2009 07:13PM

douglashyde wrote: »

I use to work in O2 and the system you are talking is used to process contract accounts. it's called credit vetting. The system itself doesn't actually decide yes or no.

The system is fed information about you to determine who you are, it then sends your information of and is then sent back your credit score. If your credit score is below a certain number then you are refused and have to wait 6 months to re apply.

Your credit score is got from the ICB. www.icb.ie

The sales person can't see your credit score, or why you where refused.

O2 use this system to determine risky customers.

o2 have no access and are not members of icb
so therefore they cannot access or see your icb report.!

o2 use an in house system to calculate a credit score based on the info you give.

claireysl · 26-10-2009 12:37AM

Thanks guys, I'm with 3 at the moment, reasonable price and not too bad speed.
I won't wait another 6 months for o2.
I just don't understand their logic, it sounds really weird that a bunch of human beings were trying to keep a computer happy!

claireysl · 26-10-2009 12:59AM

douglashyde wrote: »

I use to work in O2 and the system you are talking is used to process contract accounts. it's called credit vetting. The system itself doesn't actually decide yes or no.

The system is fed information about you to determine who you are, it then sends your information of and is then sent back your credit score. If your credit score is below a certain number then you are refused and have to wait 6 months to re apply.

Your credit score is got from the ICB. www.icb.ie

The sales person can't see your credit score, or why you where refused.

O2 use this system to determine risky customers.

Thanks for your info, the credit thing is a bit complicated to me, but does it mean that they decline risky customers randomly?
'cause I have a friend who is in a fairly similar situation as me, both students, the same year, with the same bank, started with the bank around the same time, both living in Dublin, for about the same time...he got it at the first time, I was declined 3 times.
unless he is a really lucky bastard?

motijanu · 28-10-2009 07:00AM

i think u r licky u havent got the o2 internet because i paid 458 euro only for 1 month .dont u think so it is too much

claireysl wrote: »

Here is my story of trying to get an O2 mobile broadband since about 4 months ago. Life was better before O2.

June, 2009
Around the end of June this year, I went to an O2 shop in Artane Castle (A shopping centre), Dublin, Ireland, tried to apply for an O2 mobile broadband with student discount (I am a student). They typed all my information include date of birth and bank details into that computer, then told me that I was declined.

They couldn't give me any proper reason but told me that many other customers also encountered this problem. 'The SYSTEM declines people randomly, it just happens some time.'

July, 2009
I wasn't told that I have to wait a couple of months to apply again. A few weeks later, at the beginning of July, 2009, I decided to go to the O2 shop on Henry street in Dublin, Ireland. I thought it's a bigger shop and it's in the city centre, maybe I could get at least more information. The sales people in the shop were friendly, they took all my personal information include bank and credit card details, type them into a computer, then told me that because I was declined last time, I have to wait 2 months FROM NOW to apply again.

I asked about the reason, thought they might know better. 'We just type all the information that the SYSTEM ask, the SYSTEM gives the results. It happened to many other people before. Sorry.' he said.

September, 2009
I waited, 2 months, since July. In September 2009. I went to that shop again. There're a lot people there, so I asked one of the sales people if I am able to apply again? Then I was a bit shocked by his answer that the waiting period is 3 months! DEFINITELY, he said.

October, 2009
Then I waited another month, and in October 2009. Last weekend (17 Oct), I went to that O2 shop on Henry street again. I think this time should be ok. It's been more than 3 months now! They went through all the procedure as usual, took all my personal information, bank and credit card details, put them into a computer. That two lines of red words appeared on the screen again! The quite nice sales girl asked me if I was declined before, if so, I have to wait 3 months to apply again. I told her I was declined before, but it's been more than 3 months since then. Then she said she's not sure about this either. She asked another guy in the shop. '6 months, everyone knows that, DEFINITELY!!!' he answered.

I was a bit pissed off, why do they give me DEFINITELY answers every time which are definitely different!? The sales girl kindly offered to ring the senior department of O2, to check if there's another solution. After about 20 minutes' waiting on the line we finally got to speak to some senior member. Then the procedure started from the very beginning again, every piece of my personal information, every digits of bank details and credit card details.

Then I got the most frustrating answer ever. She said: ' It is 6 months, according to the SYSTEM, and you have to wait another 6 months FROM TODAY. Wait the system to delete your information automatically, then you can apply again! '

' We type all the information required into the computer, and the SYSTEM calculates all the data, gives out the results. ' the sales girl tried to give a more scientifical explanation.

' You didn't tell us that you're declined before. ' the guy I talked to in July recognized my face and tried to blame it all on me. ' But it's you who told me to wait 2 month last time I applied. ' I answered.
' I don't know, no body knows, we type information into the SYSTEM. You are declined, the SYSTEM could give thousands of reasons to decline you! It happened to many people! ' he became a little tense.

I left. I think this is the most rediculous thing I've ever encountered.

jor el · 28-10-2009 09:56AM

motijanu wrote: »

i think u r licky u havent got the o2 internet because i paid 458 euro only for 1 month .dont u think so it is too much

Don't use text speak on an Internet forum, there's no need for it.

douglashyde · 30-10-2009 02:39PM

Honda08 wrote: »

o2 have no access and are not members of icb
so therefore they cannot access or see your icb report.!

o2 use an in house system to calculate a credit score based on the info you give.

While O2 are not members of ICB, they use its information. If they purely relied on in house information, then they could only figure out risky customers if they used o2 before.

The big difference is that if you dont pay your o2 bills, its wont effect your credit score, however o2 still draw from the credit score to determine if you are a "risky customer"

douglashyde · 30-10-2009 02:46PM

claireysl wrote: »

Thanks for your info, the credit thing is a bit complicated to me, but does it mean that they decline risky customers randomly?
'cause I have a friend who is in a fairly similar situation as me, both students, the same year, with the same bank, started with the bank around the same time, both living in Dublin, for about the same time...he got it at the first time, I was declined 3 times.
unless he is a really lucky bastard?

Its not random, however how ICB decide your credit score may be a bit unfair. The Irish Independant had an article recently about a man that was in debt on his credit card for a short amount of time. This one hic-cup on his Credit report caused him to be declined a house mortgage.

Also another point to be made that might explain your situation is that you add to your credit score as well as decline, for example paying your loans, credit card etc on time will give you a higher credit rating. Even in some cases, having a bank account will increase it.

if you go onto the www.icb.ie you can apply for your credit score. it costs a few euro to do.

fcukreg · 16-11-2009 12:16AM

Forget about visiting O2 shops. Definitely not the place to get answers when the "computer says no". And remember, someone had to program "the system" to process your application and provide a "go/no-go" to the shop....and someone had to tell the programmer what = Accept & what = Reject. So yeah, some people in O2 know EXACTLY why your application was refused.

On the face of it, it sounds like a credit related issue, as someone highlighed earlier.
Bottom line is: assume nothing...check with ICB - ICB get things wrong sometimes....
"ICB is owned and financed by it’s members which are mainly financial institutions."
That's very reassuring - I'm sure everyone would agree...?

Then there is The Commission for Communications Regulation...you can lodge a formal complaint. If you apply the effort in the right places you should get an answer...

http://www.comreg.ie/

http://www.askcomreg.ie/about_us/contact_us.26.LE.asp

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/consumer-affairs/consumer-protection/consumer-complaints/making-a-complaint-about-telecommunications-or-postal-services

sonic.trip · 16-11-2009 01:03AM

fcukreg wrote: »

"ICB is owned and financed by it’s members which are mainly financial institutions."
That's very reassuring - I'm sure everyone would agree...?

got it in one mate. . .

write a few letters and kick up a fuss, don't get o2 and give your business to someone else that wants it.

Matt Bauer · 16-11-2009 02:00AM

Be glad you didn't get a chance to sign up with O2. Their service is horrible.

Their order prevention department did you a service.

Computer says no -- O2 declines customers only because the 'system' says no!

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