Upgrading with O2 (Pay Monthly)

brettmirl · 16-09-2008 12:56pm

I'm really surprised that O2 have done this. In reality, how much discount off the handset did the upgrades give you?

Am sure that they were still not losing a lot of money based on the wholesale cost of the phones plus the fact that each upgrade means you are signed back into a 12 or 18 month contract.

Very bad PR on their part.

Having said that, I saw another thread where Meteor are doing the same to their bill pay customers too.

Will Vodafone and 3 follow suit?

Banjo · 16-09-2008 3:10pm

Same old sob story - current phone has a minor text-receiving issue, after speaking to Customer Care they told my to get a new phone and that I had a Silver upgrade, so I go in to the shop 2 days later to buy a new phone as directed and the upgrade is gone. CC could have at least said "get to an o2 store quick or you're buggered". Silver criteria has to be about spend, it's nothing to do with time - I've had the same phone for about 4 1/2 - 5 years and all I'm entitled to is a polite "f*** you" no matter how much I mentioned moving to another provider. If only I'd made more than 3 phone calls in those 5 years, then they'd respect me. And if only Vodafone would pick up the Sony w760i....

Interestingly the guy in the shop didn't say that the criteria had changed, he said there were no more upgrades. I asked if he just meant on the phone I was asking about, but he pointed to the "Upgrade" bit of the on-wall blurb, it just said N/A for all the phones.

Scruff · 17-09-2008 11:20am

well the only good thing about this is i feel much better about shelling out for a sim unlocked phone while i was on holidays! Will probalby have paid much less that if i was to get it from O2 now that my upgrade is gone. Hadnt used my upgrade previously as was wary about entering an 18 month contract.

Seems O2 are really on a race to the bottom to cut costs. 1st they outsource their i.t. now they change upgrade terms. what next?

Do any of the networks allow you join their pay monthly options without a contract if you dont want to get a new phone off them?

krudler · 17-09-2008 11:29am

Scruff wrote: »

well the only good thing about this is i feel much better about shelling out for a sim unlocked phone while i was on holidays! Will probalby have paid much less that if i was to get it from O2 now that my upgrade is gone. Hadnt used my upgrade previously as was wary about entering an 18 month contract.

Seems O2 are really on a race to the bottom to cut costs. 1st they outsource their i.t. now they change upgrade terms. what next?

Do any of the networks allow you join their pay monthly options without a contract if you dont want to get a new phone off them?

O2 do, you can get a sim only tariff, 30 days notice to cancel it at any time no contract involved and the plans are actually cheaper than if you got a phone with them

castie · 17-09-2008 12:32pm

4 days after not hearing back from the original person i rang again. This time the person on the other end blankly said "no upgrade" and didnt even give me a chance to say anything before she said "i will remove you from that contract now if you want" I told her go ahead so as of now i am not contracted to o2 \o/.

jimmycrackcorm · 17-09-2008 1:24pm

People should really vote with their feet on this. The networks are so saturated at the moment that they can bank on the majority just putting up with it.

freetoair · 18-09-2008 2:24pm

Similar experience but different results. Was entitled to a Gold Upgrade, took a look online and noticed I could purchase the K800i for nothing, decided to upgrade from work. Went to work, checked the site and upgrade was gone. I called customer services, spoke to a very nice girl and told her I was having trouble with the website, that I selected to purchase the K800i and upgrade disappeared and no order was processed.

To make a long story short, she said she had to process my issue and would put a Gold Upgrade back on my account in a few days. Three days later she called me back and told me that the upgrade was back on my account online. So it looks like they have the power to make a special case of someone, but I think the whole thing stinks and is deceptive! Having said that it's not the first time Telefonica/O2/Esat have done this, there was trouble back in around 2000/2002 with upgrades when they amended the criteria and many people lost out!

castie · 20-09-2008 6:29pm

Well ive changed. Had to change to speakeasy first as they wouldnt give me a previous bill since i was setup for paperless billing. SO changed to speakeasy and then hopped to 3 from there. All in all quite happy now. Got the SE C902 for 149 euro.

KatCookie · 20-09-2008 7:07pm

Wouldnt everyone be So mad if their Customer Care line had also increased in price.. i.e €1.00/min.. that'd make your bill go up a fair bit!

Doctor DooM · 20-09-2008 7:38pm

After 10 years, including 2 as an employee, I have left O2.

I did not wish to: I was perfectly happy with them, and was effectively driven away.

Money talks as I always say people. Stop complaining and walk away.

Irony is I have spend by the new criteria, they're just not authorising any upgrades at this point.

Ah-Watch · 20-09-2008 8:49pm

SDooM wrote: »

After 10 years, including 2 as an employee, I have left O2.

I did not wish to: I was perfectly happy with them, and was effectively driven away.

Money talks as I always say people. Stop complaining and walk away.

Irony is I have spend by the new criteria, they're just not authorising any upgrades at this point.

Sorry about your upgrade, hope you chose vodafone or 3

Doctor DooM · 20-09-2008 8:59pm

Ah-Watch wrote: »

Sorry about your upgrade, hope you chose vodafone or 3

Went with 3, I have a couple of people on the inside so hopefully the sucky customer care wont affect me too badly.

KatCookie · 20-09-2008 9:20pm

I thought 3 customer care was supposted to be quite good, my brother had a problem (they had his bank acc. number wrong, v honest of him to tell 3) and although he was on the phone to India, the person spoke good english and sorted all the problems..

Doctor DooM · 20-09-2008 9:39pm

KatCookie wrote: »

I thought 3 customer care was supposted to be quite good, my brother had a problem (they had his bank acc. number wrong, v honest of him to tell 3) and although he was on the phone to India, the person spoke good english and sorted all the problems..

I actually know several 3 employees and even they will tell you their CC is atrocious.

foggy_lad · 21-09-2008 1:13pm

three's phone service has been quite good and relatively hassle free for me on bill pay but anything to do with the handsets forget it as they dont allow updates at all for any handsets and their technical department is not great for basic troubleshooting.

Moojuice · 23-09-2008 11:05am

andyeire wrote: »

The cc rep told me that it was in the contract that they could grant and withdraw upgrades at will.

My point was they contacted me to get me on a new 18 month contract 3 months before my original contract expired .I agreed to do this on the understanding that i could upgrade my existing handset.This was 6 weeks ago

I didn't sign a new contract as it was all done over the phone.I even rang them back a few days later to confirm the upgrade situation .

Now they insist i keep to my side of the agreement but they will not honor theirs .

And yes i will move all of my business away from O2 but it will cost me over 360 euro to get out of my new 18 month contract.

Is this legal?

Small claims court? Leave the contract, pay the money and take them and see how it goes, it costs very little and would be worth it to stick it to O2. Chances are they wont even turn up and you will win by default.

foggy_lad · 23-09-2008 12:40pm

basically they promised a service(ability to upgrade) as part of your new contract whether in writing or verbally and they now say they will not honour that particular part of the deal so this is surely not legal or at least provides anyone involved with grounds to terminate the contract if it has started. delaying untill the promised changes in January could be seen as acceptance of the situation as it stands.

krudler · 23-09-2008 6:28pm

If you were put into a new contract under the assumption you were been given an upgrade or already entitled to one and dont want to remain in the contract just ring them and they'll take you out of it, you should have been sent a letter informing you of the verbal contract and if you werent agreeing to it to respond within 7 days, if you didnt get the letter, no contract, simple as, its something they are taking people who are understandably miffed about out of commitment for

Aepos · 27-09-2008 2:56pm

Surely a verbal contract is not worth the paper its written on......

I'm in the same boat as the rest, due an upgrade, they phoned me and offered a new contract seemed ok at the time but upgrade now gone. I can't honestly remember getting a letter from them confirming or otherwise the contract. So as far as I'm concerned they can go to hell. The small claims idea is a good one even if I have to cough up a few euro to O2 prior to the claim.

We shall see what happens,

danger mouse · 27-09-2008 4:45pm

Anyone smart enough would get off the o2 network as quick as possible. And to the people that got a call off o2 asking them to change their tariff and sign another 18 month contract. Just port off and dont pay the bill. Nothing happens anyway. I know loads of people who have just ported and not paid the remaining amount on the bill because they felt ****ed over. They send you a few letters trying to scare you but feak all they can do about it really. Debt collection letters is about as far as it goes.

Oryx · 27-09-2008 5:08pm

Reading this Ive never been so glad I changed network a while ago. Ive been with 3 since January, and they tell me Im due an upgrade of some description in three weeks. And their tariff meant my bills halved anyway.

As everyone else says here. Vote with your feet and leave o2.

andyeire · 27-09-2008 11:25pm

Aepos wrote: »

Surely a verbal contract is not worth the paper its written on......

I'm in the same boat as the rest, due an upgrade, they phoned me and offered a new contract seemed ok at the time but upgrade now gone. I can't honestly remember getting a letter from them confirming or otherwise the contract. So as far as I'm concerned they can go to hell. The small claims idea is a good one even if I have to cough up a few euro to O2 prior to the claim.

We shall see what happens,

Same here ring them tell them you did not get letter and want to go back to old contract.IF they argue ask for recording of the call where you agreed to new contract .This call will have cc rep promising upgrade so they will not give it to you and will have to let you out of contract.

This has been posted on this thread before and i can vouch for it it worked for me.

andyeire · 30-09-2008 10:44am

Got letter from O2 reinstating upgrade from the 1st of November.By way of compensation an offer to buy priority tickets for a concert at the point.

Looks like they have been forced to back down.

foggy_lad · 30-09-2008 5:34pm

andyeire wrote: »

Got letter from O2 reinstating upgrade from the 1st of November.By way of compensation an offer to buy priority tickets for a concert at the point.

Looks like they have been forced to back down.

can you let people know if you get your old upgrade reinstated in November or if it has been reduced in any way?

talkingclock · 30-09-2008 6:16pm

the letter is going to people who got their upgrade approved before the 12th of september (the day the new upgrade policy came into effect)

andyeire · 30-09-2008 6:25pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

can you let people know if you get your old upgrade reinstated in November or if it has been reduced in any way?

Was originally platinum then went to gold then nothing now back to platinum.

Ah-Watch · 30-09-2008 6:34pm

andyeire wrote: »

Was originally platinum then went to gold then nothing now back to platinum.

Its not that their backing down that was the plan all a long but what I understood was that you got free priority booking and not paid booking

Chinese Mafia · 01-10-2008 4:54pm

They have reverted the criteria to normal!!!! well I guess they are as some people are saying that they have an upgrade again. Does it have something to do with being the first of the month or has someone made a mistake. If you think you should have an upgrade go check it now!

Absolutely mental

danger mouse · 02-10-2008 6:21pm

Yeah it's true o2 have dropped the spend amount back to something realistic

Frank_Gooding · 03-10-2008 10:01am

Got the call about changing to an 18 month contract.

Glad I was so cynical about it now and didn't lock in.

No worries I am out of contract and will change when the phone needs it.

Bye Bye 02

Upgrading with O2 (Pay Monthly)

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