Nightmare Home Move experience with o2

[LucyLew]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm new to the forums and wondered if anybody had any advice to offer concerning a recent nightmare experience with o2, having previously used them with no problems. So much has ensued over the past weeks that I don't know where to start.

 

I had originally planned to switch to Sky. When I called to cancel my existing o2 broadband account, I was put through to the Retentions Team who initially offered 6 months free broadband. They later offered me a further 3 months free broadband by way of a credit on my account. My bill for 9 months would therefore be reduced to £13.50 i.e. £7.50 line rental and £6 for anytime calls. I was also offered a reduced charge for the installation of a new line at £43. I agreed to the deal and the date for the installation of the new line.

 

Shortly afterwards, I received an email advising me that I'd signed to the All Rounder Package for £25 per month (I'd initially been offered 'The Works' but I won't even go there because at this point, I don't think I even care & they won't take my word for it so...). However, I immediately telephoned and queried the £25 per month. I was told not to worry. It was just a standard email and the discounts would be deducted to reflect our conversations. I asked for email confirmation of the same. I had an email from the advisor concerned saying that the deductions would be applied after the home move. Incidentally, I've since been advised that that email "isn't strictly speaking from o2 because it is from an individual email account".

 

Next hiccup - the installation date was not honoured. o2 variously advised that I'd been mistaken, that I'd misunderstood, then that o2 had been mistaken etc etc. When I offered to send one advisor the email with the promised 'up and running date', I was told, 'sorry but we can't receive emails in this department'.

 

Third hiccup - the promised dongle to cover the interim period between my actual home move and getting up and running didn't arrive. I chased it up 3 times and eventually received it after 2 weeks.

 

So, in summary, endless phone calls with much conflicting information and promises of callbacks which usually didn't materialise.

 

Once everything was finally up and running, I checked my account online to see a charge of £86.81 for the new line which I queried. "Sorry but I don't have any record of you being offered the price of £43 for a new line". I also queried the figure of £25 for broadband and line rental. This equates to £17.50 for the All Rounder (existing customers are supposed to be billed at £12.50) plus £7.50 for the line rental. The £7.50 line rental isn't in dispute. Line Rental and Broadband are lumped together on the bill. It is the remaining £17.50 I'm disputing for existing o2 customers.

 

I was put through to another department who told me that yes, those details were correct - they would honour the free broadband offer even though it isn't showing but that once that offer had expired, I would pay a total of £31 per month i.e. £17.50 for the All Rounder, £7.50 for the home phone. The account indicates that the £25 already includes my o2 discount. *Boggled* And I was told I agreed to the figure of £25 at the time of signing up. I certainly did not. I disputed it immediately.

 

The only thing I'm certain they have honoured so far is 3 months free broadband by way of a £37.50 credit on my account.

 

Every single person I speak to tells me something different. All I want is to have my online account accurately reflect the proposed deal. I would also like the original connection fee to be honoured and for that also to be reflected on my account. I'm being sold so many different versions that I'll no longer be reassured until I see everything in writing. I was transferred to a supervisor in sales yesterday who was very patronising, talked over me and certainly didn't put my mind at rest. I don't think I can cope with any further phone calls to resolve this. I'm tempted to just cut my losses and go elsewhere within the cooling off period but obviously that means waiting for telephone and internet again. I'm exhausted with it all in the middle of a stressful home move.

 

I apologise if this is all very convuluted. And that's only part of it! I'd be very grateful for any advice anybody might be able to offer.

[beachkat]

wow Luce. needs some simplification just to absorb. Too longwinded but you do write coherently.

I don't let any company get away with bad service so here's my ten cents worth

Stop calling them. Start a formal complaint in writing to the quoted address that they're obliged to publish on their website.

Keep icy cool. Break your complaint down to 3 things you want them to do.

Ask for an answer or an action for each of your objectives.

 

From the date of 1st letter, they have 8 weeks to respond. When they do, write back again (date & number each letter i.e FORMAL COMPLAINT #3 12th Jan 2011). If they don't respond at all (really stupid) or can't offer an acceptable outcome before the 8 weeks cutoff then you can ask for confirmation of 'deadlock'. This will allow you to progress your complaint to their arbitration scheme (check Ofcom site for o2's particular arbitration scheme) The good news is, arbitration usually finds in favour of the complainant and companies hate it because it costs them money to respond.

 

Edited January 12, 2012 by beachkat

[locutus]

o2 are "Ombudsman Services: Communications" (renamed from Otelo)

 

From statistics I read (all be it a while ago) the results were the "Alternative dispute resolution" schemes were finding for the customer in under half the cases, and of those that they did find in favour of, 50% of them were not happy with how the ADRs dealt with it, and almost 1/3rd ended up taking the matter to court. Leaves me feeling they're a toothless qango, but it's free.

 

Read this

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref(User):str(Mobile),CASE=13668

[beachkat]

always nice to see positive encouragement

[my-spirit-soars-free]

I have asked O2 for the deadlock letter twice now.

 

Each time I get an email telling me they have received my email, and will be responding... and then nothing.

 

I have had to send them a snailmail letter to get a reply from customer services, and I have gone as far as emailing the CEOs office.

 

Still no deadlock letter, they just ignore requests for it.

[beachkat]

spirit - if 8 weeks have gone by (since initial complaint) then don't think you need a deadlock letter

[locutus]

Yup, 8 weeks have almost passed since you started this thread, so I'd imagine it's longer than 8 weeks already.

 

Visit http://www.os-communications.org/ and escalate the complaint to them. As I said above I don't trust the "independent" side of things, however they are free, and court action is still an option if you wish to take this that far.