@o2 Unwarranted default notices from O2

[yanny2308]

Well where to start?! I have been with O2 for many years now and decided in March of this year to upgrade my phone. I was told as an existing customer the £130 upfront fee would be waived, which set my decision to stay with O2. I was sent an email link to sign the agreement online and was told my phone would be with me the next day. This really was too easy to be true! I tried to sign the agreement but each time I got to a certain point the website came up with an error and I was unable to complete the order. The order was reset about 3 times by O2, but each time the same error appeared. I was therefore told to go into my local O2 store and they would do me the same deal. After dragging my 3 year old daughter along I was told at the store that they are a franchise and unable to do the same deals. After speaking with O2 again I was told there did seem to be a problem and to wait 24 hours and try the link again....surprisingly this still didn't work. I was therefore told to go into the O2 store again and pay the £130 upfront, and they would refund this to me, so that's what I done. It took around 6 weeks to get the money back from O2, and would have taken a lot longer had I not complained several times.

 

 

Anyway, when the same day I received the refund I also received a default notice saying I owed O2 £130! I called O2 to find out why I had been sent this and they advised that it was an error and the system had automatically generated the letter. I was told I wouldn't hear anything further. 14 days later I received another letter advising that because I had not paid the debt, it had been passed to debt collectors. I called O2 again and was told the same as before. A couple of weeks after that call I received another default notice for £18, which is the amount of my airtime plan per month, and which had already been paid on time. I called O2 again and was told the same thing again. No one was able to confirm why I had even received this one, as there is definitely nothing owing on my account. I asked this time for them to send me a letter to confirm that I did not owe any money, which they did. Today I have received the same second letter as before, advising that it has been passed to a debt collection company. I think it is pointless calling O2 again, as I am just told the same thing every time. They are so matter of fact, no apologies, just putting blame on "the system". Nothing has appeared on my credit file as yet, and have been told that nothing will be, but I am seriously lacking any faith in O2 at the moment.

 

 

I have spoken to the CAB who have advised me to write to O2 and ask for copies of conversation recordings, which they should have under the Data Protection Act. I looked on O2's website today and they say these can only be requested through a Solicitor, which isn't a problem as I work for a Solicitor's firm, but it also mentions something about a Court Order. I am really confused, and not sure what my next steps should be. In all honesty I just want to cancel my contract now, but not sure I have any right to do so. If anyone could offer any advice it would be appreciated.

[MaxxPower]

They're completely wrong about needing to request information via a solicitor. All you need to do is send them a SAR and they then have 40 days to provide all information they hold on you, including any call recordings. Absolutely no need for a solicitor at all, they're just trying to put people off getting information that can be used against them as evidence of their own incompetence.