O2 changing to a lower tariff after 6 months

borgs

I bought a pocketPC phone on a £30 a month tariff with the idea of switching to a £16 a month tariff after 6 months. This meant that I got the phone for about £140 cheaper than if I'd bought it pre-pay.

I won't know until I've got the next bill whether O2 have actually switched me to their £16 a month service for sure BUT I've had the following problem:

When I rang up a month ago asking O2 to switch me from O2 200 to O2 25 in a months time I was told that, since I'd been a customer before January, that all of my unused minutes would rollover so that I could use them for at least the first month of my O2 25 tariff. This came as a big surprise and I asked the 02 representative to check but he was adamant about this and even checked it with his manager.

So, I'm a few days into my O2 25 tariff month and on holiday when I decide to use some of the 12 hours of unused minutes that I had on phone calls that weren't necessary thinking "well, they're there I might as well use them".

When I got home I find that all of my O2 25 minutes have been used up (as expected) and that O2 are actually charging me for the excess calls rather than taking them out of the 12 hours of free minutes that I had rollover (not expected!!)

My online summary is showing that I have 12 hours of free calls available for use THIS month at the same time as showing me that it is charging me for the calls over the 25 minute limit which is bonkers.

I rang up O2 and low and behold they say I was given wrong advice and I will be charged.

But the thing is their online billing system is actually showing that I CAN use the minutes that have rolled over.

So I'm wondering what my options are since:

1) I was given bad advice up front OR the original advice was correct but their billing system is wrong - I have no way of knowing.
2) Even if I was giving bad advice their online billing system is showing me that I am entitled to use the 12 hours of rollover free minutes which sounds like breaking the trades description act to me.

I will be using Easy Mobile from now on as O2 are not getting a penny off me save for the £16 for the next 6 months that I am contracted for.

I wouldn't have minded to lose the 12 hours of minutes as long as I knew this so that I wouldn't have made the unnecessary phone calls.

zappomatic

O2 Online's billing system is a mess - several times I've had to contact them using the billing query form as I've been charged for texts and calls that should have come out of my allowance. Try using the online form or phoning again, as different people there seem to say (and do) different things.

borgs

zappomatic wrote:

O2 Online's billing system is a mess - several times I've had to contact them using the billing query form as I've been charged for texts and calls that should have come out of my allowance. Try using the online form or phoning again, as different people there seem to say (and do) different things.

Thanks for that. I've now used the online billing query form. No response yet.

Edit: Still no response despite sending two enquiries. Just got my next bill and looked at the account and they have now removed the free minutes from the O2 200. I've decided to use my free minutes each month (5 months to go) and then take the sim out and switch it with my easyMobile sim. I won't be renewing my contract and I won't be giving O2 any more of my money except for the line rental remaining on the contract.