o2 shambles

Slimtons

Hello all,

this is my first post on these forums as I'm hoping to get advice about dealing with o2.

On the 3rd December 2010 I began the process of trying to make an insurance claim after my iPhone 3G stopped working. It is now 19 days later and I have still not received a replacement phone.

There have been a number of issues:

1. I took the phone to an o2 store to enquire about the problem. They suggested I go to an Apple store to have it looked at. the Apple store advised me to go to o2 and the o2 insure people told me to go an o2 store. The result of it all was that it took 3 days before I was able to receive the necessary documentation to process my claim.

2. When I tried to process my insurance claim I was informed that the amendment clause in my contract had been activated an that the excess fee of £50 would be on my next bill!

However, when I purchased my insurance I was informed the excess fee was £25 and was not informed of an amendment clause.

Was I therefore mis-sold my insurance at the outset as I was not given full, adequate and accurate information regarding the contract into which I was entering?

3. In protest at the unwarranted and unmerited doubling of the excess fee I cancelled the delivery of a replacement handset. Yet 3 days later, 13th December 2010, a courier arrived at the door of my parents' house with a new handset. They were unable to accept the goods as they did not have my broken handset in order to make an exchange.

I immediately telephoned o2 insure and told them that I would take the phone as I had already been charged the £50 excess fee on my bill. They said they would re-organise the delivery and send the phone out.

I waited one week for the delivery but nothing has arrived - I telephoned o2 insure again and was informed that as I had refused delivery of the handset on the 13th December the phone were being returned to dispatch, based in Crewe, and would not be sent out again until it was accounted for.

I received absolutely no communication from o2 to advise me of what was happening and they twice ignored my instructions - originally sending the phone out when I asked for my claim to be cancelled and then they sent it back to dispatch after I agreed to take the goods.

4. I have spent the last few days speaking to o2 Customer Services and finally got an email address to send my complaint to. I have now been informed that it could take up to 10 working days for the complaint to be dealt with.

That means this whole scenario will take well over a month to resolve, despite the fact I have already paid £190 to o2 insurance (£10 a month for 19 months) and have been charged a £50 excess fee.

Can anyone provide any advice on:

• how to escalate my complaint further and quicker?
• whether or not I was mis-sold my insurance initially?
• what I can reasonably expect o2 to do in order to rectify this situation?

Any help/advice/guidance would be gratefully received.

Cheers

Techhead_2

It seems to me much of this 19 days is due to your own actions.

How to make an insurance claim is in your insurance paperwork, you phone the insurance company. You would take it to an O2 or Apple store only if you wished to have a repair under warranty.
The change of terms and conditions obviously wasn't known about when you took out the insurance, so you can't have been mis-sold. There was a lot of publicity about the change of terms and conditions but its fair enough that you weren't informed. What you should have done is progressed with the exchange and then complain, claiming back the excess. By complaining and refusing delivery, you have delayed the resolution.
Its not your fault that the weather has caused a delay in return to the insurance, however neither is it O2 Insure's fault.
Details of how to make a formal complaint to them are on their website and also in your terms and conditions. (See O2 Complaint Review Service).

Personally, I would have called the insurance company, arranged the exchange and then complained about not being informed about the change of terms and conditions. If delivery was delayed because of the weather I would have waited for eventual arrival and then sought a nice credit to my bill.

Slimtons

It's not really down to purely my actions though........

The advice I was given by o2 staff, in all departments and stores, was poor and conflicting. Also, the o2 insurance staff told me to take the phone to an o2 store or Apple store to receive a "BER report" before they would process the claim. Therefore you are not totally correct in saying that I would only take it to an o2 store or Apple store if I was looking it fixed under warrany.

Another inaccuracy in your comment - you actually have to phone o2 customer service when making a claim. They then pass you to the insurance company. Would it be too much to ask for the o2 staff in their stores to pass on that information without sending me round the houses?

Secondly, I was happy not to bother receiving the handset and continue using an old phone for a few months until my upgrade is due. However, it was o2 who sent the phone out, and also charged me the £50 excess, despite me informing them not to process the claim.

The delivery was therefore not refused but my parents could not receive the goods as they did not have my broken handset in order to make the exchange - this is because the delivery was totally unexpected as I had cancelled it.

Thirdly, when I then contacted o2 insure to inform them that I would take the delivery they told me it would be re-delivered. They provided me with no updates and it took a phone call from me a full 7 days later before they informed me that it was being returned to dispatch.

My complaint isn't necessarily specifically to do with the 19 days - it is to do with the fact that o2 customer care is a shambles and a debacle and they cannot carry out simple instructions or keep their customers informed of their actions.

It is mostly their inability to provide basic information and basic customer care that has resulted in this incident and while my actions have not been totally faultless I was not provided with the necessary information or guidance from o2 staff.

Techhead_2

Much of what you say is interpretation and emotional noise . Its quite clear how you should have proceeded.

Slimtons

Well techhead - it's quite clear that you have the last 4 letters of your username correct but there are 4 far more appropriate ones which should precede them.

Much of what I say is factually correct while most of what you say is factually inaccurate and unhelpful.

Hopefully someone with a tad more clarity and ability to provide guidance will reply to this thread.

ryantcb

Any fault with the iphone is dealt with by Apple at the apple store (as long as it is under warranty usually 1 year) they will just replace your phone there and then. I have had 4 iphones as always just made an appointment with an apple genius and got my phone replaced. Im not sure what your claiming off insurance for if it's a manufactural fault, like it not working.

Slimtons

ryantcb, thanks for the legitimate query.

I have had the phone for 19 months unfortunately so it is out of warranty.

The handset is still working to a degree but the volume buttons/silent button don't work and there are issues with the speakers as well.

When I explained the problem to o2 they told me it was an electrical fault and not covered by my insurance. However, the problem has been caused by case separation as I have dropped it a number of times.

So as the phone is out of warranty and my policy covers accidental damage I decided to claim on insurance. If the phone had been under warranty I just would have had it replaced at an Apple store.

ryantcb

applecare plans are sold secondhand so maybe you can get one for £20 (as seen at CEX) and use to have phone replaced. maybe.

Techhead_2

Thanks for the personal insult, it shows that you are approaching this without a clear calm head.
Much of what you said IS emotional noise. You obviously have posted not wanting to hear constructive criticism.
When complaining you should always use a plan like this and stick to it with a clear calm head:
One or two sentences which summarise your problem. Then a concise list of contacts/events. Finally a statement as to what you wish to happen.
As I and others have said, there is a difference between claiming under warranty, under the sale of goods act and claiming on your insurance.
This is why the insurance company asked you for a report.
Its also important that you untangle in your mind the issues of your insurance claim, the change of terms and conditions and the delay.

Guys_Dad

Slimtons wrote: »

Well techhead - it's quite clear that you have the last 4 letters of your username correct but there are 4 far more appropriate ones which should precede them.

Much of what I say is factually correct while most of what you say is factually inaccurate and unhelpful.

Hopefully someone with a tad more clarity and ability to provide guidance will reply to this thread.

I think the difference here is that you are subjectively involved and you have a number of issues going round in your head, whereas Techhead is looking objectively at your issue. I don't agree that he is a****head, and if you look at his other posts, you will see that he is switched on and helpful.

Certainly it would have been better if your Original post was about 1/3 of its length and you just raised the main points more succinctly.

You ask for advice.

Well get your replacement phone first and then see if the Insurance t&c allow them to change the excess from £25 to £50 mid contract.

Keep any emotive phrases out of your correspondence if you want a result.

Recognise that there are many, many departments in O2 and they have procedures and, regrettably, when you refused delivery, you put their "internal systems" into play. Maybe not a smart move on your part.

Hope you do get this sorted out.

Slimtons

Yes I came on to ask for advice - not to get an aloof response and to be spoken to like an imbecile.

The original post was merely an attempt at giving the full background to the incident and wasn't written in the style of a letter of complaint. If I had realised the forum was to be treated as an official arena for complaints perhaps I wouldn't have been as informal in my description.

I of course acknowledge that I am not whiter than white in this course of affairs but there is no doubt that o2's customer care has benn shoddy and sub-standard.

I hope this post is acceptable and devoid of the dreaded "emotional noise".