www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk - poor customer service

Cragdoo71

Mrs is currently on a monthly rolling contract with O2 (meagre 1GB of data plan) and an old handset, so decided to upgrade her to a newer handset and data allowance, with not too much of a price increase on her monthly tariff (£14). So using the MSE mobile guides etc, found what looked a good deal with www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk for a Samsung A71 , with 5 GB of data , no upfront cost and for £21. Ordered the phone Saturday evening, but as soon as we had placed the order, we noticed hidden down the list of offers a cashback tariff for 25GB data (same phone A71) for £21.54 (after cashback). So we emailed their customer services, as it was after their operating hours, asking if we could swap the 5GB tariff for the 25GB tariff. We thought it would be easy same hand set, same company, same everything just changing the tariff. 

Decided to call them on Sunday to speak to an adviser, who proceeds to tell us that we would have to decline the hand set delivery (hadn't even been dispatched yet!!) and take out a new contract, which would mean another credit check. I questioned this, as it's surely just a back end system change?? Nope, have to go through the whole process again.

So handset arrives on Monday, and I refuse delivery, courier was ok about it. Tuesday the Mrs calls them up as the new 5GB tariff has appeared on her existing O2 account , and because the handset was never accepted, she wanted to check there would be no charge. Then mobilephonesdirect tells us, no the full monthly cost £21 will be charged as the sim had already been activated when the order was completed, and it will take up to 5 days for the cancellation to go through. The operator then said she would have to speak to her manager to get this checked, but had been unable to get them, so will need to email us either tonight or tomorrow with an update.

I can't believe in 2021, they still need to cancel the contract and redo the credit check, even before the item ordered had been dispatched. They can't just change the tariff on the back end system. And how can they charge the full £21 if no handset or sim was received? I thought the monthly charge included a percentager towards the handset cost??

So far have been less than impressed by www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk

PHK

Personally, I don’t think they’ve done anything unusual. It’s common for a contract to need to be cancelled rather than amended and for a contract to begin before you receive the SIM and/or handset (it will all be resolved when the cancellation is complete). 

jnm21

It is frustrating that common sense does not prevail!

That said, it could be that the system is locked down for fraud prevention (i.e. so staff can't manipulate their mother's order so that she gets a better deal or easier credit check).

I recently placed an order for an 'in stock' item with a major retailer (a car part for my dad) - slightly surprising was that at checkout it said will email a dispatch confirmation... I didn't dream that this meant we take your order & email you a dispatch date weeks later!

On calling them, I hit a brick wall - there had been an issue with my credit card...

I exploded - why was I not told?

Usually this & that...

No, in this case what happened? In any case I paid with store credit...

Oh, can I place you on hold one minute?

Several minutes pass...

I can't tell you why, I'll have to log a ticket & you'll hear back in 24-48 hours!

Asked to speak to manager - is there a limit on how long they expect customer to wait?  What about next day delivery? 

No. Then he started getting clever about how it would be next day delivery from the point of dispatch (which could be whenever they choose)!

Icing on cake was no way to lodge complaint - this was it!  A week on, still waiting for the in stock item with next day delivery!

Most big companies seem to have a 'we've got your money, you get it back if you can' attitude in my experience.

I hope you get it resolved.

FWIW, your wife may not be credit checked again - I think o2 approve you for a number of lines at a time - alas you won't know until you check credit file!

chistery

It wouldn't surprise me that if the networks see a change of plan, they deny the commission to the dealer as the original plan has changed and then it's not payable on the new plan as it's not technically a new contract.

It also stops people doing this all the time. I've seen posts about people wanting to change the colour of phone or other things. If it was easy to do, people would find any reason to make a contract change.

Cragdoo71

so they've charged the full £21 despite never having received nor used the handset ....sigh

jnm21

Cragdoo71 said:

so they've charged the full £21 despite never having received nor used the handset ....sigh

I believe that this is common - frustratingly you have to call the network to say 'please sir, can I have my money back'!  They of course hope you forget!

Cragdoo71

so the latest ...email received from mobilephonesdirect on 16th July advising the return had been received, inspected and refund in process, expect within 7 days. Wife called them today, 24th July, only to be told "oh it's 5 days from disconnect ..which was on 21st July" ....getting the run around from this lot. So they can enable the service remotely, without the sim being received, and start charging for 'connection' but it takes 5 days to disconnect, then another 5 days to refund .....absolutely fuming at this lot. I'll stand by the post title, poor customer service. Avoid these muppets

Cragdoo71

now they're saying refund will be on *next* month's bill ...not the 5-7 days as stated in their emails. Very dishonest lot

meanwhile we have to wait on this lot sorting themselves out, before we can arrange a new handset for her