O2 PAC response - There's been an issue processing your request

DrSparsamkeit

I have a PAYG sim with O2 and I use their £10 7GB/unlimited texts and calls bundle.  I fund this by topping up the credit by £10 just before the rollover date.  There is always an additional £1.47 of credit "headroom" on my account.

I've bought a Lebara PAYG sim and have sent a PAC request on the O2 network.  Instead of a PAC the immediate response is "Hi, it's O2.  There's been an issue processing your request, please try again later.  Want other options?  Personal accounts go to O2.co.uk/switch or call 202..."

According to the MSE top Sim-only need-to-knows "Under rules from regulator Ofcom, which came into effect on 1 July 2019, you no longer have to call your current provider to ditch it, so you avoid the hard sell of it trying to make you stay", which is what I anticipate O2 will try to do.

This is my first attempt to change mobile provider and I'd be interested in others' experience switching from O2 and advice as what to do next.  I have tried again later, twice, with the same response.

flaneurs_lobster

Did you make your request by texting 'PAC' to 65075?

DrSparsamkeit

flaneurs_lobster said:

Did you make your request by texting 'PAC' to 65075?

Yes I did.

DrSparsamkeit

As expected, it's a ruse to get you to contact their retentions team.  The customer adviser sent a PAC to my mobile, from 65075, and I've been able to submit it to Lebara.  He asked me to wait for the arrival of the PAC SMS and then confirm it with him.  During the wait he asked why I was leaving O2 and to my response of cheaper deal offered exactly the tariff I'm moving to.  Unfortunately that ship has already sailed.  No hard sell, and a perfectly amicable customer service experience, but I'm not sure O2 are operating in the spirit of the regulations.

Neil_Jones

DrSparsamkeit said:

As expected, it's a ruse to get you to contact their retentions team.  The customer adviser sent a PAC to my mobile, from 65075, and I've been able to submit it to Lebara.  He asked me to wait for the arrival of the PAC SMS and then confirm it with him.  During the wait he asked why I was leaving O2 and to my response of cheaper deal offered exactly the tariff I'm moving to.  Unfortunately that ship has already sailed.  No hard sell, and a perfectly amicable customer service experience, but I'm not sure O2 are operating in the spirit of the regulations.

Where does it say anywhere on this page that you can't call your provider for a PAC?

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/text-to-switch-simple-to-switch-mobile-network

The provider has to provide the PAC (ideally by text where possible), or alternatively via the online portal.  The failsafe will be the customer  call to the provider as it used to be if for whatever reason the text return isn't working.

southsidergs

DrSparsamkeit said:

As expected, it's a ruse to get you to contact their retentions team=

No it's not, it's a fault with a workaround of calling them

eDicky

It's normal for a major network to offer the same deal as that of whatever other network you're thinking of moving to, or perhaps even better it. For the user this can also be more convenient than switching. So why shouldn't they have the opportunity to make the offer .?