O2 new contract, phone not arrived

tryingtosave2025

First time posting so hope this is ok and in the right place!
I ordered a new phone and contract with O2 on 7th December, meant to be next day but had a text every day for 2 weeks saying it was delayed and would be with me soon.
On 20th December received a text to say my number would be ported on 23rd, phone would arrive on 20th. It didn't but tracking said it would come on 23rd. On 23rd my current phone stopped working due to number being ported , at 11am a package arrived containing just a screen protector, no phone. 
I called O2, was hung up on a few times until eventually I was told O2 made an error and they had arranged for it to be sent and it would be with me the next day (Christmas eve) I was also on a web chat at the time with them and an hour later they typed that they were waiting for a response from the courier. I said about the conversation I had just had and asked them to confirm to which they said they couldn't confirm this due to there being only one tracking number which was delivered that day (the package with the screen protector).
On 24th I waited in with my children but no phone arrived.
On 27th I called again and again got hung up on a couple of times but then spoke to someone who told me the phone is lost in transit. I questioned this as had been told it had been resent, she just said it's been lost. She said my only option was to drive to an O2 shop and collect a new phone there instead, they would have to call O2 and speak to someone to sort out the same black Friday deal I'd got. This is difficult for me as I have two children, one of whom has severe learning disabilities and autism and he can't wait in a shop while I do this. I asked if they could instead just send another phone but the lady said they could but if they did, because it would be a replacement phone it wouldn't be a new phone! I said but I haven't had the phone and she basically said this didn't matter and didn't change that it would be a replacement phone and so wouldn't be new.
I called the nearest O2 shop which is out of stock of the phone I've ordered. My number has been ported to a new phone I don't have so I've had to set up a pay as you go SIM for my phone so that I can be contacted. They have also sent me a bill for the time between 7th and 20th December to be paid by 6th Jan! 
I've raised a complaint with the ombudsman as I had an email from O2 "resolving" my complaint with a £9 credit which I hadn't agreed to! I believe that I should be compensated for this but I don't really know what a reasonable amount to request is or what my rights are. I don't feel what the lady told me about the replacement phone not being a new one can be right. I don't really want to stay with O2 now as I don't trust them at all.

Grumpy_chap

Why have you had to set up a PAYG SIM?
Would the O2 SIM not work in your old phone?  New phones have been supplied as unlocked for quite a long time now.

tryingtosave2025

I haven't received the new phone or new SIM. They have ported the number for my current phone to my new phone which I don't have,leaving my current phone with no number attached to it. I've tried to get another PAC code to transfer it back again but because it's showing as in progress still (from 23rd) I can't get a new PAC code. I've asked them to generate a PAC code but they won't do this.

Grumpy_chap

tryingtosave2025 said:

I haven't received the new phone or new SIM. 

OK - thanks
I'd missed that you had no SIM or phone and thought it was only the phone that was missing.  I note you say it was only the screen protector that was actually received.
When the package arrived containing just the screen protector, had the package been damaged?  Was the package of a size that it would only ever have contained a screen protector?

tryingtosave2025

No problem, I forgot to put I hadn't received the SIM either 😊The package did not look to have been tampered with in any way. It was completely intact and the slip inside the package only said it contained a screen protector, no mention of the phone itself on the slip. Personally I don't believe the phone was sent at all but they are blaming the courier. I have looked on trust pilot as well as some comments on O2 social media and it seems this same thing has happened to other people as well as me with the long delay and then receiving only a screen protector when they should have received a phone.

Grumpy_chap

tryingtosave2025 said:

The package did not look to have been tampered with in any way. It was completely intact and the slip inside the package only said it contained a screen protector, no mention of the phone itself on the slip. 

That is good as, at least, there is no potential for anyone to claim the phone was taken by anyone in the delivery / receipt chain so no unaccounted loss to investigate.

Is the phone model in generally short supply?