Beware 02 Business users

[Anonymous]

Beware of 02 Business Contracts !

Beware of 02 Business Contracts ! I have a business contract with 02 and my managers all have mobile phones (20gb data and unlimited texts/calls.) We have been with 02 for nearly 10 years. Recently there was a problem with one of our phones, we received a bill for over £400 when it should have been £24. We discovered this was due to a function called wi fi assist and the device decided to use the data allowance instead of connecting to the usual wi fi spot, the user was not aware that this had occurred at the time . 02 won’t offer a refund for this amount because they have refunded once in the past and their policy is only one refund per customer, ever !. However it’s not the lack of refund that bothers me or reason for this post, I want alert other business owners on 02 contracts and highlight this problem. We asked 02 to help us prevent this ever happening again and requested to cap our employees billing so that the bill payer and not the handset user where in full control of the contract monthly payments. They refused, (I spoke to 4 different depts.) saying that they don't have the facility for this under a business contract, only personal contracts and that each individual user/employee will be sent a text when they are reaching their data allowance and they will be in control of whether the allowance is exceeded. I fundamentally disagree with this system for billing, I am the bill payer and don't give permission for any of my employees to exceed their data allowance. 02 only inform the bill payer via the invoice after the event. Very frustrating and totally unacceptable . I have 20 employees can you imagine if they all went over their data allowance my monthly bill could be in excess of £8'000 . Crazy system 02,  you have lost a long standing customer because of an inadequate management system that could end up costing your business customers a great deal of money, and I do believe there could be a compliance issue here too that has legal ramifications. Our business has now moved contracts from 02 to Three. We are receiving 30gb data, unlimited calls and texts for £16 per user, and most importantly the billing for each user is capped to avoid any such situations again. For businesses that want the security of knowing what their bill will be each month look elsewhere, 02 cant help you and really don't care. Please alos note that 02 wont inform you when you are leaving that you need to notify them and allow 72 hours for your handsets to be unlocked. They just issue your PAC code via text message and hope that you and you business are further inconvienced by this issue. Again, appalling sevrice 02, when PAC codes are issued and your customer is obviously leaving you should be required to unlock their devices, after all the device belongs to the customer and not 02.

[MI5]

You should do what we do and charge the individual user if they go over their allowances.
Surprisingly, no one ever does.

[jonsie]

I find it unacceptable because you are a business customer you are allowed to go over your allowance and incur massive charges whist consumer data is stopped. Seems like a money making racket to me. I'm sure it can be implemented the same for business customers that request it. 

I know it's a different platform and totally separate from the consumer system but they could if they wanted they could program this. For me this is just another example of inadequate systems and money can't be spared by O2 to upgrade them. 

[Marjo]

Hi @Anonymous welcome to our forum and sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with the data charges. We will make sure your feedback reaches O2; please don't hesitate to post again if you have any further comments.

[hivis]

I have almost the excat same issue.

 Almost 8 ks worth of bills spread over 2-3 months, all because one of my employees sons decide to run and run with data on his dads device without his dads knowledge, when abroad and also here in the uk. They refunded 1 shock bill, 2 k worth and basically said tough.

The sim involved was a sim for a device, not a phone, "we have sent texts" said o2, oh really said I, well can you tell me how we are supposed to see the text when the sim is in an ipad ?

8 phones on the contract , Im Leaving, simple

[MI5]

Do you think any other network would refund you £2k let alone the remaining £6k?
If it was used legitimately, it has to be paid for, like everyone else has to.
Maybe your efforts would be better spent chasing the employee for payment rather than trying to blame the network?

[Cleoriff]

As much as I feel for you with that type of bill @hivis, I don't think O2 is anyway at fault here.

Your employee took a risk allowing his son free access to his works device whilst away. So I would be pointing the finger at him, not O2.

The same would happen with whatever network you moved to.

[hivis]

Fair enough, but sending texts to a ipad sim that was listed as a tablet? in the contract reeeeaaaly ?

[hivis]

Oh and yes the finger was pointed at him, and his autistic son.

[MI5]

So, did he pay up?