Chronic Service Failures and Unresolved Billing Issues with O2 – A Call for Transparency and Account

[Rahman]

Hello Community,

I wanted to share my ongoing struggle with O2 and seek any advice or similar experiences from this forum. My issues began in October 2023 and have persisted without resolution, leading to significant distress and financial impact.

Summary of Issues:

• Poor Service: Since October 2023, I have experienced continual poor network coverage and service disruptions. Despite numerous complaints to O2's customer service, these issues remain unresolved.
• Billing Disputes: I have been consistently billed for services not provided. This includes a whole year of charges despite the lack of functional service, reflecting a serious breach of contract on O2's part.
• Unresolved PAC Codes: Despite settling all outstanding balances, O2 has failed to issue the PAC codes necessary for me to switch providers, further trapping me in a service that does not meet my needs.
• Debt Recovery: The final bill was escalated to a debt recovery agency unfairly, adding to the distress caused by the initial service failures.

Attempts to Resolve:

• I have reached out to O2 through every available channel, fulfilling all payment demands under the assumption that this would lead to a resolution. Each interaction is well-documented, showing a clear timeline and the lack of appropriate responses from O2.
• Despite promises made by various service representatives, no effective solutions have been provided, nor have any refunds been issued for the inadequate service period.

Seeking Legal Counsel:

• Given the lack of resolution and the direct financial and emotional impact of these issues, I am currently seeking legal representation to pursue a settlement or court award. I am considering all options, including escalating this matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

A Call to the Community:

• Has anyone else experienced similar issues with O2? How were you able to resolve them?
• Any advice on dealing with prolonged service and billing issues, or on engaging legal help, would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story here. I hope that by bringing these issues to light, we can foster a more accountable service environment and prevent similar situations for others in the future.

[Bambino]

@Rahman You say you've been through every available channel, but you didn't say if you had lodged a formal complaint. If you haven't done that, you really can't take anything further. The ombudsman will not hear a case from you unless your complaint to O2 is deadlocked and you receive a letter from O2 stating that. I don't think there's any point in taking legal advice until you go through this process. Here is the link to get you started: How to Complain | Help | O2 We have been told the response time from the complaints department is eight weeks, so prepare yourself for that, and good luck.

[Oxonian]

Or unless eight weeks have elapsed @Bambino, in which case you can escalate to the Ombudsman without what O2 refer to as a "final position letter" :-

Customer+Complaints+code+250924+V0.2.comp.pdf

https://www.o2.co.uk/documents/456036/3782743/Customer+Complaints+code+250924+V0.2.comp.pdf

What happens next?

If you’re not happy after we’ve responded to your complaint, or if your complaint isn’t resolved after eight weeks, you may wish to refer your complaint to an Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is a free service, which will independently review your complaint. They investigate complaints fairly by listening to both sides of the story and looking at the facts. Their decision is binding on O2, but not on you as a customer.

O2 work with two Ombudsman service providers, depending on what your complaint is about. When you speak with our complaints team, we’ll make sure that if you remain unhappy you’re provided with a final position letter, which will detail what we’ve done and advise you which Ombudsman you should contact.

I assume that the "....or if your complaint isn’t resolved after eight weeks...." is how complainants escalate if they simply do not get a response from the Complaints' Review Service.