Since receiving my iphone 4s in june I experienced continuous problems with the software crashing, I presumed it was app related and so didn't bother o2 with this, just used itunes to restore the phone. This seemed to solve the problem for maybe a week then I'd experience signs of it faltering again until it would crash and I would restore again. This went on for quite a while until one day in August my phone crashed completely and wouldn't even turn on for me to be able to restore. So again, believing this was a software issue I visited my local apple store, they were great, they did a dmf? restore and everything seemed fine for maybe 2 weeks. It crashed again but not so I couldn't do a restore so I did, then it crashed again just a couple of days later and I decided that this was ridiculous so contacted o2 via their online chat (17.09.12).
I was dealt with by a very friendly, helpful representative who arranged for my phone to be picked up the next day. They did promptly.
On 19.09.12 I received a call from the repair team, the guy asked me about the issues I'd been experiencing with my phone and I explained that pretty much since receiving it I'd had software issues which got progresively worse. He then told me that explained the damage they'd found, water damage to the points which unfortunately could not be repaired. My only option was to buy a replacement handset for £139.
I was shocked at this and didn't at the time think to go over the FACT that the phone had the software issues since receiving it. I told him I can't afford to pay for a replacement to which he told me I don't really have an option as if they returned my phone I'd only experience the problem getting worse and worse until it stopped working completely. He did however offer to spread the cost of the replacement phone over a couple of months bills to 'help' me out. I reluctantly agreed as I need my phone for both work and family security and as he hung up he said "he'd get them working on the repair straight away"?
I realised what he'd said conflicted with what he'd said earlier so then got straight back on chat trying to get a number to call to get back in touch with him. Eventually I got someone else in the repair team and I questioned her as to the state of my phone, she confirmed that they were sending me a replacement phone not carrying out a repair. I asked that as I own the 'faulty' phone can I have it sent back to me, this she confirmed, that they would send me back my original faulty phone. I was told that my replacement phone would be delivered to me on the friday the 21st and my original 'faulty' phone would follow.
On the 21st I waited in all day restricting me from leaving my office to visit clients and earn my living. No delivery arrived, my building is glass, I can see every delivery that arrives from my desk and there was not one that day. By just before 5pm I decided to get in touch with o2 again to find out what was happening. I got someone on chat whose name I recognised, I mentioned that I thought I'd spoken to them earlier in the week, they ignored that (I now realise that the representatives name is not neccesarily used by the same person every time so I guess its not a legal requirement for a representative to correctly identify themselves as it is over the phone?). She confirmed that my "replacement phone had been dispatched on the 20th and should be with me at some point that day".
I was pretty annoyed by this but none the less I waited until Monday to complain and try and find out when I might receive my replacement phone. Now I'd obviously been lied to by the repair team but I was not expecting the level of deceitfulness I have experienced since monday the 24th until today the 27th.
On the 24th I spoke with yet another o2 chat representative, explained the issue with the phone that didn't turn up (he confirmed they had received it back that morning) and went through my concerns re the repair team and that I believed the phone was provided to me in the first instance with the fault. I was told that because I've 'accepted the quote' that there is nothing I can do about it??? I told him that I had no choice but to accept the quote of £139 for a replacement phone because I can't be without the phone and be stuck with a useless £45 a month contract.
Anyway I asked for the contact details of someone higher up that I can direct my complaint to but was assured that he had 'escalated the issue to the further designated authorities? We then went on to arrange the re-delivery of my phone which he claimed he did and that it would be with me the following day. I asked him to confirm that my original faulty phone would follow and he told me that it would after repair? I questioned him saying "after repair? I was told that it couldn't be repaired hence I would have to buy a replacement phone?" he replied "Yes according to notes on your account there was liquid ingress and it had damaged dock connecter"
Anyway the phone did not turn up the following day and as I now had access to the courier (dpd) website I could track it. That showed the parcel arrived at you local depot at 01.27 and that was the last action, so you'd presume from that that the re-deliverey parcel reached their depot at 1:27am that morning and that it was still there awaiting dispatch?
So I waited until Wednesday the 26th. Was put through to yet another 'person' in the repair team who apologised for all the hassle I'd experienced and told me he'd mailed the couriers to arrange re-delivery AGAIN! But because I'd been without a phone for a few days he'd credited my account with £5.......
And so to today, This time I was adament I was going to get some answers! I managed to find a way to contact the couriers directly over the phone and was told the following: O2 had not put my full address down and so the delivery went to a neighbouring business address where it was refused, it was returned to my local depot where it sat until the evening of the 26th and was then sent back to o2, they signed for receipt of it this morning, the 27th. I told him they'd told me on at least two occasions since the failed delivery of the 21st that they'd re-arranged delivery, he denied this, no delivery had been arranged.
I was obviously now pretty irked by all of this so opened up a chat with o2. I told the guy I got that I wanted to speak to someone in authority about this, eventually after having to go through it all again I got one of the repair team managers.
"I'm sorry for the incorrect information given to you. If I were in your place Nick, I'd have felt the same way" Obviously not.
"I can see that your faulty phone was repaired and sent to you. The 1st half of the repair charges will show on your next months bill" !!!??? So I replied...
"Well again, this is something else thats new. I have asked and had it confirmed both verbally and over chat that I am paying £139 for a replacement phone, NOT a repair"
" I also stated that as I am paying for a replacement phone that I want my faulty phone returned to me, it was confirmed to me it would be sent back to me. On another chat I brought the issue of my faulty phone being returned to me up again and was told that it had been repaired and would be sent back to me."
" I even questioned them because I was told that it could not be repaired hence I had to 'agree' to buying a replacement" The reply I got was just......
"I'm sorry for the incorrect information given to you. The phone was water damaged and not covered under manufacturer's warranty. Hence there was a charge of £139 charge for the same."
"Please don't worry, half of the charge will show on the next and the remaining on the following month's bill."
So basically according to this guy he's sorry I've been lied to throughout but its tough, you're paying for a repair to a water damaged phone and there's nothing you can do about it! So I went over everything again, that the phone had damage when I received it etc etc etc then he came out with something that just made stupid look intelligent
"As you've one of our valued customers, I'm sending you the iPhone 4S refurbished handset to you and you'll receive it on Monday"
"The phone which got faulty is with us and we won't be able to send the faulty handset back to you. We're sending a replacement handset for that." ???? Didn't he just say my phone had been repaired and sent back to me and thats what the £139 charge was for????
"you yourself have told me that the original faulty handset has been repaired? "
" Yes Nick, the handset has been repaired however as you've been promised a replacement handset, I'm sending the iPhone 4S refurbished to you."
"At what cost?"
" You'll be charged £139 as discussed with you."
"you are saying that you are charging me £139 for a new refurbished handset which I will receive on Monday correct?"
"Yes, you're correct Nick."
"Ok, right the original faulty handset which as far as I and everyone outside of o2 that I have discussed this with agrees that must have been faulty before it was sent to me belongs to me and so by every conceivable consumer right must therefore be returned to me or you alter my monthly bill to take into account that I am no longer paying for that phone through my contract"
"or you return it to me as well as the new refurbished handset"
" I am sorry for that Nick"
" I am arranging a call back for you. So, we can have this sorted for you."
So o2 and o2 customers I'm now awaiting a call from the complaints department. The reason for my posting all this in the forum is this, has anyone else experienced such idiocy and a similar scenario to mine because I'd like to know how you coped without going insane???
