Reporting a lost phone

[Anonymous]

Hi

Has anyone ever had an issue reporting a lost phone? I used 'live chat' yesterday to report it, I was told that in order to do this I would need to provide two numbers that I call or text regularly. I explained that the numbers are on the phone which is lost so I could not provide them, I was told by the live chat operator that there was nothing he could do and suggested I call 4445 from my mobile to speak to someone about it. Again explained I did not have a phone so could not do this, was told there was nothing they could do!

Managed to find a landline and called o2 and was told exactly the same thing, unless I could provide the numbers there was nothing they could do.

So effectively my phone is out there lost somewhere and unblocked so anyone could be using it and draining the credit that is on there. Thankfully there is only about £8-9 on there.

This seems like a crazy system and the questions o2 are asking are impossible to answer unless I carry round a list of all my numbers with me just in case I lose my phone!!

Be interested to hear if anyone else has had this. I would have thought cancelling a lost phone would have been a priority for o2 customer services but clearly not!

Thanks

Kevin

[MI5]

Are you been asked for the numbers because you can't remember your security question answer?

[Anonymous]

No I can remember it but apparently this is not acceptable?! Below is the transcript, the English is shocking:

O2 : I need details for the security reason.
O2 : Our customer account safety is our priority.

O2 : Without these I can't access the account.
Kevin Gillard: So why have you not asked me my security question?
O2 : I've already asked you.
O2 : I need to know, two numbers you call or text regularly.
Kevin Gillard: No the security question set up on my acount. My mother's maiden name
O2 : I'm sorry as I need above details.
O2 : Shoaib: My mother's maiden name is might be security question of Online account.

[Bambino]

If you know someone who has an O2 phone you'd be much better off calling and speaking to someone. You won't get very far with chat. It's pretty useless. Do you have the IMEI number of the phone? It would be on the box the phone came in, if you still have it.

[Anonymous]

I do have the IMEI number and I did call them but got exactly the same response. The guy I spoke to said they could not help me and that he 'would get in a whole load of trouble' if he did anything without me providing him with the two numbers I call frequently.

Seems like a crazy system, I can understand requiring that information for general account queries but blocking a lost or stolen phone should be something they can do straight away without requiring information that is on the phone that is lost!! There is so much other information I could give them to verify my identity.

[MI5]

Most bizarre, maybe the security tightening just went OTT !!!
The obvious way around this is that if you call your mother and wife regularly just ask them for their numbers and write them down for the next time you call in to O2.......

[Anonymous]

O2 customer service strikes again!!

I understand the need to pass security to block a phone or we'd all be doing as a friday night prank on our mates in the pub.

However they could ask different security questions if you don't have the answer to one. There are 5-6 different variables to everyone's accounts so they could be more forgiving. (Never thought I'd say that!)

[Toby]

Hi Kevin,

Sorry for being late with this, I have sent you a private message in case you're still having trouble.

Cheers, Toby