The dreaded Apple Watch won’t connect error 08

[ta88ycat]

After O2 cancelled the wrong watch on my account (!), I am unable to setup my watch again. 
See error below. I have been on with support who took my watch serial number (?) and reset it then told me to try 24 hours later. I still get the issue. 
This happened to me a few years back when trying to reconnect a cancelled watch. Support had no idea at the time. It was O2Sarah or O2Emma who fixed it on the spot.

help!

paul

The error is:

We’re setting up your Apple Watch on the O2 network and we’ll text you when it’s all done. If you don’t receive a text within 24 hours, call 202 for free from your O2 mobile, quoting reference code 08.

[Oxonian]

@ta88ycat 

Please keep us updated on developments ! 

[ta88ycat]

No such luck. Still broken. 
I’ve been in with O2 many times now, no one knows a thing, they closed my last ticket too - shambles. On with complaints now, but “ our call volumes are high at the moment” <- usual story, not enough staff, quality of support is rubbish. Thinking I may have grounds to cancel and move to EE ….

[ta88ycat]

I do have an error code 10 now after the sim swap and repairing of the watch. O2 still none the wiser.

[ta88ycat]

Got through to O2. 15 minute wait. 
they answered and hung up. 
Rang back…..30 minute wait….

painful. 
is anyone senior in O2 aware of this ? 

[ta88ycat · Accepted solution]

Fixed!

got through to complaints and the nice lady told

me I needed a new eSIM on my account as the watch was showing no sim and no connection. 
2hours later I received a text saying my watch plan was successful and my setup worked. 
Solution - if the watch has no sim

and no connection then complaints need to add

your plan back on and that should fix it. 

interestingly out of all the support and calls and texts and Twitter messages - this last person in Complaints was able to assess the problem, research the error and fix it. 
happy days. 

[Oxonian]

@ta88ycat 

I am very pleased that your issue has eventually been resolved. 

[mrdel]

having this issue now and no one can help!

[gmarkj]

You need to keep going with o2 customer services @mrdel as there is no-one on the community who can resolve it.

The phone numbers are given in this post above , as well as links to the o2 social media team.

[cccccc]

Has anyone successfully added an Apple Watch to an O2 airtime plan when they own their phone outright so it's not strictly a device plan that runs with O2? My phone was bought independently and isn't a historic O2 device that was paid off. Customer service has been a total nightmare recently

[Oxonian]

Could I suggest @cccccc that you do a detailed search of this forum for your problem ? There are absolutely hundreds of posts about Apple watches and one of them might - just might - contain an answer to your question. 

Please let us know how you get on.