The O2 Mobile Phone Upgrade saga concludes

01 Jun 2009

Conclusion

I finally managed to get the O2 XDA Serra (HTC Touch Pro) but boy was it a hassle! (See Trying to upgrade my O2 mobile phone) I had to start a new contract with O2 and lose my old one that I'd had since 2004. I now know that this means I've lost 5 years of loyalty bonus points (or similar). I only found this out when I tried to get my PAC for my old O2 contract and the "retention team" offered me 18 months free with 250 text messages and 75 minutes. Yes, FREE.

Other problems along the way were:

  • "You can't take an existing simplicity tariff number onto a new O2 online tariff"
  • Paying for two contracts for a number of days whilst O2 muddle along
  • O2 actually trying to get me to keep two mobile contracts. Why would I want two mobile phone contracts? I can only use one phone at a time!
  • Plenty of mis-communication
  • Numerous calls to and from O2 Customer Services
  • No offer of a "sweetener" to say sorry although they did end up manually transferring my phone number after I threatened to cancel both contracts.

When my 24 month contract is up I will do everything in my power to use an alternative mobile phone network.

I now have my O2 XDA Serra (HTC Touch Pro) and I'm very happy with it.

What I should have done

I should have phoned up and tried to cancel my contract as soon as I was displeased with the service. I then would have been put straight through to the "retention team" at O2 who would have done everything within their power to keep me. This most probably would have included getting the XDA Serra (HTC Touch Pro) for a discounted price and getting a better general tarriff. You live and learn.