O2 Taking my money from bank

[mandyy]

Hi, i canceled my o2 account in october... i received a pac code to move the sim onto pay as you go... they still taking my money... i emailed then a few weeks ago and got a reply back saying my contract was NOT cancelled... so i got angry and sent another one back saying yes it was because my sons sim was now pay as you go and he had been recieveing lots of texts to that number...

so i phoned o2 and they checked and said sorry yes it should have been cancelled and that they would pay me back any money due... well i got yet another bill and no money.. so emailed them back and they said they owe me £31.50 and i would have it within 2 weeks...

now yesterday i check my bank and they have taken yet another £35 out grrrrr.. i am so p****d off with them after about 7 emails and phone calls they are still ripping me off... i left the direct debit open because my daughters phone is still with them and also i assume it needs to be open for them to put the money back into my account...

i just don't seem to be getting anywhere... i have asked 3 times for an email or phone number for complaints but they will not give me one

and i don't seem to be getting any of my money back yet..

does anyone have any advice???

thank you
mandy

ps... i know i shouldn't have but in my last email i swore at them (asked if they were taking the ****) now i doubt i will get any reply

[yourbank]

Cancel the DD with your bank, and ask them to claim the two payments under the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme.

[installspark]

Sadly the first 2 email addresses are unlikely to get any comlaint resolved as they are personal emails of team managers. Whilst not defending o2 par se, if everyone were to start emailing these people, what would happen to customers of the relevant TM's agents who need to speak to a manager when they have a complaint????

Posting email addresses for senior management is fair enough.

[installspark]

Originally Posted by mandyy

Hi, i canceled my o2 account in october... i received a pac code to move the sim onto pay as you go... they still taking my money... i emailed then a few weeks ago and got a reply back saying my contract was NOT cancelled... so i got angry and sent another one back saying yes it was because my sons sim was now pay as you go and he had been recieveing lots of texts to that number...

Just to clarify, is your son receiving calls and texts to the original contract number or the PAYG number that came with the SIM?

I know I'm asking the obvious, but did you actually use the PAC which was supplied?? If not then the number would not have been transferred across to PAYG and the contract will still be active.

Originally Posted by mandyy

i just don't seem to be getting anywhere... i have asked 3 times for an email or phone number for complaints but they will not give me one

Official postal address:

O2 Complaint Review Service
PO BOX 302
DUNSTABLE
LU6 9GN

Complaint team's actual postal address:

O2 Complaint Review Service
Telefonica O2 UK Ltd
Arlington Business Centre
Millshaw Park Lane
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS11 0NE

Contact Numbers:

Direct dial 0845 3300684 - chargeable
Switchboard 0113 272 2000 - ask for the complaint review service team - use if your landline or mobile package has inclusive call allowance

Originally Posted by mandyy

ps... i know i shouldn't have but in my last email i swore at them (asked if they were taking the ****) now i doubt i will get any reply

Should hear some of the things I've been called on the phone....

[mandyy]

Hi thanks everyone for all the info... o2 say they owe me £73 and it will be put back into my bank within a few days... so fingers crossed i will be getting it and they are not taking anymore from my bank account...

answer to one question... yes my son was recieving text to his phone after it got moved to pay as you go... but for some reason it's stopped working now anyway... nothing major though as he has another number

mandy

[Wadebridger]

In December '07 I ordered a Nokia Nseries, which arrived when I was in hospital, but after being released from hospital and examined the phone, I phoned o2 to say that the Internet image of the phone didn't show the many buttons on the side, which is unsuitable for my disabled hands.

Their reply was that as the 14 days had elapsed the only way to change to an iPhone was to obtain another contract, which I cannot afford to do on contract.

Over a great many months I kept complaining about the Nokia phone, but alas they kept stating that the only way to change was to have another contract.

Back in early December I phoned o2 to ask why they to take £154.77p from my bank account on the 15/12/08, as during the time that they stated the phone was browsing the Internet I was actually in hospital, which can be proved. I was informed that the complaint would be passed on for investigation and they would text and email me, but alas no email, call, letter or text received and they took the entire amount from my account.

I did state that I cannot afford for them to take the full amount from my bank, as I'm a registered disabled person who only obtains Disabled Living Allowance each month and need money for the carer, etc.

But instead of contacting me to arrange installments for payment, which was clearly stated to me during the call to them, they took the full amount from my bank. When I found out that I had no money to pay the carer and for food for xmas, I then had a panic attack and another stroke, which put me into hospital. Thanks to o2 I've had the worst ever xmas ever !

I phoned them again on the 27/12/08 after returning home from hospital after I find that they are to take another £57 for use when I was clearly in hospital.

The guy that I spoke to informed me that their investigation team didn't look into the matter at all from my previous complaint, but simply passed it off as take the money from my bank account. It also seems that those that look into these matters are always trainees, although managed by a manager, they are never checked to see if they have looked into any matters.

As they are fully aware that I am a Registered disabled person, confined to a wheelchair with Multiple Sclerosis and having had five stem strokes, that my complaints would disappear if I died, as from their lack of consideration it is obvious to myself that this is their attitude towards a contract customer.

Is is true that my partner has an iPhone and I find it much easier to use that the Nokia, with large touch buttons, etc., and no button along the sides, which interfere with my being disabled.

Therefore I firmly believe that Apple's iPhone should be regarded as the ideal phone for disabled people.

It is also true that I teach Apple Mac computer skills at my local college, plus operate a free help desk support on a how to service for the Mac and have a great many students, but alas until o2 rectify their customer services, I don't believe that they will obtain customers from my students.

[Wadebridger]

It seems that the head of complaints of o2 is a Cheryl Black - Director

[installspark]

Jeez..... A right royal cock up would be a mildly polite way of describing your situation.

Yes, the dispute over the internet useage should have been investigated as requested. However the debiting of the money from your account may not necessarily have been able to be stopped at the time, this was dependant upon what stage of the billing cycle the account was at at the time. The easiest way of preventing the money ging from your account would have been to cancel the direct debit with your bank.

That aside, there still remains the issue over the disputed internet useage.

I would suggest that you write to the complaints team, see my earlier post for the actual postal address, and send this recorded delivery. In your letter I would detail your complaint as per the actual timeline, quoting dates, times of call where possible and any names taken. In your letter to o2 I would also detail what would be an acceptable resolution for your complaint e.g internet chages credited back, early upgrade without penalty to the iphone etc. Also state in your letter that you require the complaint to be dealt with in writing, as the complaints team will try and do this over the phone. This way you have written proof of what has, or has not, been agreed.

[Wadebridger]

Since the 27th insertion above, I received an email from them stating that there are to charge me £103 instead of the £57 for Internet browsing !

On the 27th December the guy at O2 clearly stated that no more charges would be added for browsing as from midnight on that night and therefore I turned off the phone and turned it back on again the following day, in the hope that I didn't need it to phone for an ambulance for me, as I always keep it near in case I need the emergency services quickly.

I suggest that their network has holes within it's security, as my phone clearly states within the log that since obtaining the phone the sent data is 2.97Mb and received is 8.59Mb and none during the past few months !

When they wouldn't replace the phone for one that is suitable I kept having to phone them, as they kept charging me for texts, when in fact the original contract clearly states unlimited texts, which they eventually stated that this has to be assigned manually by them.

I see from the area upon their website of today, which has been witnessed that they state within the area of:
'Understanding inclusive allowance'
that I am only allowed 500 messages and 500 online double messages, which is obviously incorrect, plus from their website it clearly states that I have 1Mb browsing allowance and NONE used.

So why are they trying to charge me for NONE used ?

Snapshots have been taken of each of the pages and witnessed.

I have sent them a recorded delivery letter, but firmly believe that I won't receive a reply, as it is my belief that there are enormous holes within the way that they do business and their network.

I am prepared for the Nokia to be examined by an independent company under my supervision in order to prove the facts, as if O2 wanted the phone sent to them, it is my belief that they will try to alter to save themselves.

[Wadebridger]

As yet O2 haven't replied to my letters sent by recorded delivery, first received by them on the 2nd January and twice more again.

Since then have written a direct letter to the company chairman, stating that as his staff have failed to reply, I expect him to reply personally to each of the questions raised in my original letter and to the other points raised upon headed paper with his signature and not one or more of his employees.

Am now writing him yet another letter, giving him just seven days before placing it the hands of the media. Additionally some good friends have designed some good posters, detailing the facts, which am sure that the company chairman and the public will appreciate reading on their way to work !

Maybe then I'll receive the suitable reply to my numerous letters in detail, personally signed by Peter Erskine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Telefónica O2 Europe plc and Executive Director of Telefónica S.A.

If no letter received from and personally signed by Peter Erskine, then each of the board of directors will each receive copies of the letters sent by recorded delivery.

[buzby]

I think you need to chill a bit - writing expensive letters to people who have no direct input (or interest) but most importantly, any input to resolving your problem, all it will do is continue to make Royal Mail more profitable.

From what you've explained, you selected a phone that was unsuitable for your purposes - well, we all make mistakes. The fact that you didn't return it within the required time is unfortunate, but there is no flexibility allowed and this has always been the case. There are sometimes useful get-outs under the DSR and/or SOGA, but there was no failing in the handset, just your ability to use it, and because of this most of these protections will not help you.

The issue of the tariff you are on clearly needs to be clarified - the first obvious check is the phone number you are using, does it tally up with the one shown on your contract, and is the SIM number, on the phone box or the blue envelope that came with the phone bear the same SIM serial number that is actually printed on the plastic?

[Wadebridger]

Eventually received ALL of the money returned in full, so the letters worked !
Then this month received a notice from the bank that they had tried to £80.21p for two mobiles !, obviously the bank was monitoring them as I'd asked them to, so payment was refused after I contacted O2, whereupon they stated that I was over charged again and I can pay just the agreed amount as on the contract and they would credit the account, which will appear upon next months statement.

[buzby]

They've already broken your trust, and do not deserve ANY DD on your account. If you continue to give them access in this way, you will find it difficult to challenge their incompetence in this way in the future (should this happen).