[access-uk] Re: An O2 story with lessons to be learned
- From: "Jackie Cairns" <jackie.cairnsplace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:13:11 -0000
Hi Tony
S and S were more than happy to restore my software, but the problem was
that because O2 had lost, destroyed or damaged my N82 - they gave me various
scenarios - it was going to cost £52 for a cross-phone transfer because
Nuance require an IMEI number to which the software is tied. I think O2
were hoping to pay nothing, or as little as possible, and because I wanted
to get like-for-like and not have a branded phone, I stuck it out.
It's very hard and stressful though, and you need to be determined and have
your wits about you at all times. I sought legal advice from Trading
Standards, and they were more than helpful.
Anyway, with any luck, I've got a satisfactory outcome. I could have
threatened to take O2 to a Small Claims court, where they may have had to
pay me compensation for hurt feelings and all that. But, at the end of the
day, I just wanted a phone that worked, not someone elses, and I felt that's
what they were giving me, any refurbished half-baked piece of kit they could
find.
Still, hopefully sorted, but a real reminder to people to be extremely
careful about sending in handsets to network carriers who are completely
clueless, even if they appear to understand at the point of entry. Once the
phone goes to the Repair Centre, not Nokia, you've had it!!
Kind Regards,
Jackie Cairns
J&M Work-Ability
jandm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.work-ability.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
tony sweeney
Sent: 24 February 2011 09:45
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: An O2 story with lessons to be learned
Hi Jackie,
Thank you for sharing that horrific story with us!
I can kind of empathise with your story as once my phone needed repair and
although I told o2 not to interfere with the assistive software guess what,
just what they did, wipe it I mean!!
I was lucky that my Talks supplier replaced it no problem without a charge.
I have to add in fairness that I find o2 great apart from that incident.
Anyway well done on your perseverance in getting your problem satisfactorily
resolved.
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: Jackie Cairns <mailto:jackie.cairnsplace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 9:23 AM
Subject: [access-uk] An O2 story with lessons to be learned
I hope the moderator will forgive a long post, though I will try to
make it
as brief as possible given it is a complex story that requires the
major
points only for this purpose.
In December, I switched from Vodafone to O2 because I get a better
signal
with O2 over here. I was reluctant to do so as I had been with Voda
for
many years, but I got a decent Simplicity tariff from O2, and that
was fine.
Unfortunately, however, when I went to replace a SIM card in my N82,
the
holder in which it sits came off in my hand, and I was unable to put
it
back, so therefore couldn't get the card to lie in its slot so it
could
connect.
I took the phone to my nearest O2 dealer, explained what had
happened, and
specifically requested they did not touch the software on it, merely
repaired the SIM card holder. They knew it was an unlocked and
unbranded
phone. Now this is a very important point.
One week or so later, their Repair Centre rang to say that the phone
could
be fixed if I was willing to pay £28.81. I asked if the SIM card
holder had
been fixed, and that everything else on the phone was as I had left
it, that
is, Talks etc. They said it was, so I paid the fee.
When the phone came back a week later, I was shocked to discover an
N86,
locked and branded to O2, sitting in a flimsy box. I contacted the
store
and Repair Centre at this point. I was told that O2 do not accept
unlocked
and unbranded phones for repair, and that mine had either been lost,
destroyed, or flashed, meaning my software had been wiped.
A very long and drawn out period then ensued. The Store Manager,
who had
been initially very helpful, suddenly went on leave following a
bereavement,
and his Area Manager took over, a less helpful person. I refused to
accept
the N86 given it was locked, branded and refurbished, and didn't
even come
with a charger which is different to that on an N82 anyway.
I sought legal advice, and that got things going in my favour.
Yesterday,
the Area Manager received the letter I had been advised to write and
copy to
various departments of O2, so they were willing to listen to reason.
Glenn
Tookey at S and S had given them costings for an N82 that he still
has a few
of, plus putting Talks onto a phone etc, but they weren't really
interested.
During a conversation I had with the Area Manager yesterday, where I
advised
him he had to settle the dispute within 14 days, he said he wished
he could
give me any handset, but was limited in what he could offer. He
happened to
say: "I'd give you an iPhone, Blackberry, anything if it was helpful
to
you". When he said iPhone, I decided instantly that it would be my
best
route. I've always resisted going down that road, and am happy with
my iPod
Touch. But when he offered me an iPhone fourth generation 32GB,
with my
current Simplicity tariff plus an extra five quid for an unlimited
data
plan, I took it. He didn't know about VoiceOver, and wondered how a
blind
person would use an iPhone, which is why he'd never offered me one
in the
beginning. I explained how it works, and that Apple has a
commitment to
accessibility.
So everyone, the moral of this story is that if you have problems
with an
existing Nokia phone which contains your Talks or K-Reader software,
don't
assume it will go to Nokia to be repaired as I did. Don't also
assume that
a carrier like O2 will accept an unlocked or unbranded handset,
because they
don't. And be prepared for a run-around if it goes wrong.
I am not keeping too well at the moment with my back, and this took
a lot of
energy and stress to deal with. But I made O2 give me something
suitable in
the end. I could have stuck with the refurbished N86, but I already
have an
N86. I felt that taking the iPhone for £20 a month on my current
tariff
with the inclusion of unlimited WiFi and Hotspots, 600 minutes and
unlimited
texts on a SIM only contract was the best I could get.
So, as my iPhone is coming within the next few days, I'm going to
join those
of you who are working your way through the steep learning curve to
use it.
An iPod Touch is one thing, but an iPhone is a bit more than that,
so I'll
certainly welcome any help if I shout for it.
Sorry for such a long rant, but there are things worth noting as
I've
discovered over recent weeks.
Kind Regards,
Jackie Cairns
J&M Work-Ability
jandm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.work-ability.co.uk
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.872 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3461 - Release Date: 02/23/11
19:34:00
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
Other related posts:
