A reply of 'understanding' from O2 customer service on iPhone 3GS outrage

I spoke to someone called Any at the Customer Service call centre in Glasgow this morning who initially claimed because the new iPhone hasn't been released yet they do not have an upgrade policy. They don't seem to have briefed their staff on this one. I felt a bit sorry for him when I started quoting back at him the musings of his general manager Steve Alder who provided further 'explanation' of their policy to TechRadar yesterday. Andy says a manager will be ringing me back within 24 hours.

See below the letter, full of understanding, that I received from O2 this morning:

Good Morning Gary

Thanks for emailing us to find out if you can upgrade to the iPhone 3G S.

I'm happy to know that you're interested in the latest iPhone 3G S. This phone will be launched on 19 June 2009.

I've checked your account and you're right, your contract will end on 11 January 2010. Hence you'll be eligible to upgrade one month before your contract end date, which would be on or after 11 December 2009.

Gary, in this case we're unable to offer you an early upgrade. I do understand your excitement in experiencing the new iPhone 3G S and you don't mind taking a 24 months contract along with the iPhone £45 tariff. We do appreciate this.

Your contract began on 11 July 2008. I can understand that you've covered the charges of your phone, as you've completed 11 months of your contract with us. However, the remaining months of your contract term needs to be completed only then you can be offered the iPhone 3G S, as an upgrade.

You'll be happy to know the Apple is also going to launch new iPhone OS 3.0 software on 17 June 2009 for 2G/3G iPhone customers. This will allow our existing customers who aren't eligible to upgrade to experience the renewed features which would be available on the iPhone 3G S on their current iPhone 3G.

I can see that you have an iPhone I would like to tell you that the latest software allows you to use over 100 new features on your existing iPhone 3G/2G. Isn't that exciting? The iPhone 3.0 OS software introduces 100 new features including:

1. Cut. Copy. Paste.  Move text, numbers and email addresses between apps
2. Search  Find contacts, apps, phone numbers, email addresses and more. Anywhere on the iPhone. Fast.
3. Landscape - Read and write texts, emails and picture messages holding the iPhone sideways.
4. Longer battery life

So, with your existing iPhone 2G/3G, you can avail the benefits of over 100 new features that will come with the new iPhone OS 3.0 software. Isn't that exciting!

To download this software, you'll need the latest version of iTunes, which is version 8.2. If you don't have the latest iTunes version, no worries you can download it by using the link below:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Here's the link where you can view more information about the new iPhone OS 3.0 software:

http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/steps.html

You can also check your options available as an upgrade once you become eligible. You can upgrade online by clicking on the link below:

https://upgrades.o2.co.uk/index.htm#getMPN

Alternatively, you can speak to our upgrades team on 8001 313 136 from your O2 Pay Monthly phone. You can also contact our upgrades team from a fixed line by dialling 08001 313 136. Lines are open:

- Monday to Sunday between 8am and 8pm.

Calls made to the above numbers are free of charge from your O2 Pay Monthly mobile phone and fixed lines. Calls made to this number from any other UK mobiles will be charged at your Service Provider's published rates.

If you choose to downgrade your tariff, you can get to the next lowest tariff, which is the iPhone 35 tariff. This tariff will offer you an inclusive of 600 minutes and 500 free text messages along with free Unlimited Web and Wi-Fi service.

Please let us know if you require a change in tariff and we'll help you.

I hope I've clearly explained this for you. Have a nice day.

Important - When you email us please provide: your date of birth, postcode and mobile number as it helps us answer your query faster.

Kind regards

Sharin D'souza
O2 Customer Service

Getting your query right the first time you email us is very important to us. If your query has not been resolved this time, please reply to this email with the words 'Need More Help' in the subject field.

Telefonica O2 UK Limited, Registered in England No 1743099. Registered Office: 260 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4DX.

Model letter to complain to O2 customer service

See below a model letter being pushed on Twitter.

Dear Sirs,

O2 phone number: insert info

Account holder: insert info

I write today to complain about the shocking news, as reported in The Daily Telegraph, that you are asking loyal high-value iPhone customers this year to pay to get out of their current contracts if they want to upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. I pay £44.05 every month and am 11 months into my 18-month contract. I was a new customer for O2 when I took out the iPhone 3G, having switched from Orange, just for the iPhone 3G. I am free of my contract in January. I have been told by your customer service staff today that you want £360 from me even if I am prepared to take out a 24-month contract for the new iPhone 3GS 16Gb. Then you want me to purchase a phone which is extortionately overpriced in comparison to the US. This is profiteering in it's most consumer unfriendly form.

This is a disgusting way to treat your very best, most profitable personal mobile phone customers. It is also unfair because you offered owners of the original iPhone the opportunity to upgrade after one year to the iPhone 3G without demanding any get-out-of-contract fee from them and further more according to your Twitter page only certain customers are eligible for any kind of discounted upgrade which I presume are business customers, the ones who pay even more, its becoming quite clear that your image as a company which cares is rapidly disappearing.

Unless this policy changes within a matter of days, in response not only to complaints like this one from myself but also no doubt from many other good customers, and in response to the huge groundswell of negative publicity for O2 currently being generated in the media and on social networks like Twitter(the hashtag #o2fail is being widely used) and Facebook, then I and many other customers will no doubt decide that this greedy, grossly unfair move against us is one smack too many.

Your Twitter page has handled this matter promptly which they are due credit for. But how the tariffs and pricing was published there a lot faster than your old site was a big mistake which you are now paying for publicly. The Twitter page murdered your companies reputation while the majority of your colleagues in the call centers knew nothing about the tariffs and policy.
Having spoken to two different O2 call handlers today it is evident they still do not know what the policies are. Firstly I was told there was no way what so ever to upgrade which is untrue. Secondly i was later told that I could upgrade for free, then I was put on hold for the handler to come back and rectify her mistake.

I will most certainly end my dealings with O2 come the end of my contract unless this policy changes, as soon as I am able to do so. You will lose someone after 18 months when you could potentially, had you been fairer, after only 12 months signed me up to stay with you for another two years—or longer, if you were to learn the lesson and promise to all iPhone customers that in future they will be able to upgrade whether in contract at the time a new iPhone is released to market, or not. O2 are set to lose a lot of customers due to the policy of upgrades with iPhone and the fact it is now obvious Apple will update its hardware every year, yet you will not allow customers to take out a 12 month contract which will appease everyone, especially the customer who matters who can take benefit of any new hardware.

As I can not end my contract without charge I am seriously considering lowering my tariff to the next lower one, as stipulated in the terms and conditions.

May I also add the Tethering charges are a absolute farce, especially for customers like myself who may only tether rarely, yet I need a £15 bolt on to do so? Where is this unlimited data we were all promised, or is it the fair usage ploy which will be used to answer that?

Furthermore I have been advised by customer services that your staff on the phones are sometimes advised to monitor for reports from customers on specific issues, and to forward those on to higher levels within O2. But I was advised that customer service staff have yet to be told to pass forward any complaints with regard to iPhone 3GS upgrade policy. This is contemptible. ALL complaints with regard to this matter should be forwarded to the policy makers, so that they might then learn from them and change policy in response.

I have been promised a reply to this complaint within 5 working days. However, if many other current iPhone customers of equal high value feel as betrayed and done over as I do, then I suspect you will soon be overwhelmed both on the customer service helpline and in terms of email and letters complaints volume.

I trust O2 will listen to its most high-value customers and reverse this stupid, short-sighted policy within days, if not hours. You may get new customers with this insane policy but you will not keep many of your old ones who have paid you significant sums for many months now and will stop doing so as soon as they can unless you change track, now.

I look forward to your response, answering all my questions.

Sincerely