In 2000 I signed up online with Genie Mobile for my first ever mobile. I was with Gnie for about a year before it was merged with BT Cellnet and formed the O2 network.
O2’s main benefit for me is online management of my mobile account, however if you preferred to receive something in writing then statements can also be received through the post.
The merge, at first, did not seem to affect me. I was still using the contract that that I had with Genie, which was an unlimited amount of free text messages in a month and 60 minutes of off peak minutes to any Genie mobile or BT Landline. Then out of the blue I received a text message on my mobile saying that my contract was to be altered to 600 free text messages a month and 50 minutes free off peak minutes. O2 did not send anything in writing which was quite surprising.
My old internet account on Genie Mobile was also cancelled, and I had to spend time recreating
a new login name and password. This I thought would not be a problem, but then when everything was changed over my new login would not work! In order to fix this I then had to phone up the O2 helpline number which costs 50p a minute!
O2 have different helpline numbers to ring depending on whether you are on a contract or Pay-As-You-Go, but all are at 50p a minute. You can call them from your mobile or from a landline at the same cost. The O2 helplines are open from 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 8am and 8pm Saturday and Sunday. The O2 staff were quite helpful when I rang them up, but not very quick.
You can also contact O2 by email, but this is quite a fruitless way of getting any help. The first email back is always an automated email and then it usually takes about a further 5 emails before you even get a response from a “real” person.
TARIFFS O2 offer a Pay As You Go tariff which allows you 300 free text messages a month and charges 25p a minute for the first three minutes of a call, and then 5p a minute for the remainder of the call to O2 mobiles or BT lines. Calls to none O2 networks are charged at 40p a minute. The downside is that you must top-up a minimum of £10 a month otherwise you will lose your 300 free text messages allowance.
The best range of tariffs are on the Pay Monthly contracts. You must be willing to stay with O2 for a full year as the contract cannot be ended unless you are willing to pay for the full price of the mobile (if you got it free when you signed up) and high cancellation costs! I am currently using the cheapest of the contracts which is at £20 a month for line rental. The maximum is £30.00 a month.
For more details on the full range of mobiles and tariffs you should go to the O2 website on http://www.o2.co.uk but what else does the website have to offer ? Well here is a brief summary:-
• Manage your mobile account online where you can view your bill, view unbilled calls and text messages (very useful in ensuring that you don’t send too many texts!) • Send free text messages to any UK mobile • Buy sim cards(contract or pay-as-you-go) • Set up alerts to your mobile for news on categories such as entertainment, finance, music and news. • Download games for your mobile
COVERAGE I take my O2 mobile everywhere with me, and coverage is quite good. It even works in the highlands of Scotland!!! When O2 was first formed the signal would fade for no apparent reason, but this has not happened recently and seems much improved.
UPGRADES When you have been with O2 for a year you are entitled to a free upgrade, although you have to ask for it as O2 will not contact you. This means you will get a new mobile at no cost to yourself (appart from the phone call which is premium rate). However when I upgraded it caused more problems with my O2 login on the internet. For some reason they cancelled by account and created yet another one, even though I had the same contract and mobile number!!
VERDICT I am very happy with the tariff that I am on, as no other network could beat it, but I think that the O2 network has a long way to go in improving their customer services.
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Sound op, do you know about O2 upgrades on pay-as-you-go at all?! Soph x
thingywhatsit 25.09.2003 09:10
You are very good at writing ops.
juicyfruit1961 09.09.2003 17:14
I am with o2 on the PAYG online with the free 300 texts which I think is excellent for £10 a month, I have been very pleased - I have come off contract with vodaphone and that awful money grabbing company singlepoint!! Julie x
Advantages: EDGE, MMS included in price, free voicemail, great customer service, reception, and value for money Disadvantages: Not too clear that you could get 1000 texts, quite hefty charge for 0800 no's
Graham_D 14.10.2008 (14.10.2008)
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Advantages: Get through to some good and you get excellent service. Good tarrifs and coverage. Disadvantages: Get through to someone bad, and you may as well give up!
s32bauer 04.12.2007 (04.12.2007)
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