PushingJelly

Having purchased a nice new iPhone 3G about a month ago the sticky subject closing my old phone contract and transferring my number at last raised its head about two weeks ago. I called O2 to request my PAC code. I had called them several times before I purchased the phone and again after the purchase and was told different stories about number transfers. on the day I bought the phone I had requested my PAC and was sent a new PAYG SIM to transfer the number to, but never recieved the PAC so I decided to once and for all get the code and do the deed.

I admit I was suprised and a little skeptical when the guy on “retention” told me that I should keep my old SIM but hey, he was the expert right?

So the plan was that I would continue to use the iPhone SIM for the next 48 hrs after which it would stop working and I could transfer my old SIM from my E61 into the iPhone and it would work with my original number and all the iPhone services transferred over. Sure enough, 48 hrs passed and the phone stopped working, I swapped the SIM and hey presto, the phone worked with the correct number and all was well with the world…. Until this after noon.

This afternoon I was suprised to get an O2 notice SMS to let me know (helpfully) that my Data use this month had reached £30. Hmm as the iPhone had (relatively) unrestricted free bandwidth included with it’s contract this set off some alarm bells.

It was my first day back to work after two weeks off so I left it to the end of the day and then phoned 202 from the iPhone.

First I spoke to a chap in Customer service who was very brash (it sounded like I was disturbing his break or something) and who preceded to be a combination of confused and annoyed and scathing about his fellow O2 staff members. After about 45 minutes of this he basically gave up and suggested that I sign up for another contract over the net and then get back to them. After I explained that this was actually an O2 issue and it was them that should be correcting it he went away and on return told me that they didn’t actually deal with iPhones and it was an Apple issue.

I suggested that as it was the retention folks who “cocked my account up” perhaps they should be given the opportunity of sorting it out and that he should pass me over to them.

Finally someone who seemed to know what she was doing.

From how it was explained, the iPhone tarrif transfer should have gone ahead but half way through the process was changed leaving my transfer to error and not take place. My 75/25 account now had 600min and 100 texts (??) but no Data, no Visual Voice mail, no WiFi, no…. well any of the stuff that you get on a £35/month iPhone Contract.

The £31 odd of data charges have been removed and apparently the process is going to have to be done manually.

So now I am awaiting a call back between 5pm and 9pm tomorrow and we’ll see if the lady was good to her word.
I have her name and extension and the names of all the people involved so for her sake I hope so.