Posted 20 hours ago

Leaving phone contract due to unuseable signal - O2?

I took out a VOLT deal via VM retentions which came with an O2 SIM back in June 2023 on an 18m contract.

To give some context here, I'd already checked the map coverage and trialled an O2 SIM some time before this.

Shortly after my cooling period though, I regretted staying as the signal really is simply unuseable where I go.

For example, at home I get one bar of 4G to which I cannot make a successful call without either:

A) The call cutting off.
B) People simply unable to hear me.

If I enter a 3G area, none of my calls or data work and I get zero 5G.

On the other hand, relatives on rival networks like EE and Three work absolutely fine.

I decided to persevere with it up until now and staying in contract for this isn't ideal.

I ofcourse spoke to O2 but their response was as expected to which I would need to pay early termination fee.

After staying on with O2 advisors for over 2-4hrs I got no where and it ended in him offering me a lousy one-month rebate of my monthly price and suggested to 'close the complaint'.

I obviously disagreed and he's submitted a formal complaint on behalf of me to which it will be decided by some other team.

Thanks!

EDIT: To add to this, I do currently use Wi-Fi Calling and my Partner also suffers with this issue.
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  1. KodaBear's avatar
    Keep pushing the formal complaints and escalate it. If it continues over a number of months and they check your historic usage and find that you use little to none of your allowance each month, they will let you break a SIM Only contract.

    While I know that O2 has bad congestion issues in many places, your issues don't quite fit with this. Not being able to make calls at all on 3G for example is not a common issue. 3G Calling is an absolutely bulletproof standard that they're only getting rid of next year because of the amount of power it uses. If this keeps happening there is a chance it could point towards a device issue.
    WhaleTrain's avatar
    Author
    Thanks for the reply and I'll push with the complaint further.

    My partner (who is also on O2) has this issue as we live together - as soon as we hit a 3G spot we can hear others but they cannot hear me.
  2. CharlieCheeze's avatar
    I find O2 absolutely useless for mobile data where I live. I can have a strong signal and still no data.
    Just to prove it wasn't the device I added and LycaMobile eSIM to work along side the O2 SIM and hey presto, great data coverage everywhere I go (Calls on O2 and data on EE).

    I may well stick with the above configuration as my O2 pay monthly is £5 and the LycaMobile is £3.45 (for 3 Months) and may just keep renewing the LycaMobile just for the data everytime there is a good deal.
    WhaleTrain's avatar
    Author
    I wish mine was as cheap as that but sadly I'm paying £27/m which is more infuriating.

    If, like you, I was only paying £5 or so, I'd justify an eSim as a secondary line.
  3. Pájaro's avatar
    > To give some context here, I'd already checked the map coverage and trialled an O2 SIM some time before this.

    > Shortly after my cooling period though, I regretted staying as the signal really is simply unuseable where I go.

    I have questions, because this isn't entirely clear.

    1. Did you trial O2 before engaging with the contract you have now?
    2. If so, what was the outcome of that trial?
    3. Did the signal quality change only after the cooling-off period expired?
    4. Have you tried talking to o2 tech support?
    5. What phones are you and the partner using?
  4. Lil6ix's avatar
    Had the exact same issue with O2 and could not get out of contract. I argued with them saying I'm paying for a service I'm not getting but they were having none of it, even though they acknowledged the issue was on their side. Would never go with O2 again.
    WhaleTrain's avatar
    Author
    How far did you get in the complaints process if you don't mind me asking - did you end up submitting a formal complaint and awaiting their response?
  5. sm9690's avatar
    Can you not just use wifi calling?
    WhaleTrain's avatar
    Author
    I do, and have been doing, but this is just as unreliable sadly.
  6. wpj's avatar
    I switched to O2 from Lebara (Vodafone) and before that PlusNet (EE) on an £8 deal here. There is essentially no signal in the house with any of them... (a populous London suburb). At least now, with O2, I can do WiFi calling. To be honest, though, most communication is done by WhatsApp messages and calls.
  7. jack201's avatar
    unfortunately, it's in the terms and conditions that signal is not guaranteed
    Willy_Wonka's avatar
    I would suspect denial of service is a breach of contract whether it is written in a contract or not.

    So, if you did all the coverage checks at your home & the signal was fine for the first few months & you have created a reasonable argument by testing different phones at that location & the results are the same, then you would win any arbitration. (edited)
  8. Computernerd951's avatar
    I've had exactly the same issue with slow data speeds in my area (like <1mbps) due to being oversubscribed. I submitted a complaint, got a similar response to you, I escalated to the ombudsman and surprisingly they agreed with o2 quoting various parts of the T&Cs about not being guaranteed anything. That's despite the fact the T&Cs also offer credit or free cancellation due to extended periods of poor service.

    So I'm afraid it's probably a waste of time trying to get anything out of them.
    Moss.b's avatar
    But what good is the map that shows coverage then? I remember over a decade ago they would say map is only for outside your house. But o2 is rubbish outside as well. Not sure the terms say when checking coverage via map.
  9. jase.2's avatar
    I got Three to allow me to leave without early termination charges for exactly the same thing

    either no signal in too many places or a signal showing that was totally unusable - seemed to me like a capacity issue that had just let me down too many times and I just refused to put up with it any longer 
  10. xhamiltovx's avatar
    Might be of little use now but a couple of years ago I was in the same situation as Virgin Mobile were just transitioning to O2 and the coverage was shocking despite supposedly strong coverage maps. I complained to no avail until I sent this email, which did the trick:

    "Dear Virgin Mobile,

    In line with clause 4.1 of my terms and conditions can you please release me from my contract?

    Using a tiny fraction of my data allowance is a fair indication of a 'degraded' data service. The inconsistent availablity of network coverage is very disappointing as I am uncontactable for family emergencies.

    This issues have been in place since at least April, which should be considered 'unreasonable time.'"
  11. Dubski's avatar
    This happened to me years ago. I complained for months. I couldnt get a signal and it kept hanging up on people. Orange at the time kept blaming Apple and Apple said it wasnt them. Eventually i refused to pay so i received a default. Years passed and i decided to write to the financial ombudsman i think it was. They said a uni would be happy to take my case to court. By then, EE wrote back saying they will remove the default and no monies owed.
  12. Pilsbury12's avatar
    I cancelled my O2 sim for exactly the same reason. Calls were atrocious nobody could hear me. I used wireless at home but that was the same. I didn’t get to use my data because not once would it load anything outside of the house.i complained several times and when my renewal was due for my volt package they agreed to cancel the O2 sim. You need to have been with O2 for a year. Also make sure you get email confirmation from them that you will still receive the volt speed boost.
    I’m now with EE for my phone and it’s superb.
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