[meldrewreborn]

in September I complained to O2 about them cancelling my contract, increasing my charges and lowering my data allowance, all because I had the temerity to ask for the free Amazon Prime "benefit" be removed from my account because the free period was ending. I posted here about it but cant find the thread to continue the saga.

Well O2, apart from acknowledging my complaint by email, never addressed it -at all. Nor can you initiate a voice call to the complaints team - all electronic communication goes into the ether seemingly never to materialise again.

So I'm now with the communication ombudsman. we'll see how long that takes.

A friend of mine died this month - his complaint to the pensions ombudsman is more than two and a half.year's old without resolution. And this is supposed to help ordinary people.

[retrotecchie]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

So I'm now with the communication ombudsman. we'll see how long that takes.

Good luck with that. The communications ombudsman is about as handy with mobile companies as the energy ombudsman is with sorting out dodgy smart meters.

[meldrewreborn]

@retrotecchie

I’ve plenty of time to waste, so long as it hurts them in some small way I’ll be happy.

[retrotecchie]

@meldrewreborn

👍

[meldrewreborn]

Got a phone call from the communications ombudsman today explaining the process. I've 14 days to submit any further evidence to them, same for O2, 4 days after that for each party to challenge any evidence, and then they (ombudsman) will conduct their investigation. Its the most progress I've had since this saga commenced in September 2023..

[meldrewreborn]

amd it was signed

Thanks The team at Energy Ombudsman and Communications Ombudsman Didn't realise that.

[retrotecchie]

@meldrewreborn

OFCOM and OFGEM are inextricably linked so it's no surprise the ombudsman would be the same for both industries.

[meldrewreborn]

UPDATE

O2 offered me £50.to settle without involving the ombudsman to adjudicate.

I declined this because they didn't offer any explanation of why they'd sent nothing but automated emails in response to my efforts - this over 3 Months

Also I had complained that they have no telephone number for the complaints team (great idea for a mobile phone company one would think) so the only means of contact is the email which they don't answer.

Now if I had taken what O2 offered, the ombudsman takes no further action and so no investigation would be carried out. So what I think are important aspects would not even be looked at. Hence my declining the offer -I want these things looked at. While I'd hope that O2 would be severely censured and forced into adding a telephone contact for complaints - especially when they've not responded in their suggested time scale - I really don't expect that to happen. But I do hope that my complaint when combined with those of other people might contribute to that sort of outcome.

[retrotecchie]

@meldrewreborn

If it's any consolation, Vodafone aren't much better. You can't get a number to phone a local Vodafone branch, for instance. I had a couple of issues that were being dealt with with my 'local' branch (60 mile round trip) which could have been resolved over the phone with very little time or effort. Nope...two round trips in the car required.

[meldrewreborn]

UPDATE

I was contacted this AM by the ombudsman's representative. They've awarded me £90 and ordered O2 to give me an apology/

The process with the Ombudsman was pretty straightforward, when you complain the system sets up a particular portal for the case to which the customer, the supplier and the ombudsman have access and both parties are able to lodge evidence there. you can then comment on the other sides evidence in a certain length of time (4 days) then the ombudsman considers the evidence and delivers a verdict. O2 offered me £50 to settle without going through an adjudication , which i refused as they'd done nothing at all to address my complaint.

Unfortunately the ombudsman can't do anything to make O2 change its complaint handling system, but if enough people complain about the same thing then OFCOM might do something - like fine them.

It seems to me that companies are assessing how much it costs them to handle complaint in a proper way, and alternatively if they do nothing, how much it costs if most complaints just fall down because of the customers despair, although a few will end up with the ombudsman and a slap on the wrist. In addition to the award, O2 will have had to pay some sort of fee to to the ombudsman to cover their costs. If I'm right most people give up.

Its a long time since I took an issue to an ombudsman and I have to say this time the process was clear, swift and I'm happy with the outcome.

I have though been helping a friend with an complaint to the pensions ombudsman, There a complaint was made nearly 3 years ago, and it hasn't yet been adjudicated on. My friend has now died and the ombudsman proposed closing the case. The family are rejecting that, but the case will now only be progressed when they have secured Probate for my friend's estate. That's the law apparently, but while I readily understand that pensions disputes take longer to resolve than for mobile phone contracts, the attitude of officialdom to the death of complainants leaves much to be desired.