Carphone Warehouse Nightmare: O2 Customers cannot upgrade to iPhone 3G
This is personal and of course pretty much peed off about the whole iPhone 3G rubbish now, ok I might be blowing off a little steam but come on what I am about to tell you is pathetic.
I got up this morning and went down to my local O2 store where of course stood in the queue for about an hour, a staff member was at the door only letting a few people in at a time which is a good idea.
After some time went buy I heard within the crowd in front of me that they only have a few Apple iPhone 3G handsets left, so thought what the hell I will walk down to Carphone Warehouse which is literally a few shops away.
I was in seventh heaven seeing that only 8 customers were queuing up, so far so good. Even though there were only eight customers in the Carphone Warehouse store I was still waiting around in the queue for an hour and 15 minutes, but hey it was worth (well I thought it was at the time).
Anyway to cut a long story short I got to the counter where I was being seen to by the branch manager (Said that on his badge), I said I want to upgrade to the iPhone 3G please.
He said “Can I take your surname please sir” so I gave him that, he then said “Can I have your postcode please sir” and after doing so was asked for the mobile number I am using on my current iPhone, I did this and was excited.
Now comes this crap bit, I Apple iPhone 3G is sitting on the counter right in front of me, and of course it is running through my mind that I am so close to owning the brand new handset.
Next thing he does was looks through his management manual or whatever the booklet was and then tells me “Sorry sir we have some bad news for you”, I of course was worried now. He said “You cannot upgrade to the new iPhone 3G if you are an O2 customer”.
I asked him why not, I have been standing in the queue for over an hour to be told I cannot upgrade.
Yes I was kind of fuming, the bottom line is readers is that if you bought the current iPhone with Carphone Warehouse you can get the new iPhone 3G, but if you bought your current iPhone with O2 you CANNOT go into Carphone Warehouse and get the iPhone 3G.
This is totally pathetic seeing as the two stores are connected.
Please let us know if you have had similar troubles?
Comments
19 thoughts on “Carphone Warehouse Nightmare: O2 Customers cannot upgrade to iPhone 3G”
mmm strange as I just upgraded my existing O2 iphone contract (contracted in a O2 shop 8 months ago) in a carphone warehouse next door to a O2 shop that was sold out.
It took half an hour to get the credit check results but apart from that it went smoothly.
The only thing is I’ll have to go back tomorrow to collect the handset.
iPhone SUCKS!!!!
Dont give in to their game and buy iPhone.
Ask yourself do you really need the iphone, while there is a credit crunch just around the corner.
iPhone SUCKS!!!!
I’ve just upgraded my iPhone to the 16GB iPhone 3G at Carphone Warehouse in Basingstoke. They have sold out, but for £15 I get guaranteed delivery to my house tomorrow.
No issues what so ever. The staff were very helpful and knowledgable. They obviously tried to sell me various options and accessories, but a polite “no thanks” and they stopped pushing.
All in all a very pleasant experience. Just waiting on CityLink to deliver my new phone tomorrow…
Elppa – if you’re upgrading your phone anyway, then the you have no argument. you can’t get better than free….
I work for Carphone and am aware of no barriers to upgrading O2 direct and Carphone Warehouse customers. The only issue we did have on the morning of launch (11th) was that O2’s systems fell over due to huge demand etc.
By 10:30 am everything as back up and running for new and existing customers.
I think you should also check your facts about O2 and Carphone being connected!. O2 is the network, Carphone is the distributer. They are completely seperate entities that simply trade with one another.
Sorry for that, I mean connected in the way that O2 and Carphone Warehouse provides the iPhone.
Anyway I know what was said to me and trust me when i say, queuing for over an hour just to make a story up is not what i am about.
I was told by the manager i could not upgrade.
The store was in Farnborough, Hampshire.
well i work for the company in question 2G Iphone customers can upgrade to the 3G model. Clearly you came across a either dumb or ill trained (il go with dumb) member of staff. id advise go back to the store on friday when more stock is due and advise him to call his retail help desk. Where someone like me will tell him hes an idiout and advise him how to process your upgrade.
oh and iphone is sooo annoying hence why il never buy one!
ipod touch 32Gb is enough for me
I hate Carphone warehouse, I bought my iphone through then and they sold my number to companies trying to sell insurance…. get this! pretending to be o2… the idiots didn’t even know my name
and now i cant upgrade unless if go back to the money making pigs at carphone warehouse. if i was told i was going into a contact with CPW and not o2 i would have never gone to them.
Lindsay,
I think you should check your facts prior to posting statements like your’s above.
The Insuarnce scammer are not provided any information by The Carphone Warehouse, they simply buy a mobile phone on contract from either Carphone, O2 or another reseller, they then autodial all the number up the sequence from the one they have bought. This is possible because networks issue number in blocks that are sequences in order.
It is not only Carphone customers that are effected by this scam but we are trying everything we can to resolve the issue. The only way it can really be tackled is if the network begins issueing non-sequential batches of numbers etc.
It is comments like your’s above that outline the key problem with a lot of customer’s these day’s. They are very quick to assume fault and keen to slag the business off, use your time more constructively and research the issue and maybe realise that we are here to help and that slagging us all off will not help.
Also, if you were taken in by the scam you should not answer you phone again….EVER. When they call you they have no information about you other than your telephone number. For them to have sold you the dodgy package you will have provided them with all of your bank card details etc. Why would a company that has just taken all of thet in store require you to give it again over the phone?. Use you common sense in future and maybe you will stay safe!.
Oh, you can upgrade through any O2 reseller or direct with O2. This has alway’s been the case.
Again, check you’r facts.
so what o2 have told me is wrong? Why would they refuse making money from me and passing a commission onto the carphone warehouse?
Once again o2 have lied? when they say only people who bought iphones from the car phone warehouse are getting insurance selling phone calls?
I think i am more inclined to believe o2 when CPW tried so desperatly to sell me insurance when i bought the phone, whereas o2 didn’t.
If I didn’t buy it in-store what other avenues are there to try and sell it to me? cold calling?
Bening a store manager doesn’t make your privy to the corporate marketing schemes that your company takes part in. I think you should look a bit further than your CPW managers handbook and see what your employer really is like.
Lindsay
I hope this will clear things up for you.
I work at carphone warehouse head office and as such i am “privy” to alot more information than ud like to think. CPW sells insurance on the iphone because if you lose it ul end up buying it stand-alone hence why we say “you really should get insurance” can many people afford £400 outright for a phone? think not
secondly we do not pass any of your details to anyone other that cpw and 02 and as for the insurance. Funny lifeline (cpw insurance) can ONLY BE PURCHASED INSTORE UPTO 14 DAYS AFTER POINT OF SALE!
IT CANNOT BE SOLD OVER THE PHONE
Dont hold a company responsible for your own stupidity
my own stupidity? What is my stupidity? I didnt buy anything from a cold call. So your saying I’m stupid for believing what o2 say? Or buying the phone from cpw?
So in the end if people can buy an iPhone from o2 if they bought the 1st ten from cpw? Why not issue a media release saying so or put it on your website?
Can’t see that happening anytime soon.
Pretty obevious answer really
o2= network provider
cpw= handset provider
CPW are not a network if you buy o2 through cpw then as of sept 2007 u are a o2 direct customer meaning u can do what ever u do in a o2 store in a cpw store. Makes no difference.
o2 lie all the time They lied to me twice and for that reason i have 2 18 month contracts i can walk away from fee free when ever i choose.
and il put this straight to end this chain once and for all
ALL O2 IPHONE 2G CUSTOMERS CAN UPGRADE TO THE 3G WITH CPW REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU PURCHASED FROM!!!
ALL O2 CUSTOMERS WANTING A IPHONE 3G FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN ALSO PURCHASE FROM CPW (MAY REQUIRE EARLY UPGRADE FEE)
oh and if u loose ur iphone or have it stolen u DO NOT need to buy a new contract JUST A NEW PHONE!!!
everybody clear now? no more stupid questions and answer sessions?
what about non iphone 2G customers I rang CPW because they had iphones in stock, no problem they say then they take my details and leave me on hold. Then they say they’ll get back to me, when they do they say they cannont update my phone to iPhone as it’s an O2 online contract ( which is finished) I’ll need to cancel and get a PAC code and re-order through them, GREAT!! what a faff cancel an O2 contract to take out a new O2 contract ??!!
Purchased an iPhone 3g yesterday and today I keep receiving sales calls trying to sell me the insurance.7 calls so far. I hate carphone warehouse and their sales tactics
Hey guys id just like to FINALLY clear a few things up.
Amanda o2 have 3 seperate companies within the o2 group
o2 pre-pay
o2
o2 online.
Unfortunately carphone cannot upgrade all o2 online customers due to o2 not releasing there numbers of contracts for us to upgrade. This has been the case for sometime and it is unfortunate this happened to yourself. Blame o2 for having a complicated inforstructure really.
nick: CPW insurance “lifeline” cannot be sold over the phone this can only be sold instore either at point of sale or upto 14 days after the sale. This has always been the case and the reason behind the 14 days is when u bring it to the store. It will be checked for damage to make sure the handset is as sold before it can be insured. This looks to be a fraudulent call so be direct and ask who they are and give no details.
I purchased my N95 contract thru cpw on o2 tariff – does anyone know if I can upgrade thru o2 direct instead of going back to cpw.
That all depends on date of purchase if you purchased your contract before sept 16th 2007 then ur customer service is cpw. Which means to goto o2 directly u need to disconnect with a PAC code from o2 cpw and give the PAC code at point of purchase to o2 this will transfer your number over the network by 2 working days
hope that helps
Chris
You still havent quite clarified why only those customers buying iphone from CPW get these cold calls. All your other clarifications aside (which I appreciate), it would help if you had a more responsible answer to the underlying issue – one of which could be “I dont know but since I work in the HO, will try and see if I can escalate this to our IT security dept” rather than pointing fingers on the technicality in one’s comments/assumptions. People do tend to assume. People do tend to have perspectives. Thats just natural. Else the concept of ‘marketing’ wouldnt exist.