How to mess up the iPhone launch – Part 4
Posted by Dave in Handsets, Mobiles, Networks, tags: iPhone 4SIt’s that time of the year again where the networks demonstrate complete ineptitude in handling the launch of arguably the most important handset launch of the year, the recently announced iPhone 4S. Now this year I’ll forgive the 3 day delay in getting pricing information out to us which was a major improvement on last year but instead I’ll be talking about O2′s inexplicable policy of not allowing pre-orders and cancelling their fast track upgrade program for all but the very highest spenders.
On Friday 7th October every major network announced their pricing for the iPhone 4S and opened up pre ordering for new and existing customers to order the phone for either store pickup or delivery on launch day. Every network except O2 that is. Not only were they last to announce pricing but they have also made it only available to existing customers (which in itself isn’t a bad thing) but they are also treating those existing customers like second class citizens by making them queue up in the cold and rain at stupid O’Clock to be able to guarantee getting the handset on launch day and even then it isn’t guaranteed when every single other UK network will happily post one out to you. O2′s twitter feed have been bombarded with complaints about this with their response basically being that doing it this way ensure the maximum number of people can get it on launch day which frankly is complete and utter bollocks!
We then move on to the fast track upgrade issue. Over the course of this weekend a number of O2 customers who have obtained quotes to upgrade early have suddenly found themselves no longer eligible to upgrade. After doing some digging it seems that these customers are no longer eligible due to a change in the terms of upgrading early now requiring customers to be on a £40 or higher tariff. This is another example of O2 altering terms and conditions to suit themselves on a whim such as when they removed unlimited data from tariffs and tried to retroactively alter the terms of existing customers to prevent them from changing tariff. It’s also an example of O2′s short sightedness as to who counts as a high spender as my monthly spend with them is over £40 but is spread over 4 accounts.
Thankfully this is one O2 customer who won’t be queuing in the rain for my iPhone 4S. Three have already confirmed my pre-order with them will be arriving on Friday on launch day. As for O2, despite having bought every iPhone from them since iPhone 3G, they will not be getting a sale from me for 4S. Plus over the course of the next 8 months I’ll be terminating all but one of my accounts with them. Which is a pity as if they hadn’t started to lose their way over the last year or so they would still have many happy customers and not the horde of customers ready to jump ship they currently have.
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Cannot agree more, O2 wouldn’t even entertain a phone conversation on the subject so I’ve ordered my 2 handsets with orange, thanks for nowt O2!
Hi Meadie thanks for your comment. I doubt you and me are the only O2 customers who have turned to another network to pre order the phone. As I said in my post O2′s twitter feed and their forums are full of people unhappy with O2′s handling of this
It is worth mentioning, and I forgot to mention this in my post, that it is possible to pre order the phone on O2 through a 3rd party retailer such as carphone warehouse. Not that it should be down to a 3rd party retailer to provide a service O2 themselves for some inexplicable reason do not want to provide themselves
Someone is speaking what I’m speaking! Glad I found your site on the net.
I am outraged at O2. I have been an O2 customer for quite a few years now, but this sudden fast track upgrade change of plan conveniently when the iPhone 4S is announced is absolutely pathetic. You’d think they would at least allow LONG standing customers a chance to fast-track upgrade.
Now I have to buyout my contract, which is £60 more than a fast track upgrade. That isn’t the problem. It’s that I can’t stay with O2 as AFAIK you cannot buy an iPhone 4S if you buy-out your contract as you’re starting a new contract if that makes sense. Sounds crazy doesn’t it?!
So I am moving to Vodafone on a 12 month contract (I’ll pre-order there), and then I will see about swapping my number over after cancelling/buying out my o2 contract.
**Below is a rant which is irrelevent to this blog but it’s another issue I have with O2**
As my Dad created my O2 account all those years back, I never changed the account details. But thing is, I can’t. They won’t let me until my contract ends. But my contract ends always at the wrong times, because they won’t let me change my account details when you effectively start a new contract if doing so (meaning NO iPhone for me with their existing customer rule).
Thanks about Carphone Warehouse – although I’d rather jump ship with O2 if I’m honest!
My rant didn’t make sense as I’m stil quite a bit beeped off.
I meant:
But my contract ends always at the wrong times, because as they won’t let me change my account details unless you start a new contract with them, it means you can’t have the iPhone [jnsert number here] with their existing customer/contract rule for iPhone’s.
Oh yes of course, you can only upgrade from carphone warehouse site for pre-ordering. So can’t do that anyway! Definitely need to just move to Vodafone and just escape this mess.
I get the doing it for existing customers thing, but what do they do for existing customers? Not much!
HI Dave
ref the cancellation for fast track upgrade to 4S, it’s not only cancelled for lower spenders. I have been with o2 for 3 years, bought the 3gs and 4 from them and have always been on £45+ monthly plans. My contract runs out August 2012 and they still will not allow me to fastrack untiol JUly 2012, even as they originally said I could for £306……..so what is a man to do?
Hi Nigel thanks for your comment,
Now that is odd. According to the new terms you should be eligible to fast track assuming you are more than 6 months into your current contract. Not really sure why what isn’t the case
Hi Nigel
That’s ridiculous!!! I’m working from home tomorrow so I’m ringing them in the morning to have a good old moan. I will say I’m not happy with the service and moving on. I won’t make the mistake again of having a 24 month contract (my iPhone has no space hence the reason to upgrade!!!)
If they won’t let me buy out my contract (which they should, surely?), then I’ll just let them take money out of my account until it’s ended.
Hope they let you fast-track.
Well the plot thickens as it seems O2 don’t expect all their customers to queue up in the rain…. just the ones who spend less than £125 a month with them (I wont mention that I used to spend over £130 a month with them but as it was across multiple accounts I didn’t get platinum benefits)
One person on a thread at http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=69553 has reported being called by O2 and offered an upgrade to the iPhone 4S delivered to them. They’ve posted a screen cap from myO2 showing the order in progress so I’m convinced that O2 are doing this
Dave
How’s Tesco Mobile, do you know much about it? I see their tariffs are cheap(er)!
Just wanted to let everyone know of my ideas:
I noticed on o2 forums that you can move your contract to £42 a month (£36 + £6 bolt-ons), which would then allow you to be eligible for a fast-track upgrade.
SO, I think I MAY do this. Reason being:
Prior to o2 not letting you do fast-track upgrades, I was going to go for the £32 a month (12 month) contract with the iPhone 32GB costing £415. (So £800 in total)
But I’ve worked out if I do move to the expensive £42 a month (12 month?) contract, I get my iPhone 32GB for £300 (£804 in total).
So I only lose £4 from this ridiculous fast-track upgrade cancellation. That’s if O2 allow me to be on a 12 month contract for £42 a month rather than 24 months.
I too have had this issue today. It absolutely sucks. I was told I could upgrade for £50. I called up, reserved a phone, drove to the shop, queued, got to the till to find that they changed their terms.
Terrible timing. Surely they should have planned this better.