O2 Extortion

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Level 1

0 points

O2 Extortion

I need some advice if anyone can help as to how to proceed with my problem. I've had my Iphone for about 6 months and it has developed a couple of problems,
1. The headphones work on the ipod side of the phone but the mic and the switch won't work when taking/making calls.
2. The phone reception has been getting worse over the last 2 months to the point that of the last 5 days I had it, the phone refused to connect to the O2 service for 3 of them.

I took it into my local O2 store and they said they would send it off for a warranty repair. The phone was in pristine condition when I handed it over to them 2 weeks ago. I rang up today for an update on the repair and was told that the repair was chargeable due to the back cover being damaged.

I disputed that the phone was damaged while in my possession and was told that unless I paid £49.50 for the repair, the iphone would be returned unfixed.

I feel I am being blackmailed into paying this money as I need a working iphone and after all, I paid a not inconsiderable amount of money to buy this product in the 1st place. I wonder if Apple knows or cares about the shoddy treatment O2 is giving its iphone customers?

Message was edited by: gknight543

Message was edited by: gknight543

various, Mac OS X (10.5.5), iPhone, Macbook and Mac Mini

Posted on Apr 6, 2009 6:32 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 6, 2009 6:39 AM in response to gknight543

This is a user to user help forum only, so no one here can help you with this.

Does AppleCare have a number to call in the UK? If so, I suggest giving AppleCare a call asking to speak with a supervisor or someone in a position of authority. This O2 store should have given you a case number which you will need to refer to.

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Answer 2

gknight543 Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 6, 2009 6:45 AM in response to Allan Sampson

Its users I'm looking for help from.... I need to know if anyone else has experienced this and how they proceeded, and as for applecare, I thought that they charged to talk to you.

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Answer 3

Apr 6, 2009 6:53 AM in response to gknight543

You have one of two options. Contact O2 and ask to speak with someone in authority, or contact AppleCare and do the same. AppleCare should not charge anything to talk to you about this.

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Answer 4

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Apr 6, 2009 6:57 AM in response to gknight543

Do you have an Apple Store in your area where you can take the phone for service?

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Answer 5

garthwd

Level 1

5 points

Apr 6, 2009 7:12 AM in response to gknight543

Wow, this is spooky. The exact same thing happened to me on Friday.

I had exactly the same fault with my iPhone. The headphones worked fine but the microphone didnt. I took it into an O2 store in Leeds and was told it would take 7 to 10 days. On day 16 I was contacted and said that they had received a quote. A quote? The iPhone is under warranty. The girl on the phone said it must have been something out of warranty to which I asked what wasn't in warranty? She said she would ring me back. She didn't so I headed to the shop and asked to speak to the manager.

He said that it might have been a number of things including water damage, other damage, etc. I said I refuted any suggestion that the fault was due to any damage I had done. He said he would have to go on what his engineers said so either I pay up or get the phone back and contact Apple.

I told him I although I was not going to pay anything I didn't actually know what the quote was for. He said he would ring up and find out. Lo and behold, the manager said the back cover was cracked. However, as the details he had didn't say the back cover was cracked when I took the phone in then he would waive the fee and get the repair done.

Something fishy seems to be going on.

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Answer 6

gknight543 Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 6, 2009 7:42 AM in response to gknight543

Very strange indeed.... I contacted Apple direct and they have no record of the repair, turns out O2 use a 3rd party company to repair warranty faults so Apple don't get involved. I wonder if they're inventing faults to get out of replacing a defective product? Cynical I know but the above posted experience sounds remarkably similar to my own.

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Answer 7

Apr 6, 2009 7:46 AM in response to gknight543

Did you ask the AppleCare rep if this is normal in the UK - for O2 to send an iPhone to a 3rd party repair service for an Apple warranty claim?

Since Apple provides an exchange under warranty, this doesn't sound right or on the up and up at all.

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Answer 8

gknight543 Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 6, 2009 8:03 AM in response to Allan Sampson

I contacted the O2 support line and asked that question and they assured me that Apple are fine with this. I am very concerned about this. I wonder if my pristine back case has been swapped with a faulty one. The more I investigate, the more cynical I get!! I'm hoping that other iphone users will post there experiences with O2 repairs. It gives me more evidence for what seems like the inevitable battle I'm going to have to get a working iphone back.

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Answer 9

garthwd

Level 1

5 points

Apr 6, 2009 8:07 AM in response to gknight543

Have you spoken to the manager in the O2 store? If the case was cracked then it should have been noted when you handed it in. On the receipt I was originally given the condition of the handset was described as good. If you have something similar I think speaking to the manager at the store would be your best next move, it worked for me.

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Answer 10

Apr 6, 2009 8:08 AM in response to gknight543

The title of your post is "O2 Extortion", and you believe what this O2 rep told you - assuring you that Apple is fine with all of this?

It may be different in the UK, but Apple would not be fine with this in the U.S. AT&T does not handle ANY iPhone repairs or exchanges under Apple's warranty.

I would contact AppleCare in the UK and ask to speak with a supervisor. I would prefer having an AppleCare supervisor assuring me this is OK and that Apple is aware of this vs being assured by an O2 rep that this is OK.

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Answer 11

garthwd

Level 1

5 points

Apr 8, 2009 3:55 AM in response to gknight543

Have you had any joy out of O2?

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Answer 12

gknight543 Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 8, 2009 9:41 AM in response to garthwd

Not yet, I've emailed BBC's watchdog programme, lets see if they're interested.

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Answer 13

Apr 13, 2009 10:08 PM in response to gknight543

Listen guys (maybe girls too!)...

I have had dealings with O2. You have to remember that most O2's are franchises, so you tend to get stuck in the politics of all the processes.

Personally, I would have dealt with Apple directly, like others on here have suggested. Either through Applecare, or even better, go into your nearest Apple Store and speak to a Genius.

I would not bother with O2, unless I had absolutely No other choice whatsoever, and even then: I would go straight to Customer Relations at O2, rather than deal with the monkeys in the Stores (no disrespect to the Staff, but they are governed by policies and procedures).

Be persistent, and don't be fobbed off by O2, if you really must stick to them!

Good luck.

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Answer 14

carl wolf

Level 6

14,631 points

Apr 13, 2009 10:14 PM in response to gknight543

"I need some advice if anyone can help as to how to proceed with my problem."

Your posting has the title "O2 Extortion". What's with the "extortion" tag - no one is trying to extort you. Perhaps you should look the word up in a dictionary.

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Answer 15

r.cloud

Level 3

815 points

Apr 13, 2009 10:25 PM in response to Allan Sampson

I would second Allan's suggestion of checking with AppleCare as far as we (the company i work for)are concerned we provide 1st level support which essentially means that we can check the iPhone restore etc... all software issues anything else falls into 2nd level support which is transferred through AppleCare. If an issue is considered under warranty it MUST be submitted through the proper channels with a case number and must be passed onto an "AASP" (Apple Authorised Service Provider) which would be Apple themselves no other 3rd party is authorised. This is the case at least in Aus (but i don't see Apple changing their t's and c's that much unless local laws come into play)

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