but I bet O2 were laughing for a while - cant be the only case either and I bet the business users just pay it..
Hi Sam, I posted a more detailed account of what happened on the Volvo community forum, but you need to sign up to read threads in the "lounge" section. So I'll just cut and paste the relevant bits
I reckon when the sales person or the company they represent [an 02 shop in this instance] knows your personal circumstances and requirements. Then they have an obligation to tell you of any charges that it would be fair to assume could effect your decision to buy said contract. In this case a contract that is as much use as a chocolate fireguard to the person it was sold to.
So I phoned 02 up and put my case to them. Turns out in the 3 days since the issuance of the attached invoice, he has racked up another 17MB of data costing another £102.35 . So we are now talking about £557.16 in data download charges [data downloaded was 94MB]
What happened next kind of backs up my argument that he has been "miss sold" the contract. I was expecting to have a fight on my hands, no sireeeeeee, I did not even have to break into a sweat.................my son has experienced something 02 has even given a name to. Nodoubt so it can be processed though their system ......so in 02 jargon he has been subjected to "Call Shock" and as such 02 has agreed to "eat those" charges. they apparently get it all the time. Of course he now, being aware of the punitive costs of using his phone to access the web outside of the UK, has to foot the bill.
02 do what are called "bolt ons" in that he can for another £20 a month get 10MB of data, for £50 a month 50MB of data. Of course considering his usage in 16 days extrapolated into a 31 day month, his usage would be 184MB a month. It would appear by the scope of 02's own bolt ons, that this contract is definitely not for him.
Regards my argument of possible "Miss Selling" I gathered from the guy I spoke to,that argument would have to be taken up at the point of sale of the contract in the first instance. And would no doubt have to be put to the area manager. I reckon it's all down to commissions paid out, in that said parts of the organisation have to eat the costs of their own omissions when they fail to inform people of the possibility of punitive charges. He did admit they, the sales people had an obligation to make people aware of such charges.
So I'm just waiting to hear from my Son, if he wants me to pursue that course of action. Having been in business on my own account, I love taking on business that fail to deliver what they promise the customer, sell shoddy services, shoddy goods and the likes. Not saying this is the case in this instance. But I do find it best to judge a company by its response to customers complaints, than its self endorsed adoration via the media.........................
Here is the reply I received from him, when I asked if he had made the sales person aware that he spent most of his time out of country
Yes O2 as a company and the seller knew I was out of country all the time.
Now given that he was not informed of the punitive charges or the possibility of adding a "bolt on" I reckon he was miss sold the product.
In the real world of commision driven sales, they tell you what they need to tell you to close the deal. Knowing what the sales person knew about my Sons requirements...................well I rest my case.........................................
talking about bolt ons for a moment, even though no mention of them was made at the point of sale of the contract. Lets just look at the price I was quoted by 02 over the phone...... their best rate was £50 for 50MB. So it is logical to assume the are making an acceptable level of profit at that figure.
Now doing the maths on the invoice in front of me, and the additional verbal figure given over the phone of 17MB over three days at a cost of £102.35. The invoiced figure coming out at an equivalent 50MB charged rate of £293, and the 17MB verbal coming out at an equivalent 50MB charged rate of £301
So we are talking £300 [as near as the cat licked it's @rse without biting it] for a 50MB non bolt on download. That's a 500% price increase on an already profitable price point, now that to me is just taking the p@ss
Update: My Son, is happy with the phone so is keeping it, but will only use it for emergency internet access. He has an apartment in Turkey, and it comes with free WiFi , so he will access the tinternet with his net book, another new toy....lucky for me he now buys his own toys
Topic: Beware the pit falls of using your iPhone abroad to surf the net (Read 3812 times)