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AIBU?

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Original poster

What are my rights? 02 crooks!

43 replies

Henrysmycat · 28/09/2017 09:42

So, when I got my phone O2 you told me it was better if I had my phone to 'automatic' connection as the signal in our area is a bit rubbish. It was done in the shop, no problem. We live in a blind spot of 3G and nothing so it was easier for me to have it to automatic.

So, we finally went on holiday overseas and I paid a daily flat fee when I used my phone and was ok to have my daily rates. So far so good. But my phone lost contact with local telephone company and AUTOMATICALLY connected to A NORWEGIAN CRUISE SHIP and started to push notifications while I was asleep.

I'm now the equivalent of £80 to be exact lighter and O2 want me to pay no questions asked.

I escalated but the escalation manager either doesn't give a shit or stupid because she had no idea what I was talking about despite the file and the previous escalation from the bot to someone in India to some "agent smith". what are my goddamn right?
Has anyone had anything happened to them like that?
And be careful when you are overseas!

OP posts:
Aderyn17 · 28/09/2017 10:17

I think O2 should have told you all the advantages and drawbacks to using automatic connection, given that they recommended it to you.
If they sold you a product and failed to inform you properly then I think they have some responsibility here. What does the contract say, because on the end it is the t&c that you signed which will determine outcome. Although you could theoretically make a case that contracts have to be fair in order to be enforceable.

O2 can be sharky imo. They threatened me with debt collectors for a bill I had paid and I had written confirmation from them that I owed them no money at the end of my contract. I had bern a customer of 02 for years - all bills paid on time and they went straight to rude and aggressive correspondence. I will never have another contract with them again and I pay the mobile phone bills for my kids as well myself.
Okay 02 probably don't give a shit but I would have thought that alienating customers isn't the best way to run a business.

fizzicles · 28/09/2017 10:18

Oops – cross-post there! I agree with Hereward, they should refund you

MrsMargeSimpson · 28/09/2017 10:19

I did talk to them about it. We arrange for MY local rate when I was going to be charged a flat fee of £5. How would I know, that what was going to happen?

You STILL aren’t answering my question! Did you specifically ask if you should switch that feature off? If you didn’t then the person serving you had absolutely no way to know you’d turned it on, as it’s rare advice that was given specifically to you. You knew that much, so the onus is/was on you to check. They aren’t psychic, and they serve hundreds of people every day. They don’t remember many only the twats

Hereward1332 · 28/09/2017 10:24

To put it another way, cruise ships occasionally dock just before Tower Bridge. If you were visiting the Tower of London, would you happily pay £80 because your phone connected to the ship's network and you should have stopped it, or would you argue that you paid for coverage in the UK and hadn't left.

Original poster
Henrysmycat · 28/09/2017 10:38

MrsMargeSimpson, please read my other comments and specifically "Hereward1332" as this is what happened. I PAID to be connected the flat fee as we agreed. there was no reason to switch off. I paid for the service.

OP posts:
SisyphusDad · 28/09/2017 10:42

I think if anyone's at fault it's the cruise company for not locking access to their wi-fi with a password. But they probably want their passengers to fall for the same thing the OP did - connect by default and start racking up the charges.

ThisIsntMyUsualName · 28/09/2017 10:43

My phone has done this several times in Dover. Connected to a cruise ship or ferry then I get charged. I just make sure I turn of the automatic selection when I'm near the channel now.

It's an arse and a bit crappy that it wasn't fully explained but don't think it's o2's fault really.

SandyDenny · 28/09/2017 10:45

If I understand you right there would be no way to avoid this.

You paid to have a connection in the country you were in, you couldn't know that would be from the cruise ship but I don't think it's anyone's fault per se.

It's worth asking O2 for a goodwill reduction in the bill

MrsMargeSimpson · 28/09/2017 11:37

I’m going to assume from your lack of answering a very clear question that you didn’t ask it. Therefore, the responsibility lies with you. What you paid was a flat fee for roaming, this is different.

wifeyhun · 28/09/2017 11:41

It's not your fault I would push 02 to refund, you weren't to know that you would connect to a cruise ship.

I can highly recommend three, when I left my data roaming on by accident on a recent overnight ferry I woke to loads of charges, I phoned three and they refunded it as a one off.

icequeenxox · 28/09/2017 11:52

O2 aren't going to cover every single thing that could possibly happen, you need to have a level of common sense. They told you to do it at home, you didn't bother to ask about it for going abroad.

Completely your own fault

Alloftheboys · 28/09/2017 12:47

Used to work for a mobile company and had this happen 2 or 3 times (over about 5 years) to customers that I dealt with.
It's highly likely that the customer service advisor that you spoke to to sort your plan out had no idea this could happen.
However your phone is your responsibility to check what network you are on etc.
I would persist with o2 and see if you can get the charges reduced.

Also no need to get arsey with people on here when you don't get the answer you are looking for Grin

DrunkOnEther · 28/09/2017 12:56

I can see why you're getting frustrated because exactly - people are misunderstanding what you're saying.

You paid for data abroad. In order to connect to a foreign network you have to have data roaming on. The flat fee you paid would cover any land-based network. But at some point, you lost all signal to land-based networks and automatically connected to an 'at sea' network instead - these networks are wholly private, and nothing to do with land-based ones, therefore O2 don't have any agreements with them, so you'll be charged separately.

Imo, O2 should refund you the charges as a goodwill gesture.

SandyDenny · 28/09/2017 14:54

I know it's not really an issue now that phone contracts are Europewide but would all those criticising the OP have said the same if they'd been connected to French networks if they were in Dover as happened a few years ago and got huge bills

I don't understand why the OP's getting such a hard time here, it's not that difficult to understand the problem is it?

ThisIsntMyUsualName · 28/09/2017 15:04

I live near Dover and it happens all the time Sandy. It's annoying but you just have to change the settings and it won't do it.

Aderyn17 · 28/09/2017 15:40

If this happens 'all the time' then O2 ought to have warned her it could happen. No one checks their phone every 5 minutes just in case a passing ship has a stronger wifi signal than the local land based one that the OP paid a fee to be connected to , and has connected to their phone!

MargotLovedTom1 · 28/09/2017 15:53

I am not surprised OP is pissed off. When O2 were telling her to keep the setting on automatic they should have added a caveat that it may mean being connected to an unwanted signal abroad which could incur charges outside of any prearranged roaming fees.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 28/09/2017 16:00

O2 are generally shit. Confirmed by a chap in a shop when I explained why I was not renewing at the end of the contract.

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