Iphone Advise

[Gaogier]

Hello

Since I got my Iphone 4, (24th June 2010) I have had signal problems at home, I live on the edge of a city.

I have phone and gone to o2, who have said we are updating our network in your area, please contact us again in 30 days to see if your problem exists. I phone again, they have switched my phone (aswel as apple) 4 times - Rules out the phone as I have put the sim in other Iphones, Blackberries, and even older Nokia 3310 and a sony phone.

I have had my contract disconnected from the system, then reconnected several times, still the problems consist. The problem is, I only have signal problems at home, 5 meters down the road, I get 3-4 bar signal. They have also switched the sim card over at least 15 times (only 3 times on the system due to it being done in store so often.)

o2 now say they will cancel my contract, I have to give them the phone, that means I need to sign up to another network for a 12 month contact, the phone costs £300+ and thats not including the £45 per month costs. They have given me another option, they will half the remainder contact for me and I have to pay 50% now to cancel the contact, which means I keep the phone.

Is this right? Are they allowed to do that? Surely there is something wrong with their network, on my phone, I have been with o2 for 15 years (before they was o2.), so either way, I have to find a lot of money just to have a working phone.

Why only 12 months? MY contact has 8 months left, therefore I want to have the option to upgrade to the next iphone (not the 4s).

 

[jmjoh122]

I don't know about o2 but let me tell you that no other carrier would ever do anything like that. If you ask me if it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck...it's probably a duck. I would be very suprised that they would even allow you to get out of the contract early. If they would do something like this for me, I would have done it a long time ago. Just keep in mind that if you are having this problem with one carrier, you might just have the same problem with other carriers. So, I would do a lot of thinking about it before I made any kind of decision.

 

[Gaogier]

My sister has an iphone 4 on a different network.

I have had this problem since day 1, and since then they have been pushing me here, telling me to wait etc.

I mean, I went into the store 2 days after release, said I don't get signal at home.

They was like, do you get signal out of home, I do, so they said the network signal post thing near me was updating, if its still broken at the end of the month, come back. I did, they switched my sim card over, and said see if thats any better, and come back in a few days if its not, etc.

After a month of this, I they said go to apple Genus bar, So I did, they switched my phone over, same problems, (apparently I have had 4 iphone 4's 3 sim cards) Although he said that I have had more sim card switches, but due to being done in store, they don't update on the system.

So basically I could of got out of the contact in the first 14 days which was when I was allowed, but problems have been going on and o2 keep saying oh, let us try this, give us until... etc.

 

[captainbill]

The problem is, I only have signal problems at home, 5 meters down the road, I get 3-4 bar signal.

If I'm reading your post correctly, you've already identified your problem ... it is the very environment of your home. If you can in fact walk 15 meters down the road and have a good experience, that is telling me you have either electrical or structural interference within your home. If this is the case, changing one iPhone for another, or replacing sim cards isn't going to do a darn thing for you.

A particular model of phone (ie: Blackberry) may or may not be less sensitive to the interference, and trying various models may be your only way out of this quandry. I can attest that at least with wireless phones, it is not uncommon for one brand to work where another brand will not function.

If it's an electrical field interference causing the disruption of signal, these are typically caused by flourescents or rheostats (as for a ceiling fan, for example). There are several other possible sources as well, but without professional equipment, it would be quite difficult for a homeowner to trace the source of the problem.

I'm not an expert on cellular networks. My advice is based on a career with the telephone company as well as a basic electrical background. Conditions such as described, have typically been seen with wireless phones in homes and businesses I've had to provide repairs for.

As for the company telling somebody they are working on towers in the area, I'll tell you that this is a common lie told to customers when they don't have the real answer available at their fingertips, or they suspect it's only a temporary condition. Basically it's just an easy way to get the customer to go away.

Regarding the company letting you out of your contract, this could be possibly because you've been identified as a bothersome user (15+ sim card changes, 4 phone changes, multiple visits for complaints, etc), and at some point the company I worked for would just kick you to the curb, and move on to the next customer. I'm not saying it's right, but it is more common than many realize.

If I've misread your post, I apologize for all the gibberish above. Good luck!

 

[Gaogier]

I live under Pylons. Other people on the same network have no issues, Other people with the same phone, on a different network are fine.

If I put the sim card in a different phone (which work on the same network) then nothing, it has to be the contract or my network is on a different frequency.

o2, have finally agreed its the network/contract.

They will terminate the contact, but want the phone back, after me spending £720 for no network at home. I have done some calculating with google maps, the area is about 1000 sq meters. Or they will allow me to have the phone, and go on a different network but want 50%, of the remainder of the contract, which I think I shouldn't have to pay.

Its about £180, with £45 off that due to o2 deleting data from my account. So £135 total. Vodafone want £299 downpayment for the same model phone on a 12 month contract (I want to upgrade when the next model Iphone comes out - NOT IPHONE 4s).

Should i contact a regulator? I o2 have admitted that I have been in contact to fix the problem 2 days after I got the phone. What do I do?