Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

O2 iPhone Upgrade (Rant + Discuss)

Z

ZiRo

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 24, 2008
19
0
I think it is disgusting that O2 offer an 'upgrade' on the existing contract for exactly the same price and terms as taking out a whole new contract.

I'm sorry, but the shelf life of my iPhone is nowhere near 18 months. I can either stick with my 'old' iPhone for the next 12 months or upgrade to the 3G iPhone for 'only' £99 + 18 month contract. I know i'll be in exactly the same position another 12 months down the line, when i'm sure O2 will offer me an 'upgrade' to iPhone v3, extending my contract for another 18 months, giving them more money for the latest handset.

I don't have any problem upgrading to the £45 tariff or paying £99 for the upgrade. But I'm not sticking 18 months on my contract again. 'Pay this and let us bend you over for the next 18 months'.

iPhone or not, this is my first contract phone and by god, it makes me never want to do it ever again.

And this crap about if you don't have insurance and you need to buy a new iPhone, you have to take out another 18 month contract. What if my iPhone doesn't last 18 months due to general wear and tear? I have to take out another 18 month contract? That sounds like a matter for court. That is an awful position for a consumer to be in, being forced to either pay for something they cannot use due to defunct hardware, or being forced to enter into another 18 month contract?

Is this acceptable or am I actually sane?

If anyone feels the same, what do you plan to do about it? Keep/Upgrade?

I'm considering throwing the '**** it, i'm canceling my direct debit, take me to court over the remaining £300 on my contract, or i'll take a tariff upgrade and you'll upgrade my handset with no extension on my contract'-type line.
 
If you have no beef with the monthly cost, the cost of the phone and you can upgrade to the next version without paying any more than anyone else... whats the problem?
 
jontucker said:
If you have no beef with the monthly cost, the cost of the phone and you can upgrade to the next version without paying any more than anyone else... whats the problem?
Click to expand...

If you upgrade, you're tied in for another 18 months as if you'd started a new contract.

£279 + 18 month contract @ £35 pcm
7 months later >>
£99 + 18 month contract @ £35 pcm OR keep old, worthless phone for another 11 months
 
You knew what you were getting when you bought it. O2 are being pretty good here because they're not making you see out your existing contract.
 
Jesus wept, what is wrong with you???
You are being bailed out of 9 months on an existing contract, you get the 3G for a drastically cheaper price than the original, you pay exactly the same, or even less if you go for a lower tariff, as the one you are paying now.

Where exactly is your problem with that?? If you dont want a contract, dont get one, get a PAYG ffs.
Why do you feel you should get special prices?? Because you had a 1st gen??
Or is it that you feel you should be able to get a cheap phone off o2 and have no commitment to them? Yeah, they love throwing money away just so people like you dont boo hoo.
Or would you like the scenario where you buy it from o2 for cheap, take it to another carrier for a contract, and pay them the same money?? I cant see what the hell your problem is.
Ridiculous..some people complain just for complainings sake, you seem like one of those.

Oh btw, that is how EVERY carrier works for EVERY 'upgrade' in the UK, you start a new contract to counter for the little or no price of the handset.

Edit: Oh and do tell how your 1st gen iPhone has suddenly become worthless just because a newer model is about to be released???
 
I don't think you have it all that terrible to be honest... Those of us in the US are being forced into another 24 months (and only if you are upgrade eligible or have a current iPhone). If you aren't upgrade eligible, you don't even get the opportunity to sell your soul to the devil for another 24 months, you have to pay a higher price (or so we are all assuming).
 
boring ... zzzzzzzzzzzzz


take a minute to read the terms and conditions of your contract with O2, which actually is a SERVICE contract and the device has no significance.

You agreed to 18 month minimum term line rental agreement. IF they do decide to offer you an early upgrade then that is their choice they do not have to do anything.

This is why retards shouldn't be allowed contracts! No one ever reads the agreement they are signing! My phone doesnt' work so im not going to pay my bill WRONG you pay for the line not the phone! I want the new phone GREAT GO AND BUY IT bla bla bla they won't do this they won't do that

CRY ME A RIVER!
 
Welcome to real life. We're sorry its not as full of unicorns as you had hoped. This is your first contract, and it won't be your last. You've got it good if this is the worst of your problems.

And no, don't let them take you to court over your bill. That will destroy your credit for the next decade...
 
Ryan.Fork said:
I don't think you have it all that terrible to be honest... Those of us in the US are being forced into another 24 months (and only if you are upgrade eligible or have a current iPhone). If you aren't upgrade eligible, you don't even get the opportunity to sell your soul to the devil for another 24 months, you have to pay a higher price (or so we are all assuming).
Click to expand...

no one is forcing you to do anything its a choice!
 
ZiRo said:
I think it is disgusting that O2 offer an 'upgrade' on the existing contract for exactly the same price and terms as taking out a whole new contract.

I'm sorry, but the shelf life of my iPhone is nowhere near 18 months. I can either stick with my 'old' iPhone for the next 12 months or upgrade to the 3G iPhone for 'only' £99 + 18 month contract. I know i'll be in exactly the same position another 12 months down the line, when i'm sure O2 will offer me an 'upgrade' to iPhone v3, extending my contract for another 18 months, giving them more money for the latest handset.

I don't have any problem upgrading to the £45 tariff or paying £99 for the upgrade. But I'm not sticking 18 months on my contract again. 'Pay this and let us bend you over for the next 18 months'.

iPhone or not, this is my first contract phone and by god, it makes me never want to do it ever again.

And this crap about if you don't have insurance and you need to buy a new iPhone, you have to take out another 18 month contract. What if my iPhone doesn't last 18 months due to general wear and tear? I have to take out another 18 month contract? That sounds like a matter for court. That is an awful position for a consumer to be in, being forced to either pay for something they cannot use due to defunct hardware, or being forced to enter into another 18 month contract?

Is this acceptable or am I actually sane?

If anyone feels the same, what do you plan to do about it? Keep/Upgrade?

I'm considering throwing the '**** it, i'm canceling my direct debit, take me to court over the remaining £300 on my contract, or i'll take a tariff upgrade and you'll upgrade my handset with no extension on my contract'-type line.
Click to expand...

I really dont get your argument; Your trying to get something for nothing... it doesnt happen!

Why would O2 give you a subsidized phone, without a contract. Basically what they are doing is canceling your existing contract before it's term ends, then offering you the same deals as new customers. I think its very very reasonable. Normally you would have to stick your full time out until you'd be allowed to change.

As for the insurance, that was a lie told by CPW sales-people, to try and sell their insurance. Its not true, but that doesnt mean you shouldn't take any insurance. Shop around and know what you need cover for! This shouldnt happen this time round since CPW had a slapped wrist over the last time with the insurance, BBC Watchdog and a regulatory body stepped in to tell them to stop lying.
 
MojoWill said:
My phone doesnt' work so im not going to pay my bill WRONG you pay for the line not the phone!
Click to expand...

Jesus christ. Why the **** do I have to take out another 18 month contract if I want to activate another iPhone (read: HARDWARE) due to breakage, to my contract (read: LINE) if I'm only paying O2 for line rental?
 
I've got about 11 months to run on my current iPhone contract. As far as I can see, o2 are giving me a new phone for a mere 7 months contract. Not a bad deal as far as I can see. What you are describing is standard practice for any contract phone you take out.
 
Why is this place so full of people who think they deserve some special treatment because it's an iPhone, or blame the service providers for forcing them into decisions?

For a change the UK have got the better end of the deal. You're in an 18 month contract as it is, I can't think of a single case where people have been allowed a free or subsidised upgrade before the end of their contract term.

Is there a compelling contract law should work differently for iPhone users?
 
ZiRo said:
Jesus christ. Why the **** do I have to take out another 18 month contract if I want to activate a new iPhone (read: HARDWARE) to my contract (read: LINE) if I'm only paying O2 for line rental?
Click to expand...

Because O2 are SUBSIDIZING the phone! end.

Edit, oh i see you've edited your reply to mention the insurance, which I've already said was a lie by insurance salespeople, so forget about that. You'd have to pay the full PAYG price without the insurnace though, but my insurance says they'd get me a replacement phone if mine was lost, stolen, damaged, or accidentally damaged.

Edit, just to add, Carphone Warehouse were caught misselling insurance, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7115830.stm
 
I would just like to say im am so happy o2 are allowing the upgrade to 'restart' my contract allowing me to get the new iphone, the new price, well i cant argue with that, giving me a new sim to sell on my old iphone and not pulling an at&t and charging the same for data is fantastic, im a very happy bunny and i see nothing to complain about, they did everything right!
 
ZiRo said:
If you upgrade, you're tied in for another 18 months as if you'd started a new contract.

£279 + 18 month contract @ £35 pcm
7 months later >>
£99 + 18 month contract @ £35 pcm OR keep old, worthless phone for another 11 months
Click to expand...

I'd missed this. So the first gen iPhone is now old and worthless? You'd better tell everyone on eBay quick!

Could you explain exactly how it aged and lost value during the Jobs keynote?
 
Rigsby said:
Could you explain exactly how it aged and lost value during the Jobs keynote?
Click to expand...
Er, while I'm not agreeing that it's worthless (though to the carrier it is), I can't understand how you need it explaining to you how it aged and lost value during the keynote. The hardware has been superseded, simple as that.
 
ZiRo said:
Jesus christ. Why the **** do I have to take out another 18 month contract if I want to activate another iPhone (read: HARDWARE) due to breakage, to my contract (read: LINE) if I'm only paying O2 for line rental?
Click to expand...

Can you provide a link backing this up? There's no mention of that on the O2 site that I can see, and AFAIK the standard procedure if you break any other contract handset is that you buy a replacement at the full (unsubsidized) price.
 
alFR said:
Can you provide a link backing this up? There's no mention of that on the O2 site that I can see, and AFAIK the standard procedure if you break any other contract handset is that you buy a replacement at the full (unsubsidized) price.
Click to expand...

+1

though now that the iPhone 3G is out, you have the choice of restarting your contract and paying less for the phone, or paying the full unsubsidized price.
 
ZiRo said:
Jesus christ. Why the **** do I have to take out another 18 month contract if I want to activate another iPhone (read: HARDWARE) due to breakage, to my contract (read: LINE) if I'm only paying O2 for line rental?
Click to expand...

You seem to be changing what your rant is about...
Is it that you dont want to extend a contract if you replace a broken phone or is that you dont want to extend a contract for upgrading....these 2 factors are very different.
 
Rigsby said:
I'd missed this. So the first gen iPhone is now old and worthless? You'd better tell everyone on eBay quick!

Could you explain exactly how it aged and lost value during the Jobs keynote?
Click to expand...

Dunno, I was tired and grumpy.

I guess contracts aren't for me. I don't do 'credit', I don't do 'being tied in' - I hate the feeling of owing someone money for another 18 months, knowing that its likely that another iteration of the phone will be available or my current phone will be on its absolute last legs after 12 months.
 
ZiRo said:
Dunno, I was tired and grumpy.

I guess contracts aren't for me. I don't do 'credit', I don't do 'being tied in' - I hate the feeling of owing someone money for another 18 months, knowing that its likely that another iteration of the phone will be available or my current phone will be on its absolute last legs after 12 months.
Click to expand...

Personally I don't see the big issue of being tied in to O2 for the iPhone, especially if all upgrades are like this. At the moment I'd happily say I've got no reason to leave O2, and no reason not to get the next 5 iPhones that are released. If it means that on paper I'm tied to O2 for the next 6years while apple keep releasing new iPhones, I'm not that bothered. It would annoy me if there was no upgrade option mid-contract.

I suppose if credit isnt for you, shouldnt have got a contract in the first place. I just think you need to relax and not worry about being tied in. They're not going to sell your soul or anything.
 
holy male bovine excrement batman, I didn't realise that my iPhone suddenly stopped working do completly after the new one was announced. Oh, no, wait, it seems to be working just now as I type this slightly sarcastic reply. Maybe it will stop working and brick itself at midnight on release day, then again it might not. I might just get the new 2.0 software for free have 90+% of the features of the new one and notice no diference whatsoever because I'm not in a 3G area and all I'd have is a less pretty phone with GPS that dose significantly less than my tom tom and another dent in my wallet
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back