O2 Network Outages?

Nate J · Mon 14 Apr, 2008 17.05

Is it just me or is the network constantly out of signal? I get one bar tops and still get "call failed".
After quick googling, it's happened before too, but 2006 was the only date I saw.

Dad's having the same problem, and think I heard someone on the bus says it's not working too.

Anyone else having this problem, or is it just me?

Alexia · Mon 14 Apr, 2008 17.24

4 bars and enough for annoying marketing texts to still come through... thats down here in Wales. Tidy.

cdd · Mon 14 Apr, 2008 17.24

Try dialing "112" to see if it's all networks in your area. If you get a response, then it's just O2.
After some consideration I think I should add a StuartPlymouth style disclaimer not to try this. However anyone stupid enough to do this deserves whatever hassle they get.

Nate J · Mon 14 Apr, 2008 20.49

cdd wrote:Try dialing "112" to see if it's all networks in your area. If you get a response, then it's just O2.
After some consideration I think I should add a StuartPlymouth style disclaimer not to try this. However anyone stupid enough to do this deserves whatever hassle they get.

Haha,

Things seem to be okay now.

pete917 · Sat 02 Aug, 2008 18.56

im on t-mob and we had an outage that lasted for 5 days in our area

managed to have a moan and get a months free line rental though

barcode · Sat 02 Aug, 2008 19.51

Why not change network, if you go to phones 4 u you can get one of these wonderful gifts

http://www.phones4u.co.uk/special-offers/FreeGifts.asp

I don;t trust it of course

Further to this I have found O2 one of the biggest cowboys for providing an actully good service, and there customer service is not great, I would explain why but, my power of explaining is not great, it will come out wrong without informing you good people how bad there can be

Chris · Sat 02 Aug, 2008 23.55

They are not "free". They are worked into the cost of the contract!

Nini · Sun 03 Aug, 2008 00.50

Offering "free" high priced/high value items with phone contracts must be one of the biggest cons I know.

Gavin Scott · Mon 04 Aug, 2008 10.07

Well, I had a wee look at those offers. In the case of some of them the deal looks pretty good, i.e. a 600 minute, unlimited text deal with a new Nokia handset for £35.00 per month.

I'm already paying an average of £45, because my lame contract is £30.00 for 150 minutes and 150 texts - both of which I exceed.

Other than, "this must be a con" - can anyone tell me why I should avoid getting a free telly thrown in?

Gavin Scott · Mon 04 Aug, 2008 11.15

nodnirG kraM wrote:Oh and re: your current contract, go into your local branch and either flirt or whinge at the assistant. Generally they'll bung you a new handset, up your minutes and texts, and lower your line rental.

Or at least that happened for me earlier in the year. Doubled my minutes to 400, upped my texts to unlimited, gave me 4mb surfing a day, cut my line rental to £30, and gave me a free N81 8GB. And a PAYG SIM. And a free Nokia 2310. And a phone charger. And an FM transmitter. And one of those weird sock things to stop it getting scratched in my pocket. And a coffee while I was waiting.

I popped in to Orange at the tail end of last week. I was told that my contract actually comes up for renewal in November (end of Sept. actually), but that I could claim an upgrade in "8 days" - so sometime this week, now.

I asked the girl what I could expect in terms of an upgrade and was told, "They change weekly so there's no point in me looking... I mean, it might all be different next week".

I told her I would like to know nonetheless. The whole thing seemed like a dreadful burden to her.

I was offered an assortment of shitty handsets - the exception being a really tiny Nokia, small enough to keep in the wee condom pocket in a pair of jeans. No N95 or N81 available without forking out £99.

I told her that I was considering moving away from Orange to get myself an iPhone. She looked rather blank and told me, "You can't get an iPhone from us".

I told her I was aware of that - that's why I said I was thinking of moving to another provider.

At this point she had lost interest.

I also mentioned that the "Best plan" checker on their website was offering me a deal which, although better than the one I'm on, wasn't actually the best deal available - as I could pay £35.00 for 600m + unlimited texts from Orange, yet the website was prompting me to take a £30.00 contract for 300m and 250 Texts - which my average usage would eclipse and leave me paying more than £5.00 more per month in charges.

She didn't seem to know or care what I was talking about.

My plan is to take an upgrade (with no contract extension) and then sell that handset on eBay to defray the cost of the iPhone I really want.

Gavin Scott · Mon 04 Aug, 2008 13.09

nodnirG kraM wrote:Glad I'm with Vodafone then .. they were positively delightful to deal with. Perhaps try again on a different day with hopefully more helpful staff. Oh but bear in mind your new handset will be locked to Orange, and possibly be pre-installed with a hacked Orange version of the OS, reducing its resale value on eBay. Damn you, Orange.

Unlocking isn't too much of a problem, I guess. I could get it done before flogging it.

Hadn't considered the OS issue - but I could always put "caveat emptor" on the listing in the hope that foolish buyers don't know what it means.

The girl mentioned that Orange determine upgrades based on usage. Despite my average bill being 50% more than the base rental I'm only considered a "level 3 (out of 5) customer", meaning the more expensive handsets are outwith my reach as a freebie.

My significant other's number is "free" with Orange, otherwise I would easily be a "level 1" - as he's the only person I call day in, day out.