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First Hand Story: O2 iPhone 3G Upgrade Fiasco

By: Daniel Chubb | July 11, 2008 | 7 Comments

O2 iPhone 3G Upgrade Fiasco

We have heard a lot of news today about O2’s systems going down and stores having to do manual connections of the new iPhone 3G, but this story from one customer shows what can be achieved when you put your foot down and demand.

Graham Sharp’s day getting an iPhone 3G - “After being 4th in the queue at their O2 Redhill store, from 7am today, told by staff that they had around 20 16gb phones, the first 3 were allowed in at 8.02am as promised, but were still in there at 9.30am with an increasingly peeved queue forming outside, no drinks offered, nothing.

I wanted to upgrade from the original iPhone bought from the same store on the first launch day but was told after a 2 hour wait, that as their (Windows based) systems were down they would only do manual paperwork connections & could not do upgrades manually.

They would only do new business, and they wouldn’t hold me or any other ‘upgraders’ a phone, but would call us when eventually they had more stock so I could drive back down there and queue up again. Customer loyalty, where?

Apple, for heavens sake sell them some Macs – So still standing now 1st in the queue in front of the locked door, I decided to make a call to O2 Customer Care on my current iPhone, after informing them of the current situation, to which they denied all knowledge, saying it must just be this store? I asked them who at O2 was going to reimburse me for my day off work and travel, parking etc.

Customer Care then spoke to the store manager on my phone and shortly after I left with my 16gb 3G iPhone around 15mins later (not actually working as they would have to call me when they put the upgrade thro’ when the system is back up and running). What a joke, not up to Apples standards by far”.

Thanks to Graham Sharp for the news about his experience with today’s iPhone 3G launch.

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  • Graham Sharp

    So folks, the plot thickens !

    I have just phoned the O2 store where I bought my new 3G phone and they say they still haven’t done the upgrades.

    Stupidly………I thought I would update my current 2G iPhone to v2.0 firmware on the Apple website via iTunes………………….

    well, let’s just say now I’ve got 2 iPhones that I can’t use !!!

    Apples server lets you download the firmware to your iPhone, then promptly fails to update it via iTunes, leaving you with an ‘unactivated’ iPhone ??????????

    they tech support have no idea when this will be fixed !

    and I have a wife who is 26 weeks pregnant who now can’t contact me via my mobile ? Great ! is it Friday 11th or 13th ??

    Sort it out Apple/O2, you know how many iPhones you sold, so must have been able to anticipate/cater for a worst case scenario

    better go buy a good old simple pay as you go phone then for now

    Graham

  • Dseered

    My Nokia works just fine ;)

  • Graham Sharp

    Update:

    well no news at all from O2 about finalising my upgrade on my 3G iPhone ! even tho’ I was promised a call back by the manager ……. twice

    and I am still trying to re-activate my original iPhone via …………….. nope, scratch that, it’s now finally activated ! after more than 50 attempts

    Sync-ing right now

    So after getting up at 6am, to go get my new toy, here we are at 7.22pm and I’ve got as far as where I started !

    LOL cheers O2 and Apple !

  • Graham Sharp

    another update:

    still no call from my O2 store to tell me what is happening with my upgrade phone, I’s still sitting here sealed in the cellophane wrapper !

    and I switched on my current iPhone this morning to find it had deactivated itself again ????????

    have to say I’m getting pretty fed up with all this now, and to top it off, I’m having to use a Nokia 6230 now LOL

  • YMFB

    Whilst your there get one for me, please.

  • Graham Sharp

    so I’ve now phoned the O2 store:

    and even tho’ I was the fourth person to leave with an iPhone after yesterdays launch ……………… they still haven’t processed the upgrades and say it’s unlikely to happen over the next six hours as they are busy ????????

    come on O2 this is rubbish !!!

  • Graham Sharp

    finally, I’m up and running on the 3G iPhone

    only a mere 36 hours after buying it ! LOL

    and yes it’s good, very good

    and hopefully this whole diabolical episode will fade away

    but O2 & Apple, I have to say, I was not impressed