Phone Saga

Let me tell you a tall tale about my mobile phone. I could do with getting it off my chest.

I had a thoroughly miserable time yesterday arranging the update of my mobile phone.

It all started a month or so ago when my current contract came to an end with Orange. I currently have a Sony Ericsson k810i which I am sure you'll agree is now ancient. I did my research, took, and ignored people's advice and took the plunge on an iPhone 3GS from O2 on a £45 a month contract.

I knew it was out of stock at the time but I thought yeah that's too bad but great, it's popular, it's the phone to be seen with. So, all well and good.

Well, a week or two went by and it still hadn't arrived. I explored the Carphone Warehouse website for a number to ring but it was constantly engaged. So, I gave up and it got to the point maybe early this week where I actually had a momentary thought of "Oh yeah, I ordered an iPhone and it's still not here and I've done nothing about it." That's how great my mind works.

Anyway, I tried them again and eventually got through where I was put straight onto the world's most complicated automated phone system. There must have been 15 button presses before I finally reached the stage of inputting my order reference.

After inputting that 10 digit number I was told,

"The order reference number you have entered is...invalid!"

"Arrrrgghhh!!"

I hung up and started again.

20 minutes later I finally got through and it was as if I had been connected to the identity theft illegal immigration hotline! The guy wanted my account numbers, debit card numbers, my driving license number too. That can't be right can it?

Apparently because O2 want to do these security checks before issuing the iPhones out. It's not a child you know! It felt a little bit ridiculous so I cut the guy off mid account number and said I would sort it myself face to face with "a geezer in a shop" as I so eloquently put it.

So that was it, iphone order cancelled and left stuck with my current handset still with Orange.

Now then, when I ordered the iphone, I handed in my 30 day contract notice to the guy at Orange who advised me at the time that to transfer my existing number to a new network I would need a PAC (Port Authority Code) Number so he sent me one out. It arrived but I thought nah, sod it, I'll just have a new number. At the time though he said "It's ok if you don't use it just let us know and we'll cancel it." so I thought fine, in the bin it goes. Oh no...

In the back of my mind then yesterday whilst on the phone to Carphone Warehouse and cancelling my order was this whole PAC number thing. I rang Orange and was connected to a young guy who seemed to have absolutely no idea what I was talking about and in the midst of explaining it all for the third time he tried to offer me a Pay as You go phone at the end of another 30 day notice period?!!? He put me on to a lass who explained the PAC number thing. I shouldn't have been sent it apparently. Orange are great aren't they?

She then put me through to the upgrades dept to see what they could do once I'd explained most of the above to her.

In the end after much hard selling and what was no doubt an 'imaginary approval from my line manager', I've managed to bag a LG GT505 for £19.60 a month. It cost nothing and comes with 200 mins talking, unlimited texts and 500mb internet usage which seemed alright to me.

I finally put the phone after maybe 2 hours of ringing, holding, button pressing and explaining but I was happy I'd finally sorted one.

It arrives Tuesday and will be getting a thorough analysis on here.

Now this is the kind of blog post I will be doing a video of in future methinks. I could have told this much better so I will give it a go at some point this week.

Might get a haircut and shave first though.