Pretty good up- (and down-) grades....

[Guest brykins]

Just thought I'd give my experience of an O2 Online upgrade.

Started a twelve month O2 Online 50 contract on the 14th January 2005 (?19 per month for 50minutes plus 500 texts). Got bill number twelve via email on 14th December, paid by switch online, left it half an hour and then called the upgrade number.

Got a very nice lady on the phone (Debbie) and I explained that I had no cash due it being Christmas time, and that I wanted to get an XDA Mini S for free. She offered it to me at ?109.00 (it was on the O2 website at ?99 for all new monthly contracts)

No good, so what else can we do? I knew that I needed more minutes on my contract as I am always over, so I wanted to upgrade to their Online Talker 100 (200 minutes, 150 texts, ?25) and she said that she could so that with the XDA Mini at ?109 and the line rental at ?15 per month. Much better for me to have the line rental at ?25 (some is paid for by my company) so I suggested she could give me the phone for free and keep the line rental at ?25.

She put me on hold for a couple of minutes, came back and said that was okay and the phone would be with me in three to five days.

Only (minor) thing was that it was an eighteen month contract but then I was expecting that anyway.

So - Mini S arrived. I didn't particularly like it and I then found out about T-Mobile Web'n'Walk. Applied for one thinking I wouldn't pass the credit check (it's been a BAD year) but got it....along with my nice new MDA Compact II.

Sent back the Mini S under the 14day cooling off period and tried to cancel. They said that they couldn't do anything until they received the phone back and by the time they got it, it was the end of December. 30days notice means my contract can't be ended till end Jan.

Today I ring them up and ask what they can do to make this contract nice and cheap (under ?10) for my wife who is PAYG and only really texts....and who would like a new phone ;-)

Nice lady says I can have 100 x-net anytime minutes plus 500 texts per month for a tenner (12 month contract) and was there any particular phone my wife wanted.....well yes - she wants a spare smartphone ;-)

I ask for the XDA SP (think it's a C550 in disguise) for me and, even though it's not on their website except for business users and the nice lady says we can have it for free....be with me in two days.

So - for ?120 for the year I get a spare smartphone, and my wife gets 100 minutes and 500 texts per month.

All in all - I can't complain about O2 upgrades.