‘I was paying ten times more for nothing’: O2 customers react to recent hikes

O2’s cynical move to announce further price hikes for customers has been met with widespread disdain, and at Which? we’re urging customers to switch during a short time window when it’s possible to do so without paying exit fees. 

But what happens when we follow our own advice? We spoke to people in the Which? offices who’ve also been affected to find out why they have, or haven’t, switched away from O2 after the latest increase. 

Their experiences of the switching process and savings made should encourage others to follow the exodus from the network.  Find out what they had to say, and how we helped them make a decision about a new provider.

Read our guide to the best and worst UK mobile networks to find a provider that won't charge you hefty annual increases.

'It's the principle and I thought no, I've had enough.'

Richard Williams, Senior User Researcher

Saved £3.50 per month, £42 per year, and avoided price increases

I was disappointed that O2 appeared to be exploiting Ofcom’s rules in a way that wasn’t in the spirit of how they were designed, and I was proud to see Which? taking a stance against the increases. It’s a clear situation where a company is just trying to take consumers for a ride. 

So for me and probably lots of other people, the trigger was the sense of injustice and the feeling of being taken advantage of. Even if it is only £2.50 a month, it's the principle and I thought no, I've had enough.’

The first thing I did was look at the Which? site and used our star ratings tables to get the measure of which networks were good and bad.’

Richard had a 25GB data deal with O2 that doubled to 50GB with a Volt deal, which also increased his broadband speeds with Virgin. It started at £8 a month but had increased since to £9.50. 

‘It was actually quite straightforward, I found a deal quickly that stuck out ahead of the others. I went with iD Mobile and bagged 30GB for £6 a month. This is still more data than I use regularly because I'm often using wi-fi either at home or in the office.’

The large free EU roaming allowance offered by iD (30GB) was important to Richard, as he had enjoyed the 25GB that O2 provides to customers. This shows that customers afraid of losing existing perks can find equally good, or even better elsewhere. 

‘The process of switching was fine. I requested a PAC (porting authorisation code) by text, filled in my details with iD and read the small print. I also made sure I didn’t lose my Volt benefits with Virgin Media once I switched from O2.’ 

Browse the Sim-deals on offer at Which? Switch Mobile to see what's available, or check out our pick of the best Sim-only deals, where we highlight options starting at just £5 per month.

'I was paying ten times more for nothing, really.'

Temina Milovanovic, Senior Product Manager

Saved £14.90 - £19.40 per month, £205.80 per year, and avoided price increases

Temina had been trying to call O2 to cancel, and like many other irate customers had experienced long hold times to speak to an operator. However, this can be avoided by using text to switch.

‘When trying to leave O2, I called them for four days in a row at different times of day. Usually I was on hold for over thirty minutes. Finally I got through to someone who confirmed my Disney plus extra would be cancelled and I’d be sent my PAC.

The price increase was a shock but it was £2ish so i didn't really think about it too much, but after hearing more about it from around Which?, I thought actually it isn't really fair.

I had unlimited data with O2, but switched to a 35GB rolling one month contract with Lebara, as I checked my data usage and it’s around 20GB.

My new deal saves me £19.40 per month for the first six months, and £14.90 after that, compared to what I paid O2. I'm really pleased I switched because I didn't need unlimited and was paying ten times more for nothing, really. 

I’m surprised O2 didn't try to keep me or give any offers, but they couldn't have beaten this price.’

Alongside switching, there are plenty of ways you can cut costs by keeping an eye on various expenses – our guide to 10 ways to save money on your mobile phone bill has a range of ideas.

'My frustration with O2 is more to do with the signal.'

Shefalee Loth, Principal researcher & writer

Potential saving £5 a month, £70 a year, if switched from O2

‘I got an email while I was on holiday saying something about O2 increasing their prices and I just kind of ignored it as something to come back to another time. At the moment I'm on a Sim-only plan and I have been for probably eight or nine years.

However, my frustration with O2 is not really because of the price increases, it’s more to do with the signal where I live. If I step outside my door and I'm not on the wi-fi anymore, my data reception is terrible. It stays terrible for about a five hundred metre radius. So whenever I'm walking I just assume I’ll lose the connection. I was thinking maybe I’ll switch for that reason.’ 

Shefalee currently pays £12 a month for 40GB of data, on a deal that’s doubled from 20GB. 

‘The main reason I've stayed with them so long is that they still have free EU roaming for travelling. Switching would be quite straightforward, I moved between networks fairly regularly before I joined O2. It actually feels like it's now easier to switch than it ever was, as all you have to do is request a PAC, give it to the new network and they’ll do the transfer. So that aspect of switching doesn’t concern me, I know I can leave O2 easily if needed.’

We used our mobile switching comparison site to show Shefalee some deals that would save her money. For example, iD Mobile offers 40GB for £7, Talkmobile 50GB for £7.95 and Lebara 30GB for £8. All of these providers allow free EU roaming for travelling, too.

Shefalee could see the value offered by these networks compared to her O2 deal, but was uncertain about how good the signal would be with different networks. She used our mobile quality checker map to see how different networks performed in her area. 

'I actually wasn't surprised to see O2 is the worst performing network for signal quality where I live! Vodafone came out top, so that Lebara deal does look appealing'.

'I would love to be able to wave them goodbye.'

Martha Roberts, Senior content producer & writer

Potential saving £24.93 a month, £299.16 a year, if switched from O2

‘I've been with O2 for around 20 years. I didn't switch for a really long time because back in the day it was harder. The route of least resistance was just to stay put. 

A busy life as a single parent also stopped me as I had other priorities to focus on. I've got ADHD so when I hit a wall, I choose the route of least resistance. So I've stayed with them, not because I'm happy with them but because I’ve found it so difficult to extricate myself from them. 

Because I have ADHD, I'm able to contact a department at O2 where you can get extra help, or have somebody to advocate for you if you find things confusing. It’s useful because it pertains to so many people, whether it’s someone advocating for a parent with dementia or even someone younger who needs assistance. Plus they actually get back to you, which in this day and age can be something of a miracle.

If you come across these barriers and it feels like you're more likely to stay put, that then becomes an additional expense caused by your health status. I've heard it described as an ADHD tax, where you don't have the kind organizational skills to make those changes. You end up staying where you are.’

If you need additional support using O2 services, you can email accessforyou@o2.com or find out more about available help online.

‘When I heard about the increase to O2’s price increases, it galvanized me to think about actually trying to sort this out and switch. Especially as many other places are trying to give customers value for money when money can be tight.’

Martha had two Sims – one for herself and one for her son, and pays £40.73 a month. We showed Martha a range of deals, such as Smarty and iD offering 50GB for £8 a month. We also suggested a one month rolling 30GB for £7.90 a month deal with Spusu, as it uses EE’s network. 

‘Oh wow, amazing! 30GB would probably be enough. It's a kind of lunacy to stay with O2 and I feel slightly embarrassed that I am still with them. If you’re time-poor then you often let things slide, so I think that is largely why I'm still with them. I would love to be able to wave them goodbye.’

How to switch from O2: you don't need to call

Switching from O2 is easy – you don’t need to contact them or worry about getting stuck in long queues to get through to customer service.

All you need is a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC), which you get with a text message. To switch and keep the same mobile number, text PAC to 65075. You should be sent a text within one minute, and the PAC lasts for 30 days. 

Give the PAC to your new provider, which has to complete the switch within one working day. 

There's more information in our guide on how to switch mobile provider.