All the info you need
Since early on Thursday morning, O2’s UK users are without mobile data coverage.
Some 25 million people are on the network, and the outage also affects O2 subsidiaries Lycamobile and GiffGaff. It’s believed some 32 million users are being forced to communicate verbally at this time.
The network blamed a software issue from a third party supplier, issuing a statement confirming their service was down.
CEO Mark Evans said:Â “I want to reassure our customers that we are doing everything we can to fix the issue with our network and say how sorry I am to everyone affected. My teams are working really hard with Ericsson to find a swift resolution.”
Regulator Ofcom is responsible for adjudicating if the company is at fault, a spokesperson told the Mirror: “We are aware that O2 is experiencing problems with its network. We are in contact with the company to establish the cause of the problem.”
Am I entitled to compensation?
Depending on the circumstances, it may be appropriate for your provider to offer you some money back while repairs are being carried out.
In more extreme cases, where repairs take much longer (for example it takes longer than usual to access a mast site to undertake repairs), you may be entitled to an additional refund or account credit.
In cases where you have been without service for some time, you may also have the right to leave the contract without penalty. There may be a term in your contract saying you can do this if your provider has failed in its obligations to you or breached a key condition.
How do I complain?
If your provider fails to repair a fault by the date promised, or you are unhappy with how long it is taking, you should follow their formal complaints procedure. Details should be available through their website or customer services.
If your problem is still unresolved after eight weeks you can submit your complaint to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.
If your problem cannot be resolved, ask your provider for a ‘deadlock’ letter so that you can refer your dispute to the relevant ADR scheme directly before the eight week mark.
Ofcom has approved two ADR schemes – CISAS and Ombudsman Services: Communications.
Your provider will tell you which scheme it is a member of, or you can use our ADR checker.
