Maybe to some of you, it would be inconsequential but to a single parent, suffering with Fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety... living alone with a daughter who has an extensive social life which leaves me spending 22/24 hours alone. This was indeed a significant event.
What was it you ask?...broken bones, smashed up car, nope...
I dropped and smashed my new iPhone 7 plus!!
(PS This isn't mine, this is just off the net. I cannot take a picture as my phone is DEAD grrr!!)
It's left me fraught, stressed and feeling as if my only conduit to the outside world has been severed. Daft really as here I am communicating with you but this desktop computer is blooming heavy and inconvenient to walk around with! I cannot even begin to guess how many times I've reached for my phone in the past 24 hours since it occurred or will in the next week without it. I clearly should be surgically attached to it as I am that obsessed and dependant.
Having committed the crime I recalled having taken out the insurance that was so readily sold to me by the O2 salesman not one month previous. He'd been gushing, if not insistent on it's benefits. I had reflected on my #Fibromyalgia and how very clumsy it had made me of late before agreeing to take it out. I am also utterly convinced he said to me that if I broke it I could return it to the shop for a like for like swap or replacement within 24 hours but as things transpired I clearly dreamt that bit!
Going out is quite an event for me as I suffer badly with anxiety, the Fibromyalgia also makes activity very tiring and painful. But feeling so bereft and thinking the O2 shop would help me I had a wash and brush up, donned some make up, swallowed a propranolol anti-anxiety tablet before hitting the road.
During the upgrade process recently the local O2 shop had been very attentive, overly helpful and very eager to assist me so I felt convinced they'd help solve my crisis.
Parking up, I headed straight to the O2 shop. Reaching the shop it immediately became obvious how busy they were, so I waited patiently for the store greeter woman to take my details before being told me there was a 25 minute queue.
"Did I want to wait?" she asked.
"No brainer" I said, "I need this sorting."
She handed me a free bottle of water and I headed for the seat she proffered.
The people swarming around the shop were already testing my veneer of control, I could feel the panic rising, so I closed my eyes and started one of my calming breathing exercises. Unfortunately the woman sitting next to me started a conversation with me, telling me she'd been there around 40 minutes, lamenting she was still no nearer to getting the help she needed. We both puzzled as to why the shop was so busy on a Friday lunchtime but neither of us could figure it out. I mused that they should have pagers or even make use of our O2 phones to make us appointments which we could then return to later leaving us free to go off shopping in the meantime.
No such common sense approach existed though and there we sat. After another five minutes my compatriot decided to abandon her mission leaving me sat alone in the window. Closing my eyes I restarted my breathing exercises.
About fifteen minutes later I became aware of the female greeter approaching me. She proceeded to almost scold me like a child,
"It's our busiest day of the year you know, the launch day for the new iPhone X, you didn't pick a good day"
Her tone was such that I was left wanting to scream back something sarcastic yet witty about how I would try and choose a better day to have my personal disaster next time but I bit my tongue instead fixing her with my sternest glare.
It got worse...
She was holding a telephone. A landline handset. I immediately felt the panic wash over me, and my throat tighten. Sweat started to bristle on my brow, my breathing becoming shallow. I considered walking out as I have a stupid phobia of telephones, don't know why, but I tend to avoid them at all costs. Greeter woman casually explained she was going to call the insurance company for me so I could start my claim... I observed her perplexed and asked,
"Isn't that what I queuing up here for you guys to do?"
she looked at me as if I was daft and said
"well this way you'll be speeding things up"
I didn't feel able to argue or explain that I was actually scared of phones! So I took the handset from her and embarked on one of the most frustrating of conversations. Explaining to the male operator how I'd dropped my precious iPhone onto a dry gravel path which resulted in it sustaining a smashed screen rendering it dead as a door nail he then incredulously argued the toss with me on the subject. Apparently I must have also caused water damaged to it? No I said, I definitely did not, I just dropped it onto a dry gravel path. No, he said that wouldn't stop the whole phone working!
"how much touch capability does it have?" he asked
"None"
I said, now raising my voice
"it's completely dead"
After several further exchanges about bloody water damage he finally got the message!
Some fifteen minutes later, I am now cross, flustered and desperate to escape this hell hole. The male operative asked me to get a member of staff for him. Well that was easier said than done as they were all busy. I waved my arms frantically until the greeter woman saw me, she looked frustratedly at me before walking over to me, whereby I handed her back the blasted phone.
The ensuing conversation beggared belief. She proceeded to argue with the male on the other end of the dreaded store phone that she would be prepared to accept my damaged iPhone in order to forward it to the O2 insurance company!. She point blank refused. Apparently they had lost a customers phone recently leading to them having altered store policy as a consequence, now they refused to get involved in taking in the damaged phones!!
O2, happy to flog the insurance folks but not quite as helpful when you need to make use of their products!
She then handed me back the phone with disdain whilst a haughty look graced her chops...
"You'll need to arrange a pick up from your home address"
she uttered the words triumphantly if not with a touch of spite being sprinkled on top. Trying hard not to cry as the stress and emotion brimmed over my flimsy defences, I asked
"So why did you put me in a queue for help when you had no intention of helping me at all? I could have done all this from my own home couldn't I?"
She just shrugged and walked away. Quietening an animalistic urge to follow her and ram the phone down her aloof throat I resumed my conversation.
The ordeal however wasn't over as he then instructed me to switch of the 'find my iPhone' capacity!
"How I asked? The phone is dead!"
Looking around me at all the computers within touching distance I shook my head for the umpteenth time in disbelief that I was not getting one jot of help. I arranged the collection with him but was sternly warned that unless I switched off the find my iPhone they would not take it!
I hung up, slammed the phone down on the desk nearest to me and flounced outside, tears spilling down my cheeks. I felt humiliated and really cross to have wasted the best part of an hour achieving very little.
So I now have to wait until Monday for a collection, and then a further 5-7 days for a repair or replacement. I was also told I may not get back the same colour phone??!! The replacement will be what they choose and I get no say! Not a happy bunny!
All in all I'm very sad that I've just recommitted myself to O2 because if I had not I would be out of there like a shot. Yes some of the experience was horrific because of my personal anxiety issues but even if you were to sieve out those parts from the mix I still believe they behaved appallingly. Shame on you O2.
The story isn't over yet either is it?
Will they collect the phone?
Will the insurance pay out?
Watch this space!!
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