Lost trade in

[Stringy2010]

I did an early upgrade via the upgrade anytime on my iPhone 15 pro contract and have had nothing but issues with the whole upgrade process.

I upgraded my 15 pro to the 15 pro max as the battery life on the 15 pro was not the best.  I sent my 15 pro back via EE's supplied trade in pack on the 19th Feb, this was done in person at my local post office.  The tracking was updated the following day on the 20th Feb to say it had been received at the RM Warrington MC.

That was the last time it was updated so I emailed Likewise who did a warehouse search for the handset and confirmed they had not received it.  I was told by Likewise that I would have to contact EE regarding this as they would need some details from them regarding my account so they can process a claim for the lost handset.  A claim for £100 against a phone that I'll be charged £810 for.

I called EE today and was told that the issue is between me and Royal Mail and that I'd have to put the claim in myself, this is wrong as the postage was paid for via EE's business account with RM and I can't claim myself according to Royal Mail.

As far as I'm concerned I've done everything that was requested of me by sending it back in the supplied returns pack and kept the post office posting receipt and also tried to sort it out with Likewise directly.  If you think for one minute I'm paying £810 for a phone I no longer have because it's been lost by the company that EE have entrusted this process too then I think this is completely unfair.

[MrsBClark27]

Hi. EE would only direct you to take your case to Royal Mail. They will not help you sort it out at all. They will expect you to deal with your case  on your own. Customers are given an impression that EE/Likewize is using a secured way of sending trade-in phones. My phone was lost at Royal Mail depot, the content of your package was stolen only means one thing. There was a negligence on EE/Likewize for failing to use a "secured" way of sending back trade-in phones. The result of this is the customer being put in a difficult situation. On my part, service were cut, arrears marked on my credit score, possible CCJ and dealing with bailiffs. EE is the most horrible company to deal with. BEWARE of them! 

[Christopher_G]

Hi @MrsBClark27 

I'm really sorry to hear of your experience. Did you follow the complaints procedure that @Peter_W posted above?

If this is still ongoing for you, I definitely recommend doing that so that it can be fully investigated.

Chris

[rkelly1]

I've found the staff to be friendly and helpful and I'm making some headway with it now EE have been in touch with Likewize with the device information. 

Still have a complaint open off the back of the handling as I had to make easily 15 calls between the two companies to get to that point and I wasn't contacted by a manager when promised on a few occasions. 

[Halandaar]

I now find myself in the same position - Been charged £440 by EE for "failing to return" a Pixel 6 that was collected from me by Royal Mail and the tracking shows only got as far as Warrington MC. I called Royal Mail about it, and they told me that the packages get accumulated and delivered in bulk to the business, so the final tracking step doesn't get completed! What's the point of tracking if it doesn't get tracked all the way? So now I've no phone, no way to prove that Likewise received it and naturally all three companies are going to deny culpability.

[Christopher_G]

Hi @Halandaar 

Have you spoken with our Customer Care team? They'll be able to raise this with our Channel Returns team so that an investigation is done from our side.

Chris

[Halandaar]

I contacted CS through the app, who told me to get in touch with Likewise/Trade-In directly, which I did. The guy on the phone at Likewise also told me that they don't actually scan in individual packages when receiving bulk deliveries from Royal Mail (seems to confirm the whole setup is weighted heavily against consumers if tracking information is habitually not being completed) and said they'd get warehouse to check for the handset.

A few days later they told me they didn't have it (surprise surprise) and to get in touch with EE so they could instruct Likewise to raise a compensation claim. I went back to EE CS, who told me that as Likewise had promised that, I'd have to go back to them for the compensation! I had to forward the entire content of the email from Likewise to EE CS to point out that Likewise had requested EE get in touch, not me. 

The whole scenario is playing out exactly as predicted; EE point to Likewise, Likewise blame Royal Mail, no tracking information update allows Likewise to deny receipt of handset even if they do have it, and the person on the hook for the cost is me. I would be prepared to chalk it up to chance if not for the many, many instances of the exact same tale on these forums (and elsewhere) of "lost" handsets. Suggests either widespread incompetence (or active collusion) across three companies, and EE/Likewise have no incentive to resolve it because it doesn't cost you anything, it's the consumers being hit with the costs.

[MrsBClark27]

You're experience is not different to all of us. We are screwed mainly by EE. Likewize and Royal Mail are just the accomplices. First, as per EE terms and conditions, it is only optional to reset the phone in factory setting but they also threaten customers that it won't be considered received if it's not reset. It is a company's negligence! Second, EE/Likewize used a postal service that make RM partially liable for any claim. Again, another EE company's negligence to it's customers. EE also don't make it compulsory for customers to pay for insurance. They're fooling us that their trade-in service is reliable and when things go wrong, customers suffer. All of their customer service will make you think that no one can be blamed except yourself. They won't even try to investigate and but will try to stop you from reporting to police. EE, Likewize and Royal Mail are all part if the crime! EE TRADE IN IS A SCAM. Consumer Ombudsman should have a proper look at what this company is doing. If someone knows how to do it, I will be very happy to participate.

[Stringy2010]

Well it's been almost a year since I started this conversation and sadly you are correct.  EE will not help and you will have to pay a none trade in fee because these phones are being stolen by someone either in Royal Mail, Likewise or EE.

I have done an early trade in since this happened to me but what I did instead was tell EE nothing about an early trade in and simply sold the phone privately and bought a new one out right.  Obviously this solution isn't for everyone but it's the only way of not being ripped off by these 3 totally incompetent companies.

Once my airtime contract is up I'll be going sim only, never will I buy a handset via EE again.  There's plenty of other ways of getting a handset on finance if that's your thing but EE ain't getting anything from me for a handset again.

They hide behind T&C's and aren't interested in investigating this shambles of a trade in system because someone is raking it in with all these stolen phones.

[Clark8]

I'm in the same boat too now, having read all these threads the way EE treats it's customers is vile.  I will be leaving them asap.