No phone in parcel upon delivery - only case & screen protector! EE useless!

[kadie2]

I have always been so happy with their services UNTIL NOW!

I upgraded 2 lines with EE (OCT 24)  and took out insurance which came with a free minute one bundle (phone case and screen protector) with each phone. When DPD delivered the two parcels, one parcel had the Google pixel 9 and the minute one bundle in, the other just had the minute one bundle in NO PHONE OR PHONE BOX, for reference I was expecting a google pixel 9 PRO in this one!  packaging had no 'obvious' signs of tampering upon receiving, but weight difference was obvious, before opening I presumed the phones were in one and the minute one bundles was in the other, but that was clearly not the case once I opened and discovered I was missing a phone.

Despite numerous disputes to the supply chain and emailing the CEO of EE, speaking with EE executive complaints the cases just keep being closed and now I am paying for a phone I haven't got! I have spoken to numerous agents that have been awful, unhelpful, lack of knowledge about processes, generally unprofessional and rude, and to top it off one even called me a liar and said he could tell from the DPD delivery photo the phone was in the bag?!

Iv reported it to the police but they said there isn't much they can do to help me unless further evidence comes to light, which EE will not provide! I offered to pay the insurance excess of £100 to claim it as lost/stolen in the interim of me generating an ombudsman case so at least I'm paying for a phone I have ACTUALLY got, but they won't allow me to do that either, so I'm also paying for insurance I am being blocked from using too!

I have no idea if it's a DPD or EE warehouse issue as I haven't been provided any evidence from either companies just 'told over the phone' the weight checks were right so apparently that's sufficient for them to close the case and mark it as received.

I keep being told to go to the financial ombudsman, and have had a final response letter from EE stating this, which I am doing but they have a 4+ week back log right now and I'm just finding the whole situation is seriously affecting me mentally and financially and I'm desperate for a speedy resolution rather than a long winded dispute via a third party with no guarantees of a resolution.

I have been with EE for over 10 years, never missed a payment had multiple lines and remained loyal, however this has absolutely smashed my trust and going forward I am terrified to sign up for any contracts over the phone in fear of this situation repeating, which is leaving me stranded as I have since cancelled everything else I have with EE now due to this ongoing nightmare.

I am aware posting on here will not resolve my personal dispute, however I am wondering if anyone else in the Manchester area or elsewhere has experienced this? I think it would be helpful if we can form an alliance and prove there is an issue within the EE/DPD order processing system, as EE have discarded me and are consecutively saying 'this never happens'. which I now know is untrue as I have been contacted by @Tendai_G on another post stating they are in the same situation!

[Minkey1]

@Kangeret 

My next phone will be from Apple direct as usual. I’ll get it for store collection, open it there, and get them to fit a protector and a bumper case.

I wouldn’t dream of buying any device from EE.

But if I did and I got an empty box with them relying on a pic of a box as proof it contained a phone,  I’d be on Small Claims like a tramp on a kipper and citing these other cases.

Why you all put up with it is a mystery. 

[Kangeret]

I did mention and referred the other many cases. I'm sure even the
ombudsman has received a lot of cases
I feel there is more to this than what we are imagining

[HAKEN10]

There are - I hear the ombudsman is siding with EE more often than not, if it falls that way or will be in the small claims court.

 

They need to prove that the phone was actually delivered. 

So many other cases, so many other phone providers and ALWAYS dpd.

EE

SKY

THREE

All features in rip off britain at Easter 

[Kangeret]

How does the small claims court work? I would want to go that route as
well. It's better than not trying

[Bluestaff]

Your not the only person this has happened too I can assure you!! This happened to me on an upgrade in March. DPD delivered an empty box just with a screen protector in it. I have been fighting since March 20th and still fighting.  EE did not want to know and was disregarding all what I was saying and now the ombudsman is doing the same. Meanwhile I am having to continue to pay for a phone that I did not receive.  The main thing was the phone was eventually activated on the 12th April and when I called them to ask why they had not blocked the phone because I have not got it, the EE advisor replied with actually I do not know!!! Well block it will you was my answer and this was on the 19th April!!!  I have also a crime number from the police, but  still EE or the ombudsman do not want to know. I have been with them for over twenty years and only this year I have had this problem.  I am taking this further to small claims court because maybe someone with a little sense will finally listen to me!! Good luck with your pursuit X

[Minkey1]

@Bluestaff 

Out of interest, presumably they can tell the phone’s general location, if only up to the point they blocked it 🤔

Did they share that?

[kadie2]

Exactly the same issue as me, I too had to tell them to block it as a week
later it was still open for someone to use! I asked for evidence of wether
it had been turned on but they advised they can only track a number not the
phone itself and as mine was an upgrade and I was still currently using the
same telephone number in my old phone to them that was showing my line as
active.

I fought EE and the ombudsman to the highest level I could my only option
thereafter was to go to small claims but I gave up as I am already paying
£1000 for a phone I don't have and I was too fearful of spending more money
and loosing the case as I have so far on every attempt to prove my
innocence 😞

[Minkey1]

@kadie2 

An iPhone would seem to indicate a fee of £70-£80.

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/court-fees

I appreciate you may regard that as throwing good money after bad.

[Kangeret]

I would have thought that after 2 or more similar cases of missing phones,
EE would investigate on this matter. I hope it will get to them 1 day

[Minkey1]

@Kangeret 

It would be naive to assume a service/product provider the size of EE *never* had a bent customer trying it on. But since I joined this community I’ve seen at least a half dozen cases, mostly iPhones via DPD. All bent? Unlikely.

It got to the point where I was hanging on to get my 17PM direct from the Apple Store in Leeds. But at the time they weren’t offering the option - only home delivery via - guess who.

I even had ‘er indoors filming the delivery and unboxing. Fortunately, all was well.

The Daily Telegraph’s Katie Morley seems to be an effective Consumer Champion. Would providing her case details and the others be another way to go?