Wrong phone been provided and EE won’t do anything about it.

Thenhammer · ‎10-10-2025

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my recent experience with EE to see if anyone else has gone through something similar — and to highlight how poor the customer service process has been.

I ordered an iPhone 17 Pro Max for myself and an iPhone 17 for my wife to upgrade our iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14. I placed the order on 12/09/25.

Right from the start, the process was awful. I ran into an issue with my order and spent over three hours on live chat trying to get it sorted because no one was willing to help over the phone.

My wife’s iPhone 17 arrived on release day with no problems.

However, due to the earlier issues, my iPhone 17 Pro Max was delayed.

It was meant to arrive via DPD on 27/09/25, but the driver delivered it to the wrong address. A different driver delivered it the next day (28/09/25). The box looked fine — no signs of tampering — but when we opened it, we discovered a shocking mistake.

Instead of the iPhone 17 Pro Max Cosmic Orange 256GB I ordered, I received a Black Titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB. The paperwork in the box clearly stated it was meant to be the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

I immediately called EE and raised a complaint.

The agent I spoke to, Lewis, was excellent and raised the case properly. Unfortunately, the supply chain team doesn’t work on Sundays, so nothing could be done until Monday. Lewis even said it was strange that I’d received a 16 Pro Max at all since they were supposedly out of stock.

On 29/09/25, Lewis called back to tell me the supply chain team had rejected my claim after only a brief review, saying “nothing could be done.”

I found this completely unacceptable — the situation clearly wasn’t properly investigated.

Lewis then escalated the matter to the Executive Complaints Team, where I spoke with Eleanor.

She told me there was nothing more EE could do, offered me a final response letter, and suggested I take it up with the Financial Ombudsman.

After years of being a loyal EE customer — even while dealing with declining signal quality in my area (Buckinghamshire) — this experience has been deeply disappointing.

I’ve been sent the wrong phone, and instead of resolving it, EE has effectively washed their hands of the issue.

I’ve also raised the matter with Ofcom, as I believe this situation highlights a serious failure in EE’s supply chain and customer support processes.

I understand the case now needs to go through the Ombudsman since the order is tied to a contract, but the way I’ve been treated makes me feel like I’m being blamed instead of supported.

Right now, I’m stuck with the wrong phone, and the Ombudsman process could take up to eight weeks.

I’m posting this to ask:

Has anyone else in the Buckinghamshire area (or anywhere else) experienced something similar with EE or DPD?
If so, how was your case handled and what was the outcome?

Because from where I’m standing, it feels like something has gone seriously wrong in EE’s handling of iPhone 17 orders — and loyal customers like me are the ones paying the price.

Thenhammer · ‎02-04-2026

I have been going through the Financial ombudsman to get it sorted. Below is where i currently am.

I wanted to share my experience in case it helps anyone else, as this has been a long and frustrating process—but it’s finally heading towards a resolution.

📦 What happened

I ordered an iPhone 17 Pro Max from EE on 12/09/2025
Delivery was attempted on 27/09/2025, but it was delivered to the wrong address
It was then re-delivered on 28/09/2025 via DPD

The parcel appeared sealed and untampered with.

However…

The device inside was not what I ordered
After later investigation, it turned out to be a fake iPhone 16 Pro Max

❗ Key issue

I initially assumed this was just a fulfilment error.

But after powering the device on (prompted by the Ombudsman), it became clear:

Setup process didn’t match iOS
Features like Quick Start didn’t work
Strange settings (e.g. WLAN / WAPI)
Poor build quality

👉 It was clearly not a genuine Apple device

💸 Meanwhile…

I paid £126.98 upfront
I’ve been paying £32.81/month since October
I was still using my old iPhone 14 Pro Max

So I was effectively paying for a phone I never received

🧭 What I did

Raised the issue with EE (no resolution)
Escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service
Provided:
- Photos of the device
- IMEI / serial details
- EE account screenshots
- Full timeline (including delivery issues)
Reported the matter to Action Fraud

✅ Outcome (so far)

The Ombudsman has now confirmed a positive outcome is expected, with:

✔ Contract being fully unwound
✔ All payments refunded (upfront + monthly)
✔ No impact on my credit file

⚠️ Important takeaway

Even though EE argued their process was followed, the key point is:

👉 You are entitled to receive the correct goods you ordered

If you don’t—especially in cases like this—you have every right to escalate

💡 Advice if this happens to you

📸 Take photos of everything (device, packaging, IMEI, etc.)
📅 Keep a timeline of events
📩 Keep all communication in writing
🚫 Don’t accept delays or vague responses
⚖️ Escalate to the Ombudsman if needed—it works

🗣️ Final thoughts

This has taken months and has been stressful, but the process does work if you stick with it and provide clear evidence.

If something doesn’t feel right—trust your instincts and escalate it.

Happy to answer any questions if anyone is going through something simil

Thenhammer · ‎02-04-2026

Not sure if this helps. Below is where I am with my case.