[40-40J's]

Why do some phone companies feel it is there god given right to restrict the use of the speed dial facility on a mobile that you purchased outright just because you're on PAYGO?

I have a E900 and this facility has been 'greyed out' and upon talking to my network provider, I am told that they asked for 'specific hardware' to put into the phone so that the speed dial can only be used to dial their Customer Service numbers - this they say is to make my life on PAYGO easier (I'm obviously not capable of choosing my own people to speed dial).

I have put my query on to the Trading Standards department and they say they are more than likely to be in breach of the Sale of Goods Act because the facility is a 'Mobile Phone Feature and not a Network Feature as as such can not be tampered with without giving the purchaser fair warning prior to buying (i.e. labels on front of box plus verbal warning).

Anyone else had this problem?

I have a Nokia 6230i on T-Mobile Pay as you go and I can use my speed dial anyway I want with who I want. If newer handsets are starting to restrict this feature I won't be upgrading my phone for a long time as I use my speed dial alot. Its easier to just press 2 and call to phone my best mate other then going through my phone book to him.

[jaques marron]

does this only happen on payg/payt

[40-40J's]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaques marron

does this only happen on payg/payt

I only know of it happening on this tariff - but I am quite cross about.

It may only be my network provider, which is why I thought I would start this thread to find out (but alas, there are not many replies for me to make a judgement on this )

[Garyo2]

Not sure what trading standards are spouting but at the end of the day if the phone specification (for your particular model) never mentioned speed dialing then it doesn't have to have it programmed in.

Network software is approved by the manufacturers of the hardware, they make the phones and they say what does and does not get put on their phones.

If the phone was never advertised by the vendor as supporting it, then you don't really have a leg to stand on.

I agree its pointless restricting speed dials, why not return to shop and get from another service provider?

[prking]

All the phone companies have custom firmware installed on their phones. In the case of o2 its just a few backgrounds screensavers etc. But on some networks major features can be removed. Verizon in the US removed Bluetooth. Vodafone once removed MP3 player. The moral is always check for the features you want before buying. After all some phones don't have speed dialling at all.

[40-40J's]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garyo2

Not sure what trading standards are spouting but at the end of the day if the phone specification (for your particular model) never mentioned speed dialing then it doesn't have to have it programmed in.

Network software is approved by the manufacturers of the hardware, they make the phones and they say what does and does not get put on their phones.

If the phone was never advertised by the vendor as supporting it, then you don't really have a leg to stand on.

I agree its pointless restricting speed dials, why not return to shop and get from another service provider?

The spec for my model DOES mention 'speed dialing' and how to set it up but I am not able to do this because it has been disabled by the phone network company.

Trading Standards are saying that if no mention of this is on the box itself or if the seller has not mentioned it, then the actual phone does not do what it says it should. This makes sense to me and as such I should question my network provider and they should be able to give me an explanation as to why they think they should be able to do this. If Trading Standards want to get behind by cause, then all the better. I shouldn't have to change my provider so as I can use 'speed dials' - I've been with them for many a year and was able to use this facility on my last phone. Just because some bright spark in the 'ideas' department came up with this one, doesn't mean I shouldn't give my opinion on whether it's a good idea or bad one and if there is some sort of 'law breaking' to boot the they should also be held accountable to for that also.

Too many people just sit back allow things to pass them by, which is probably why large companies get away with so much.

[40-40J's]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

All the phone companies have custom firmware installed on their phones. In the case of o2 its just a few backgrounds screensavers etc. But on some networks major features can be removed. Verizon in the US removed Bluetooth. Vodafone once removed MP3 player. The moral is always check for the features you want before buying. After all some phones don't have speed dialling at all.

I did check before buying - that's my point. It says it has 'speed dialing' and you only know otherwise after trying to get them to work and speaking to the customer service department that you are told that they only dial their own services. I even had an email from a 'so called' customer service person who stated that "speed dialing is a phone feature and NOT a Network feature and as such we would have not jurisdiction as to how you use this facility". How ignorant was that, considering they actually worked for the place?

[Garyo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 40-40J's

The spec for my model DOES mention 'speed dialing' and how to set it up but I am not able to do this because it has been disabled by the phone network company.

Trading Standards are saying that if no mention of this is on the box itself or if the seller has not mentioned it, then the actual phone does not do what it says it should. This makes sense to me and as such I should question my network provider and they should be able to give me an explanation as to why they think they should be able to do this. If Trading Standards want to get behind by cause, then all the better. I shouldn't have to change my provider so as I can use 'speed dials' - I've been with them for many a year and was able to use this facility on my last phone. Just because some bright spark in the 'ideas' department came up with this one, doesn't mean I shouldn't give my opinion on whether it's a good idea or bad one and if there is some sort of 'law breaking' to boot the they should also be held accountable to for that also.

Too many people just sit back allow things to pass them by, which is probably why large companies get away with so much.

Are we on the same page here. So the company you bought it from actively advertised that this phone came with speed dialing on their spec sheet. However when you got it, it could not do it? If their was no mention on the networks site, and you have a network variant phone then they have done nothing wrong.

We are not talking about manufacturers specs here because the phones you buy from networks can be crippled if the network so wishes as at the end of the day you are buying the product from them not from the manufacturer.

BTW you would be looking for the key word user-programmable too in the suppliers specs. The phone does have speed dials however they have been pre-programmed.

Not trying to be funny but this is such a trivial thing and so easy sorted. If you dont like the setup return phone and buy from somewhere else.

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Last edited by Garyo2 : 05-01-2007 at 17:27.

[intheknow]

Yep you should have 14 days to return it, just do that...

[prking]

Your posts are not clear.
If the spec for the T-mobile version of your phone mentions user programmable speed dialling, then you do have a case for trading standards.
If on the other hand you are looking at the generic (non-network) version of the spec, you will have no luck.
You are not the first person to be caught out by a networks software, i'm surprised more people haven't complained. In the US the carriers (american english for operator) have been subject to lawsuits.

[40-40J's]

Thought I'd let you all know that after complaining to O2, I now have a brand new fully functional E900, at no extra cost to me