I have a C702i Sony Ericcson handset which is basically the biggest heap of crepe I've ever come across in that context. Basically, it hooks up to the internet constantly without any input from me, it shuts down unexpectedly and for no apparent reason, and it will frequently display the error message Sim Card not present.

I complained, sent it back and a second hand, damaged handset was sent to me as a replacement. I tried it, and basically after two days use it just displays the error message "Sim card not present". Obviously I have tried a variety of sim cards in both phones before saying owt, I've also tried my Sim card in a variety of other phones all of which worked perfectly.

I've done a wee bit of online research, and it transpires that these are known problems with this model and not unusual.

O2's best offer is to send me another 2nd hand phone of the same model.

The contracts up in January so pretty sure I'll be off at that point. Currently using a 5 year old spare handset, which works fine, but is very tatty.

Any suggestions?

You could try ringing them and asking them to give you a figure to cancel out of your contract, they will probably then put you through to the retentions department, they have more power at their disposale to hand out freebies and keep people sweet.

But you might have to accept the fact that nothing will happen !!

when did your contract start/get your original handset?

Nuke them from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

Dunno but i've got a similar issue with a constantly crashing sony* phone with o2.

Do you have any legislative comeback if a product has a widespread fault that replacement with the same model will not solve?

*w890i in my case (Screen goes black, red light on back of phone comes on, does a short vibrate then takes 2 mins to reboot)

That's absolutely shocking customer service. A second hand replacement for a faulty product?

I'd be inclined to try:
02 customer services
02 Complaints Department
Letter to 02 CEO
BBC watchdog

(in that order)

cp : Its an 18 month contract, and thats when I got this handset. At that time I did a replacement, because my previous handset expired when my lardy arse bounced on it in a fairly hefty off. However, its only recently that the problem has got so bad as to render the phone unusable. Took me a long time to figure out that it was the phone and not me accidentally turning it off etc etc.

I've already had a conversation regarding trading standards etc, and they seem completely unconcerned by that.

In answer to the buy the contract out point, its exactly what it would cost me as I'm proceeding now using an old handset.

What is particularly intersting is when I took this contract the sales guy absolutely insisted that I have free internet access, that despite the fact that I didn't want it. Now I know why. Its becuase the phone keeps putting you online, and if I were getting billed for it I would really kick off.

if it's an 18month contract running out in Jan, the phone will be out of warranty, so theoretically they don't need to do anything… it's not in there interest to be replacing phones towards the end of the contract unless you're going to renew and the do you a deal on extending the contract with a new phone.

maybe you should try approaching sony and see if they will do anything as it's a well known issue…?

cp: They are very happy to replace it, thats not an issue. Its just that all through the life of the contract the deal is that they replace with a 2nd hand allegedly refurbished version of the phone with the generic fault.

No real point contacting Sony, as the phone was not supplied by them. If anyone needs to speak to them it'll be O2, which I would guess they already have, and this would be the agreed response to the problem unless I'm very much mistaken

hire a skip, set it just outside their head office front door and then fill it with syrup. that'll teach the bastards.

The fault isn't with O2 tho.. surely?

Are they providing you with Cellualar & Data Coverage?

If so, then the fault is with the phone, not the carrier.

I had the same problem with my N95 and Orange- they explained that the fault was NOKIA's and not theirs..

The simple fact is if they supplied it and it is faulty my recourse is with them and not sony. They have to deal with it and then take it up with Sony.

The skip full of honey is attractive although not altogether practical.

Any more thoughts…..

Incidentally my daughters Sony (a totally different model) also does similar things. so even in this 11 post thread that'll be 4 Sony phones with remarkably similar issues. sounds like a software issue to me.

While the issues with the phone are understandably irritating and I would have been demanding a replacement new phone before now, I don't understand the Internet problem. It's an Internet capable phone that connects to the Internet, and you're not having to pay for that connection? What's the problem? The connection doesn't involve any downloads, and even if it did, if they are included in your contract allowance, then I fail to see the issue there. My phone is Internet capable, it's always connected, and if that connection fails for any reason then I get annoyed, as I find I use that Internet access very frequently. It costs me nothing extra, and the advantages are far beyond what I would have expected before last November, when I got my current phone. My previous experiences with so-called Internet phones was admittedly mediocre to say the least, due to the inadequate phones available then.

Count Zero: Apart from the poor design issues, and presumably duff software, and the fact that as their customer I DON'T want internet access on my phone and very specifically and concisely headed that up when I bought it, nothing really. For me its bit like being sold a Volvo when one of my specific criteria was that I don't want a car that has its lights permanently on.