O2 sent me a faulty iPhone and it still hasn't fixed or replaced it... I've been waiting 18 months: CRANE ON THE CASE

In February 2025, I upgraded my phone with O2 to an iPhone 15 Pro Max. I set up a contract and agreed to pay the device off month by month. This made up about £25 of my monthly payment with minutes and data paid for on top. As soon as it arrived, I had problems including calls not coming through, muffled audio and not being able to hear the person on the other end of the phone.I complained to O2 repeatedly and eventually it told me to send the phone off for repair. However, it returned it saying there was 'no fault found'. In late 2025, an O2 adviser finally offered me a replacement handset. However, O2 never sent one and later disputed that it was ever offered.In March 2026, I submitted a dispute to the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (Cisas). It upheld my complaint and said I must return the phone, after which O2 was required to either send me a new one, or refund all of my payments for the phone and unwind the finance agreement.O2 didn't provide the returns bag needed which delayed things, but I did eventually manage to send it back. Faulty: This reader experienced problems with her new iPhone - including calls not being received and muffled soundOn August 24, the deadline for O2 to comply with the Cisas resolutions passed. On the same day, O2 told Cisas that 'all actions have now been implemented' despite no replacement phone being sent to me.It has now been 18 months since this started. I've contacted O2 repeatedly but they say the iPhone 15 Pro Max is now out of stock. I've been told to take out a new contract for a newer model but don't want to as it's more expensive, and I don't want to sign up with O2 for another 24 or 36 months. Please help. A.O, HertfordshireHelen Crane of This is Money replies: Like it or not, a mobile phone is an essential tool for modern life. Without one that works properly many of us would struggle to not only keep in touch with family and friends but also to get around, pay for things and manage their schedules. Over a period of a year and a half, you were repeatedly left without a working phone, or without your phone at all, for long periods. You relied on old handsets but these all had their own problems. Given the large cost – an iPhone 15 Pro Max would have set you back roughly £1,000 in 2025 – you couldn't afford to buy another one out of pocket. I can't understand why it took so long to get this sorted. The issue seemed to be that the model of iPhone you bought was slightly older, having been launched in 2023, and O2 didn't have any more left in stock. In my eyes, the sensible solution from O2 would be to send you the next model up, but keep your contract at the same price – a small upgrade in recognition of the inconvenience you'd suffered. But that proved to be too much to ask. Even after the complaints resolution service Cisas told O2 to send you a new phone or cancel your contract, it still didn't get the problem sorted. Cisas stands for the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme. About half of British phone networks are signed up to Cisas and the other half use the Communications Ombudsman. You can submit a complaint via its online portal or by post if the dispute is worth less than £10,000, you've already complained to the firm involved and either six weeks have passed, or the firm has given you a deadlock letter. Include as much evidence as you can including bills, contract agreements, bank statements and copies of emails or messages from the company. Cisas doesn't cover some types of complaint including fraud, property damage, data protection or those involving court action.This summer, you told me you called O2 almost every day, sometimes being on the phone for one or two hours. You estimated you spent 18 hours on the phone in total. CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad.Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch:helen.crane@thisismoney.co.ukYou were also told a replacement phone was being delivered on a few occasions so arranged not to be at work, only for nothing to arrive. O2's deadline to resolve the problem was August 24, but on a call on September 7, you say an adviser told you that according to what she could see on the system, a replacement handset had never even been ordered.A few days later, you were told there were no more phones of your model. O2 said the solution was for you to sign up to a new contract for a newer iPhone 16 or 17 Pro Max. However, you chose the earlier model as it was cheaper, and didn't fancy doubling the cost of your monthly contract. You also weren't wild about the idea of tying yourself to O2 for another two or three years, given its shoddy service. Fuming, you decided to contact me. I asked the phone network why it had taken so long to simply send you a new mobile. It apologised for the delay, but stood firm against my suggestion that it sent you a slightly better model of phone, given your choice was no longer available. Instead, it unwound the finance agreement you signed up to and refunded you all the payments you had made for the phone so far, totalling £306. It also paid you £250 in compensation. Finally, it will let you move to another network without an early termination fee. You remain cheesed off by O2's dragging out of the situation, but are glad you can now move on.An O2 spokesman said: 'We apologise to A.O. for the delay in resolving her complaint and the experience she's had. 'In line with the Cisas ruling, we have now cleared the device loan agreement, refunded all payments made towards the iPhone and provided £250 as a gesture of goodwill. 'A.O. has accepted the resolution and the complaint is now closed.' CRANE ON THE CASE