Carphone warehouse, o2 contract....can i keep the phone?

[shaka]

I acquired a new phone (samsung galaxy 3s) from the carphone warehouse yesterday and they set me up on an o2 pay monthly contract, 24 months £36 a month etc and u get the phone for free. They set the whole phone up and contract (direct debits etc) in store and said it would be working within 24 hours but usually takes ten minutes, my number was to stay the same and my old phone and sim card were to just stop working. However my old phone continued to work and my new one never started to work so i called o2, they said they know nothing about this phone or this contract, i gave them the sim card details of the new sim in the new phone and they said this sim hasnt even been registered or activated and i was advised to call CPW.
after calling them and giving them the new sim details they said there was a problem with the sim and it didnt work and never went through and told me i'd have to visit the store again so they can give me a new sim and sort it out etc.
my brain started ticking, i thought wait a minute, if o2 know nothing about this contract and thats who its set up with, couldnt i just keep the phone, set up a sim only pay as u go deal with o2 for a lot less and not be binded into a 24 month contract? will the car phone warehouse ever know about this?
since then ive spoke to 3 different people from o2 trying to suss out whether i could get away with this or not, pretty much all of them are clueless and say they couldnt really advice me on what to do but the right thing to do would be to visit the carphone warehouse.
can anyone share any light on what my options are?

[miliitant]

Re: Carphone warehouse, o2 contract....can i keep the phone?

i bet the paperwork turns up at 02 within a week

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Carphone warehouse, o2 contract....can i keep the phone?

Hi there

As an ex O2 staff member, this is actually quite normal!!

What happens is as follows, Carphone Warehouse (CPW) have their own 02 accounts department, and they keep the accounts in their own systems literally 02 cannot see them!! I know, they are a pain in the place that you plonk!!
As for the phone, I doubt you could get away with the whole keeping the phone thing, as the phone has its own unique code (IMEI) which is tied to the phone, and linked to the contract when it is started, and can be blocked by the company at any time (this is what you ask for when you lose or have your phone stolen) you say you were promised you could keep the number, were you offered a PAC code?
Without the PAC number, your exsisting contract continues. CPW are notorious for this!!

I suggest you contact CPW and ask for their 02 accounts dept, and explain what is going on, and ask for a PAC from your current suppliers you REALLY dont want 2 contracts!!!
the PAC is good for 30 days, and MUST be registered with your new provider (02)
IF YOU DONT THE PAC CANCELS ITSELF AND YOUR CONTRACT CONTINUES!!!!

registering is easy, simply call up 02 and say I wish to register a PAC code, and they will talk you through it.

P