Carphone Warehouse Reviews

1.6 Rating 1,629 Reviews
13 %
of reviewers recommend Carphone Warehouse
1.6
Based on 1,629 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Postal Service, Courier
Average Delivery Time
Within 5 Days
On-time Delivery
Greater than 25%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders
Greater than 85%
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Live Chat, Email
Queries Resolved In
Over A Week
Customer Service
1.3 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process
Difficult
Returns Process
Could Be Better
Read Carphone Warehouse Reviews

About Carphone Warehouse:

The Carphone Warehouse was founded in 1989 to bring mobile services to consumers. The market has always been complex and our aim from the very beginning has been to offer our customers simple, impartial advice while also offering outstanding value. As a result we have grown from a handful of stores operating exclusively in the UK selling mobile handsets and contracts, to a European-wide platform of over 1,500 stores in 10 countries, providing a wide range of mobile and residential telecoms services.

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Phone:

0870 111 6565

Location:

The Carphone Warehouse, PO Box 375
Southampton
SO30 2PU

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Carphone Warehouse 1 star review on 25th April 2022
Rachel Pollard
Carphone Warehouse 1 star review on 25th April 2022
Rachel Pollard
Carphone Warehouse 1 star review on 1st July 2021
Neil
Carphone Warehouse 5 star review on 1st September 2020
Ilyas
Carphone Warehouse 1 star review on 2nd July 2020
Brian Gillbanks
Carphone Warehouse 1 star review on 5th July 2017
Unsatisfactory Treatment!!!
Carphone Warehouse 1 star review on 2nd December 2016
Yeakub Kiani
3
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
The staff have no idea on specifications about the phones they are selling
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
I just repaired my Samsung A71 coz do not read the Sim card and after 24 hours the same problem. They give me a list with what they done , but I think they lied to me, just clean the slot and factory reset and that's it. Now I go back and I ask for new phone ( aha I have even insurance) wish me luck.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
After returning a phone 3 days out of 14 day exchange period samsung a50.as went faulty, it had to be sent away,no probs with that ,but to get a loan phone from the stone ages is bad. Only calls &texts, when you go in for a upgrade with a 2 year old phone & the sales team tell you how out of date it is ,and then give you this thing is disgraceful. This is from the Durham branch.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago
Purchased my last three sim free mobiles from carphone and always found them competitive on price. Recently called to upgrade but when enquiring about getting my data transferred was told this is now chargeable never was previously so declined and purchased elsewhere, could understand if it was delaying other customers in-store but as I live in a small town this certainly was not the case surely if making a purchase customer service like this should cost nothing.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago
I cannot access the carphonewarehouse website as it keeps telling me that security level is not high enough on web browser (I use Google Chrome on a public computer or on my phone). Why is this such an issue now, when a few days ago I had no problem getting onto the website?
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
Signed up for a phone contract with carphone warehouse in December with an offer on at the time of a £51 cashbacks cheque. The seller advised I will get this cheque in 14 days. It's now nearly 2 months later and still no cheque. Ridiculous
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
Upgraded my phone and having been promised next day delivery the delivery company went to the wrong address. Called Carphone Warehouse only to be put through to delivery company without being told! Had to call Carphone Warhouse back to reschedule delivery for following day but they did it for 2 days later and then it arrived 3 hours late
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
I recently went onto the Carphone Warehouse website to look at upgrade deals on EE. I put in all my details to see which phone I could upgrade to - the website didn’t work and displayed nothing (I should really have taken this as the first warning about the service I was going to get from Carphone Warehouse). Later that day, a lady called me and went through a number of upgrade options with me. She was very helpful and offered me 3 different upgrade options, a Samsung, an iPhone and a Huawei. I didn’t really know the difference between all the phones and she talked me through the phone specifications and the data, minutes and calls that would be included in each package. She told me about a Huawei P20 Pro and talked about the 40mp camera and other features of the phone. It sounded great but I said I didn’t really want to pay the £42 a month she initially said I’d have to pay. As sales people do, she put me on hold to ‘talk to her manager’ and came back with a lower price. The phone arrived the next day. I set it up and was happy until I realised I’d been sent a P20, not a P20 Pro - a cheaper model that I could have got a much better deal on elsewhere - which most definitely doesn’t have a 40mp camera as claimed. I went on to the Carphone Warehouse website and used their online chat to speak to an operative on there. She checked my account and said that a p20 was the correct phone that I should have, I explained that the information she gave me didn’t match the phone that was initially described. I suggested that they listened to the recording of the initial call, it was confirmed that the call would be recorded but they didn’t listen to the call. After a number of minute delays between each reply, eventually I was told that I could either call the helpline or take it back to the local store - but they couldn’t confirm that they’d honour the deal discussed on the phone intiially. As I was staying away from home, the nearest store was a 45 minute drive away - I decided to call the helpline. The helpline was having technical difficulties and the ‘system' was 'down’. They took my phone number and said they’d call back in 30 minutes to an hour. Predictably, they didn’t call back. That evening, I went online and sent a private message to the Carphone Warehouse site requesting that they called me back as they’d promised. The next day I got a reply, apparently they ‘can not escalate callbacks on this platform’ (why different departments cannot communicate with each other is beyond me). I called the helpline again and was told that it’d be difficult to deal with on the phone and it would be best to go to the local store. I drove into Aylesbury, which has 2 stores. Initially I went to the one on Cambridge Street. I explained my situation and the very panicked man in there said he’d have to go and get help. He came back and said he couldn’t process the return as they don’t have a store manager (what??) and I’d have to go to the other store on the High Street. So I moved the car, paid for additional parking and went to this store. When we got there, the man cancelled the contract, said I’d have to wait another 3 days at least before I can upgrade again. Luckily I kept my old phone so I am not without a phone. So now, the nearest point I’ll be able to upgrade my phone to the model I initially wanted is August 9th - 9 days after the initial call to sell me the phone. I find it very interesting that when the Carphone Warehouse want to gain your money, someone contacts you straight away and cannot be more helpful. As soon as there is an issue and help is needed, you get passed from pillar to post and no-one can help. I am really disappointed in the Carphone Warehouse and the structures that are in place. I am hoping that the cancellation has been correctly processed and that I will be able to upgrade successfully in a few days - I assume there won’t be much support in place if anything further goes wrong with this.
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
Bought Huawei P20 and Vodafone SIM last week. Purchase experience very good. Returned to store for some support as previous phones all iPhones. Appalling service from operative who a)couldn't care less and b) had no idea about Huawei. Came away totally dissatisfied. By contrast when I went to the Vodafone store opposite, having been told they would be hopeless, could not have been better served. Indeed, work colleague was of more help and had considerably greater knowledge than CW staff. Quick to take my money, unwilling or unable to assist after the event and despite promises didn't come through on Huawei earphones offer either.
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
I purchased a phone from CPW on Sunday 22 August, signing contracts electronically as I went. Having been signed up, at the till we called by existing provided Talk Mobile to request a PAC code whereupon they were able to offer me a better contract saving me 30% (£144 over 24 months) Obviously I wanted to accept this offer and hand back the phone, unopened and unused. However I was given short shrift by your staff. Someone went off to see a manager who had then ‘just gone out’ when I tried to speak to him. The Talkmobile operator told me that is was absolutely unacceptable not to be able to return a product before I had left the store but your staff were disinterested in this. They pointed to a screen showing that because I had signed an EE contract rather than another service provider that I had no way to give back the phone. This has not been explained to me when we decided to move me to EE. I have since phone EE who explain that they do offer a cooling off period for direct telephone and online sales however that any phone sold in store is then subject to the terms and conditions of the store itself. Again your staff maintained that their hand were tied by EE themselves. I have since spoken to your “customer services” team - no really any use at all and I am left with my previous opinion of CPW confirmed. You treat customers like royalty UNTIL they sign on the bottom line and then you are just not interested. Thanks for your reply and thanks in advance is you can help at all Rebecca
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
I have been with CPW (O2) for years. Last upgrade I was asked if I wanted to continue my insurance. I said yes. Roll on 18months and I lose my phone while on holiday. I call to make a claim. It turns out that the insurance was continued on my old phone that I don't have. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT THAT???. So my insurance was invalid. I was refunded the premiums and used the amount to go towards paying for an upgrade so I could still replace my phone as quickly as possible as I need it for work. I ordered the upgrade. The phone was delivered when I was still away (I asked to collect from store but they insisted on delivery). As a result I got it three days later than planned and it impacted my work. When I do receive the phone its a smaller size than my previous one so I can't upload my previous backed up phone on to it. Apparently the CPW/O2 database didn't update that I had the larger size (not sure how this is my fault but that was the tone of the call). Now more questions with them telling me the incorrect information and me having to prove and recheck. So I called (spoke to four different people this time) and was told (eventually) that I had to go to a CPW store and could make the exchange at no extra cost. I get to the store. I am told there an extra cost of £140 and (when I suggest I change to a different contract to get a phone that is available in store) I have lost my rights to the 14 day cancellation notice because of the 'deal' I got. Apparently this was told to me on the phone call when I was in America. NB I said at the time the line was terrible but as always the customer pays the price. While in the store (and told the correct phone will arrive tomorrow) I ask if I should keep the SIM that was sent. They confirmed I should. Roll on the next day and I am charging my new phone BUT the SIM is locked. I phone CPW. Then get passed to O2; who have no record of that SIM and can't activate it. So now I am waiting for a new SIM. I have learned to not believe anything I am told by anyone at CPW or O2. However, I am held to everything I have said and am allowed no misunderstandings. This may be legal but it certainly isn't moral. I am told that the manager will call me in the morning but I'm not sure what number that will be on as they didn't ask. Do I need to remind them again I have no phone. I have spoken to over 20 people over two weeks. I am exhausted. I haven't detailed the amazing calls where they asked ME what the best deal I could get was and what I should do? Or the one where I was passed to insurance even though it was about my upgrade? Or the one where they just put the phone down on me? It has been two weeks. I still have no phone. I also have no faith in this god pair. They have me over a barrel and I have to pay. The two stars are for Bashir in Geeksquad, Andrew in Insurance, the manager and his support in the CPW Watford store and Neveli today in O2. Thank you. The loss of stars is down to Nez, Ashuri, and the many others whose names I didn't take because I kept believing what they said to me.
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
Purchased a new Samsung S9 Plus with a new contract. The store assistant told me the sim should activate within 24 hrs. It actually took four days and numerous phone calls and visits to the stores to resolve. All the different staff I spoke to gave me different reasons as why the sim would not activate. Not a Great experience. I would however like to give a big thank you to Amy at Carphone Warehouse in Kettering who, when I spoke to her, new exactly how to resolve the issue. Within 45 mins she had my new phone up and running. CPW, I suggest you use Amy to train your members of staff in the call centres.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
My contract was due for renewal so wanted a sim only deal and went to CPW. Very helpful. My network was Vodafone, was told still best reception price £13.50 - OK. Said had to sell me an 02 sim because Vodafone would not change to sim only therefore have to do a 3 port procedure to keep my number (gave me a sheet to help), Rang Vodafone to start the process and they queried why I was doing this, said CPW have lied to me and they could swap so I did this direct and have since tried to cancel the original one, Went to shop and they said could do not do this, rang cust services and told the same. Rang Vodafone to try and cancel the sim from CPW and they said they are not allowed to do this. Don't see why I should trek into Manchester again to shop to be told no. Very reluctantly going to do the 3 way port procedure. Will not use them again.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
Bought a deal with them a day ago, only to realise that the confirmation email told me that the phone wouldn't be delivered until this time NEXT YEAR. Phoned to correct the delivery date and was passed through 3 different teams, none of whom could help. When I finally got through to someone to assist, I was told they needed to repoen the order, which essentially cancelled it, and then was told that they no longer had the deal I wanted to buy - they had a more expensive one for less GB of internet with a much larger upfront cost. The woman who spoke to me was very apologetic as it was a Carphone Warehouse glitch in the system, not my fault, but she explained she had no control over the monthly tariff cost and said she would get back to me with something else they could do. When I complained to their email helpline (not about the staff as they were actually trying to be as helpful as they could) I received a very insipid email offering me a £10 credit against whatever I bought with them next. Considering the fact that the new deal they offered me was going to cost me over £170 more, I felt like this just added insult to injury. I would have preferred a more apologetic email that didn't have any monetary 'compensation' attached. Finally, when I tried to ring this evening to completely cancel everything, I got a message on their phone saying the lines closed at 8pm when their website says it closes at 10pm. Never buying from them again.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
Ordered 2 phones online on Friday for in-store collection. Did not receive any tracking information. Was able to collect one phone on Saturday, the second one is a mystery and without tracking information, there's no information on when I may get it.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
The staff were friendly however misleading and unhelpful. I went in as my screen was not rebooting and staying on the white screen with apple logo then going off again. I was told my phone (which was due an upgrade) could not be fixed or if I tried would cost a lot and be a lot of hassle even with insurance. The staff looked at my phone for no more than a minute before bringing out another staff member with an iPad to open a new contact with a £249 upfront charge for the iPhone 8 and £42 thereafter. Upon feeling bombarded I left to gather my thoughts after witnessing another customer being told there phone would no longer work due to another reason and went across to I Lab! One hour later and at a cost of £9.99 my phone was back and as good as new!!!!! I was planning on upgrading with Car phone warehouse for myself and husband but after numerous annoying calls for upgrades and the experience yesterday I certainly will not.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
Carphone warehouse has lousy customer service and sales staff miss sell products. I was sold an expensive screen protector (ZAGG). It was supposedly replaced for life. Apparently NOT! I was told all I'd to do was Register my details online, and I'd automatically be able to get a replacement screen when I needed one, well! It was impossible to get a replacement online so I went into the branch I got it from initially (Oxford Circus). After explaining what had happened, it was replaced. The second time I went in, I was told that the girl who served me had not done the right thing. And that I was not eligible for a replacement so on and so forth. Basically I'd to buy a new screen protector. I didn't! I went into another branch (Charlton) to get a phone as a gift. The staff were busy talking to each other, I had to ask for help. I was obviously a huge inconvenience. Through the entire transaction the member of staff serving me and his colleague had an personal conversation. Then I went to the Liverpool Street branch for a back up charger. It cost me £9.99. It basically worked ONCE. I tried all sorts of cables and sockets. Finally I went into the store to complain, only to be told that nothing could be done! Customer service sucks at Carphone.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
My contract ends in a week, so I went into my local store to have a look at the handsets. There was 2 sales staff working, one was busy with a customer (he is a senior member of staff, I know as my sister upgraded recently and was served by him). I was looking at the new Iphone and lifted it up to hold it in my hand - I wanted to see how it felt like and if its too big for me. The alarm then went off, and the guy came over to deactivate. His attitude was terrible, I know it must be annoying having to turn it off, but how else do you expect customers to look/feel the phone? I asked can I not hold, feel the phone and see what it looks like at the back. He they shrugged and turned it around. It then beeped again. His attitude made me feel like I was trying to steal the phone! No I simply want to check it out before forking out hundreds of pounds on a contract and handset. I just put the phone down and walked straight out. I understand the need to secure phones, but there's no point in having an alarm when its simply lifted up? All the other phones are on security wires, but don't beep. I then went to Tesco, and the sales assistant was so helpful and let me pick up the phone etc with no problems.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
Took an elderly relative to get a basic phone. Not very helpful really when she asked if it could Ben took out box to fit in a little pouch they refused. The phone itself was 29.99 and they said sorry we not not a Penney. To me it’s nothing but if you are keeping everyone penny you making money off old people and also they the manager said we do not need a receipt. Not very welcoming what so ever. Store in reedswood walsall
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
Put order online twice, they couldn't compete any - first time just cancelled without any reason, second time waited for a week, chased and found out that it is not completed on their system. However money they took from my card instantly on the day of the order. No proper communication from their side at all.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 years ago
Carphone Warehouse is rated 1.6 based on 1,629 reviews