Login
Start Free Trial Are you a business?? Click Here

Carphone Warehouse Reviews

1.6 Rating 1,631 Reviews
13 %
of reviewers recommend Carphone Warehouse
1.6
Based on 1,631 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.

Visit Website

Phone:

0870 111 6565

Location:

The Carphone Warehouse, PO Box 375
Southampton
SO30 2PU

Write Your review

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
We haven't had my daughter's back from their "two week express repair service" for five weeks. I've been on hold to their "helpline" for 16 minutes and counting. A robotic American voice repeatedly apologises for keeping me waiting. Having seen that the handset hadn't left the store on their online checking service and having had no updates from anyone I paid to park again and went into their Derby branch on East street. The staff made mention of systems changing and Apple having the phone for a warranty repair. After many apologies they promised to find out why is has taken so long and let me know. One week on, nothing. Not so much as a call or message. It seems that selling us and everyone else their goods is very slick but the measure of any company is there ability to handle things quickly and courteously when things go wrong. So far, this has been an abject failure. We are paying the contract costs for a phone we cannot use, worse still, I have a fifteen year old daughter who is without the one device we rely on to make sure she is ok for FIVE WEEKS! By the way, it's now eighteen minutes on hold. This is beyond poor, is this just the way it is?
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
hone was sent off repairs on 15/12/15 Still hasn't come back Been to the branch 3 times.. First time on a Monday 2 weeks ago. ..was told will be be back by that Friday Went on the Friday - no phone, was told someone would contact me that evening after delivery with an update....no phone call Went again 2 days ago..still no phone. Staff exceptionally rude and dismissive. ..manager including who said will call me that night.....no phone call. Rang customer service that night to make a complaint. ...was told the regional manager would contact me....no contact.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Disgusting customer service. Staff aren't very knowledgeable and are extremely rude. Have made a complaint on their website - doubt it'll make any difference.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Totally mis-sold product over the phone. Offer a great price until you read the offer you have paid for when it arrives. Avoid avoid avoid
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
I recently popped in to Carphone Warehouse to see if they got any good sim only contracts. I have been offered this £15 a month contract with very generous amount of 4G data which I was looking for. So after getting this contract from the first day got very disappointed. I would say there is hardly any internet. I work around Oxford street in London but every single day I struggled to download even dailymail page with news. I'm not even talking about trying to use internet banking or goole map that's impossible. I don't think they have a right to advertise they provide 4G they definitely mislead customers. When I finally got enough of this rubbish service and called there' brilliant' customer service I have been told they do not have 30 days cancellation period, after been reassured twice I asked my new provider to start my contract earlier. The next day I made a phone call to ID customer service to cancel their services but been told there is 30 days cancellation period. After numerous conversations and complains I been left to pay for additional month of their non existing internet services after there incompetent operator provided me with wrong information. My advise do not waste your time with ID
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
I got my contract in August 2015.. And Iv had nothing but trouble with them they are an absolute nightmare! They were taking money out of my bank when they shouldn't be! Leaving me with bank charges! Over 40 messages had been sent to them regarding my contract and I sometimes get useless messages sent back to me that had nothing to do with my situation! Talking to a wall! I cancelled my direct debit because I got sick to death of the charges so I asked for another option.. I asked for a payment slip so I could pay my bill... I never recieved my paper bill.. Instead I get statements sent to me which is a further £2.50 on my contract! When I threatened them with court they turned my phone on for 3 days then cut me off again! Absolute joke!! Yesterday I recieved a statement saying my bill is now over £500!! Baring in mind Iv hardly used my phone and on the statement columns it shows 0.00! So how in the hell do you work that out?! I will be taking them to court & also the papers.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Car phone warehouse is one of the worst companies that I've dealt with in a long time. I took a contract out with them as my phone had crashed. Unfortunately, the SIM card that came with the phone became inactive on purchase (the fault).They said I needed to call the network provider during working hours and it will be activated. This was car phone warehouse way of passing the buck, after a few hrs of going back and forth, I got fed up and returned sim and handset to them. Which they refuse to accept return as it was not the store it was purchased. Although their policy states returns and refunds accepted at any store. After my husband putting up a fuss, miraculously they accepted refund. I'm been back and forth for days trying to get contract and phone cancelled, so my old number can be reinstated as it was in the process of being transferred to new line. It's caused me so much distress, all I've got is empty apologise. If possible avoid car phone warehouse and go direct to network.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Ridiculous service. Tried to upgrade twice online in the past two days. The first time they 'failed to process my order' so I tried again the next day. Now 36 hours later and still no email confirming that my order had been processed and no money has been taken out of my bank account! I wanted to upgrade online because I thought it would be the easiest option but my advice to anyone is NEVER UPGRADE WITH CARPHONE WAREHOUSE ONLINE!!!!
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Poor communication via the email process, making it unclear whether my product had been processed or not and very unhelpful staff in customer service who refused to tell me whether my product had been accepted or not.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
So I broke my phone screen then I took it to carphone warehouses they did what they need to do I go the phone and and it was the wrong phone.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Absolutely appalling customer service, bought a phone paying cash on 27th December, I was told it was not in stock but would be there next working day which was Tuesday as Monday was a bank holiday. In my opinion it was never ordered I went in to collect on Tuesday and was told it would be in on Wednesday. No explanation to why they would not give me my money back or check local stores for stock when I told them I was going away on business the next day. I spent the next two to three hours on the phone after being cut off four times. Only to find out the had twelve in stock in a local store, but I was told I would have to go and buy one from Hanley then go back to Tunstall to get a refund. So basically pay for it twice. I emailed a complaint and they do not want to know and will not accept responsibility that they were in the wrong, I will be taking it further and never buying from there again. And I will be sending them the bill for my phone calls when it comes through.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Just after Chrismas I decided to buy a Huawei P8 lite to use it as a dual SIM phone. Found a good price online at Carphone Warehouse and as New Year eve was just 2 days ahead I dropped into a store to buy it on pay as you go SIM. I mentioned to the selling assistant that I plan to use it as a dual SIM phone but she never mentioned that the phone has the second sim slot disabled by the firmware version installed. I found this myself when second day I opened the box and saw the second sim slot accepts microSD cards only. I didn't even peal the foils from the phone or take out anything else from the box. In less than 48 hours I was naive enough to believe in Carphone Warehouse customer service. When I tried to return the phone in store and I found out that Carphone warehouse does not offer a refund for the pay as you go phones bought in store. I was a bit shocked as everything every other major accepts returns if the customer is not satisfied with the product or changes his mind. I called the customer service and explained my situation mentioning that apart of the fact the box was opened nothing else was removed or used. They could not help and asked me to liaise with the shop I bought the phone from. Very, Very disappointing customer experience and Carphone Warehouse - NEVER, EVER AGAIN!
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Great customer service and friendly and helpful staff at carphone warehouse Congleton. Left really pleased with purchase and well informed.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
This is particularly about the team in Curry/Carphone Warehouse in Carmarthen. They are selling not their product & service but the frustration and anger to customers. I was trying to buy a phone from the shop and to use the 50 quid voucher given from Curry. Only one guy there was keen enough to find an option but all others could spending hours selling talk. Once I brought 3to2 offers for 2 shields and a case, now they are arguing with me about an invoice which they have never given to me but did not keen to went through their system to match the invoice given to me in many occasion but later to make the second argument “it is outside the 28 day" And many more about this rubbish place where no worth of spending our valuable time.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Care Phone Warehouse are without doubt in 35 years of working in the retail head office sector the worst business retail customers services I've ever experienced and I question exactly what Andrew Harrison is actually doing other than having his head firmly buried in the sand. I signed a contract on the 19th Dec for a new upgrade with a promise on delivery by the 22nd. Nothing happened. I contacted their customer service provider, only to be cut off halfway through, and then the phones disengaged when I tried to ring back. Contacted the store to make arrangements for an internal transfer with the local store at Hinckley for collection on the Saturday morning, but was promised a delivery by Monday (Bank Holiday!). Arrived to collect it only to be told it was not possible and there was nothing they could do. On the 29th Dec, contacted their dispatch and was put onto again customers services as Leamington Spa were not picking up the phone, which turns out to be in South Africa! Failed to resolve the problem to get the phone delivered, but managed to transfer me to some unfortunate sole woken up in Asia....nice one. Went into the store in Leamington Spa to only be told there was absolutely nothing they could do as it was an IT problem. Also refused to cancel the contract due to the same problem. So with some choice words explained my feeling towards to business and the service provided to date. Completely useless. So, to summaries. No phone and no indication as to when it will be resolved and delivered. Contacted my provider EE who promptly arranged to send me a new phone and contract the next day and explained the conditions of the contract with Carephonewarehouse, you'll be cancelling this contract with no costs incurred by me. As for the service, shockingly bad. Useless in store advisories without any capability to resolves customer problems. Pathetic off shore customer service. No service in that. My advise to anyone thinking of purchasing a phone from this business, what ever the deal, don't. Because if it goes wrong you are on your own. To anyone considering joining the business, based on experience, there are better businesses out there. And for Andrew Harrison, you have got some serious issues to resolve in your business and you need to get yourself out the office and on the ground to understand the mess you've got! Having said all that, I wish you all a happy New Year but sadly can't convey this personally as I'd didn't get your phone! Mr R A Dale
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
I have been trying to cancel a monthly phone contract since August. One month after I took out the contract. It has been a nightmare trying to talk to someone to find out why they won't converse with me to end my monthly contract. I have given them 3 phone numbers to contact me, plus my address so they can write to me. They have given me the run around on the phone and keep sending me a monthly bill. I have never been in debt with anyone, and this unused SIM contract is just racking up. I wish I had looked on this forum before I had taken this contract. What should be simple just isn't. I advise anyone to read the experiences here before dealing with these people!!!!!!!
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
I am completely shocked at the treatment received by a member of staff and the supervisor/manager as I tried to pay cash for a Samsung S5 neo at Plymouth's Drakes Circus store. First of all I was bought out a unsealed box and when I asked for a sealed one I was told that I would not be covered for a refund as the unsealed boxes are the 10% that are checked and it is ONLY these that are refundable ??? After I had insisted and the member of staff had bought out my request of a sealed unit I was then told that I could only buy items with a total of £150 cash (I was holding the money) and that I would have to make a deposit to my bank if I were to make the purchase of £300 ??? I had the previous day bought a Nexus 5x for £350 cash at the New George Street store and received a complete refund in CASH two hours later after coming to the conclusion with the staff it was in fact used previously as it had been set up and was most likely a returned product. I felt very angered and frustrated with the treatment I received by the Drakes Circus staff and it was clear that because I didn't want to take a unsealed unit this had obviously annoyed them and that it was this that had caused them to suddenly change the stores policy on returns and cash purchases. I have since tried to make a complaint with them through the correct channels and have had no luck, or any kind of compensation or apology even though they agreed I was unfairly treated and the manager had lied about paying in cash and the refunds on sealed units. The store was not very busy but I was made to look stupid and was embarrassed and will never return. I would advise to go elsewhere as in my experience the phones are not always new and even Samsung and Apple state not to take an unsealed unit which makes sense.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM CAR PHONE WAREHOUSE!!!!!! Worst store ever!! I bought a Samsung Galaxy J5 from their Stirling store on 27/12/15. I found them very nice while I was buying the phone but after I left the store with my new phone I tried to assign a basic ringing tone, NOT some nonsense " wind in the trees" ringtone and couldn't find one so after 5mins of leaving the store I returned and spoke with someone called Kenny and found him arrogant and cheeky. He told me it would cost me £15 for them to help me. I explained I only needed a minute of his time. Again he told me it would cost me £15 so I told him I had just spent £185 in his store and was he telling me that now they had my money they couldn't care less unless I partted with more. He arrogantly replied "yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you" I told him I was gonna write a review about my experience to which he replied "good, thanks now. Have a nice day" If that's how that store trains their staff, what chance have you got?? I'm going to write to their head office but I'm really not expecting them to be any different. I'll NEVER go near that store again and I'd advise anyone else the same. I'm disgusted with their service.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Would not give me my money back when I returned a phone charger thatI had bought the day before as it ddidn't work. I explained to the shop assistant that I had a right to a refund if the item was faulty but she said their policy states no refunds to be given. She would not listen and was adamant that I could not have my money back. How do they get away with this?
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
OK here's what my situation is regarding carphone warehouse is and be warned if your goods malfunction as this is what I've experienced . I recently started a contract for an iPhone 6 plus then 4 months in the phone develops a fault. On returning device to the car phone warehouse shop I'm verbally told that the repair would take between 7 and 14 days. Now I have been calling every few days and each time I'm informed that its gone for repair its being repaired its waiting to pass quality control till at 12 days in its now on transit from a repair centre in wednesbury. All seemed well until day 15 of my wait when I decide to go back to the shop and ask where is my handset. I'm then told its not been repaired at all. Its now being given a 3 days urgent repair health ticket. Yes folks this takes a repair through Christmas day and boxing day. Its obvious they're lying again I'm never getting this phone back. I'm also given the cheapest most horrible handset to use while my iPhone is away and when I proper get angry with them they give me a slight improvement of a handset that is still no better than rubbish but has an internet access albeit with such a small screen you can hardly see what you are doing. I've had to buy another phone because this company is incapable of offering a decent replacement and cannot be trusted to repair a device in good time. Definitely a company you should avoid at all costs. I currently have a 2 year contract with o2 but have had to go out and buy a phone to use the simcard for.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 years ago
Carphone Warehouse is rated 1.6 based on 1,631 reviews