Why I hate O2 (and by O2, I mean the German system)

I have had a cell phone contract with O2 for a long time and I have been happy.

Til 3 months ago.

3 months ago, I started getting these really weird errors in my connections at home—and only at home. Everywhere else, I got great reception.

My apartment is the O2 black hole.

So in my best aggressive German (think of a 6 year old complaining), I went into O2 and complained.

I tried my other newer phone.

They called the technician who swears there is no problem

They gave me a new SIM card.

Still the same problem.

So with the help from a friend, I wrote a letter of intention to cancel my contract.

This is what you have to do in Germany to get anything done. Threaten with cancellation of a contract. I am in my legal right to do this.

I got a letter today from them.

I am not allowed to cancel my contract because they are not responsible for "holes" in the network.

So then: who the fuck IS responsible? Me??!!

I am sick of this. Really. What the FUCK can you do in this country??!! The consumer has no power at all to voice an opinion of dissatisfaction. You simply have to bend over and accept the dry fucking you get.

And anyone I talk to thinks it's crap. They all want change. All the Germans agree with me.

So why the FUCK don't they change the system? I know for an American reading this you may not understand the situation. Let me try to give you a summed up example:

Me at the hospital having an asthma attack:

Me: hello, I cannot breathe.

Doctor: why did you wait until now to come in?

Me: (because, uh, I couldn't schedule an earlier time to have problems breathing, asshole) Uh, I could breathe fine til an hour ago.

Doctor: if you could walk here, you can breathe.

This really happened.

Mind you, the care I got after telling the doctor I wasn't a child and I was there for a valid reason was really good. You just have to crack the nut to get it.

And O2's nut it a 200 mile thick son-of-a-bitch to crack.

But I have had a small victory: they loaned me a newer, shinier phone to try. Troubleshooting. I like that.

And it seems to be working.

And just like all things in Germany: when it works, it's great. When it doesn't your whole life in on hold and miserable til the one person gets off their ass to help.