I just made "the call" to o2... It was as bad as I expected!
Firstly I'm o2's worst customer. I barely spend more than my £19 a month bill and I've only been with them 18 months.
Rang the upgrade line for a laugh and was quoted £280(!) Said I'd pass on that. Rang retentions and spent ages trying to get them to match the offer they have for new customers (£19 a month, £99 for the N80). Bloke said he couldn't do that but offered me all kinds of weird deals, even so far as to offer to transfer the contract to my wife (I'm not married!) and reduce the monthly bill to £5 and give her a free "nice girlie phone".
He said he could reduce the line rental to a fiver a month if I paid full price for the phone (£280) and signed for another 18 months. No thanks.
Eventually we gave up and I got my PAC code. Back to Orange, online offer straight from Orange's own site - £25 a month and £50 for the N80. Suits me fine. Impressed with Orange's website - I'm an existing customer of sorts, I have an OVP plan which I pay nothing for line rental on, just calls, so it costs me nothing unless I make calls, and I was able to enter that info and bypass all the credit checking and address entry malarkey. They also give the option of choosing when you want the phone delivered, ideal if you are going to be away the next day but back after then.
I've had contracts with Orange in the past and always had good service so It's nice to go back to them. Phone should be here in time for the weekend.