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Orange contract grief.advice please. |
afov
Joined: Dec 05, 2004
Posts: 192
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Took out a contract with Orange about 10 weeks ago. This contract gave me a lovely K800i, 1000 texts and 200 mins a month plus free insurance and broadband for £30 a month...BARGAIN!....
.......Or so I thought. Whilst I'm happy with the actual terms of the 18 month contract I am getting seriously annoyed with the way that Orange have mis handled my account. It would really take all night to go into details but I have been misbilled, I have been incorrectly set up on Broadband and disconnected twice and told it would take a week to reconnect...it took me the whole of the last Bank Holiday to sort this out.
Things came to a head tonight when I came home to another letter from the collections department. I called them and spoke to the snottiest girl ever who advised me that it was all my fault for not paying....another 20 minute conversation for the 5th time and the girl finally agreed that I didn't owe anything and my 'debt' would be cleared when another department finally credited this department.
In my frustration, I indicated that I was so close to wanting to cancel my contract due to Orange's inept inability to handle my account. I was then put through to disconnections and spoke to a chap who basically attempted to goad me into telling him to disconnect my account...he said if this was done I would be liable to pay £360 for the contract. I advised this chap of all the problems I had experienced but this chap said that this didn't matter....as far as he was concerned Orange did not have a level of service they had to supply. The conversation continued and the guy said he would put me on hold....as he was doing this I clearly heard him say an expletive aimed at me and he then cut me off.
Back through to collections and as this chap did not actually do anything on my account there is no 'footprint' of him therefore there is no way to trace him.
Basically, what do I do now. If I write to Orange explaining everything that has happened and advising them I want to cancel my contract due to my belief they have failed to provide me with an expected level of service would they be likely to succeed in getting the £360 from me. What would happen would my phone and the modem etc I have. I know that Orange will default my account etc but just don't know how to proceed. Whats annoying is that if you don't play by their rules they penalise you but you have no redress against them and no one ever attempts to help you or take responsibilty for the problems.
Any advise please would be most gratefully considered.
Thanks |
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zakc
Joined: Aug 28, 2006
Posts: 68
From: Exeter, UK
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Dude, without sounding patronising I totally understand your dilema.
When I joined orange five years ago I championed them to everyone but for the passed year they've let it slip quite badly. Over two months ago I decided not to renew my contract with them and my father decided that our business account should be moved to vodafone aswell.
A solution for you if you really wanna get out of the contract is to pay a penalty of £10 for each calendar month you have left on your contract. Alot of people tend to go for this as they can sell the phone for a reasonable price etc. Personally I'd go for it because orange have seriously lost it concerning everything.
Good luck dude. |
Berry
Joined: Dec 09, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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Where is Fatreg when you need him.....
If its any consolation, i had the same with O2 for 5 weeks.....
It did eventually get resolved....
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apolloa
Joined: Jul 27, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Dorset, UK
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Buddy, one word of advice:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
Contact them and tell them what's happened and you'll soon find that there IS a level of service they are required to give you by law. Then contact them again and tell them you demand to speak to a manager, don't piis about with dumbwit call centre staff, 9 times out of 10 when your complaining they don't care and just want to get rid of you, then when you get a manager tell them you've spoken to ofcom and threaten them with the law.
Another trick is to write a pleasent detailed letter explaining fully all your trouble with date's etc in detail, then get the address of Orange HQ and the name of all the Directors, now send that letter to EVERY director personally, and explain your disgust at there service. This trick was on a consummer watch dog program and it does work sometimes, no harm at all in trying.
You should try BT, I moved into a brand new flat last year, was given a new number which was wrong but I informed my ISP of it who charged me £50 to move my connection that BT Wholesale charge them, I then thanks to BT had a cross line, was disconnected twice, and it took me a month and a half to sort out. And you know what - THE ONLY FING REASON I GOT IT SORTED WAS BECAUSE 1 FANTASTIC LADY IN THE BT HOMEMOVERS DEPT HELPED ME AND GAVE ME HER DIRECT NUMBER!!! And when she was on holiday her manager helped me in the back office and sorted everything real quick. Every one else I spoke to didn't give a toss to be frank, it's ONLY when you get through the back office, that lone helpful person, or a manager who cares you get anything done these day's.
I did however get BT to pay for ALL my ISP charges and my entire months Orange phone bill that was large to say the least and give me compensation AND wipe my first bill off mainly cause I told them to. There absolutley the worst company I have ever dealt with, (my ISP Eclipse was totally FANTASTIC during this period, there expensive but by God are they worth it, they even waved the one charge I would of had to pay.)
So the moral of my story is to keep hasseling them every minuite you can, insist on things being put on your account, get the name and call centre location of everyone you speak to and dates and times, contact Ofcom and tell them to have a go at Orange.
Another word of warning, when the BT guy reconnected my phone line, in the junction box for the flats (of which there were 4) another BT engineer put another flat in my connection, his solution, he pulled them out and plugged my connection in, only he LEFT the other line DISCONNECTED and when I said what you going to do about it he replyed nothing, as long as your happy and cooonected that's all I care about!!!!!! The modern British utility company service great eh?
Sorry for the long post but thought it might be of use.
[ This Message was edited by: apolloa on 2006-09-09 02:20 ] |
afov
Joined: Dec 05, 2004
Posts: 192
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Thanks for the replies.
What I was interested in finding out was what actions Orange could actually take against me.
I am probably going to take a new contract out today with T Mobile before Orange attempt to destroy my credit score. I am then going to write to Orange explaining to them I want to cancel my contract with immedite effect. I am not doing this as I cannot afford to pay but because of the level of service they have provided.
When I took out the contact they advised me that I had no right of 14 day cancellation because it came with free Broadband....I think for starters this is probably an illegally imposed restriction. I have only had 2 bills for my mobile phone and there have been billing mistakes on these which after about 15 calls still have not been rectitifed.
My free Orange Broadband was set up as a billable account. Orange advised me that they would debit my account and I would have it refunded as 'some point' in the future. They then advised me to avoid this to cancel the DD which I did. As the DD was cancelled (this is FREE Broadband remember) they then cut off my Broadband on Bank Holiday Monday....I called Orange about 6 times from 10.00am on this day and eventually after giving them new details they told me it would be reconnected in 20 minutes, an hour later and it was still off...a call back to them and was advised it would actually take 7 days...another 4 calls that day and by 16.00 gave up with no service and a wife who had been unable to get her work done. Call to Orange next morning and told again would take 7 working days to get reconnected...I made another threat to cancel and eventually that day it was pushed through and was reconnected later that day.
The final straw was the letter yesterday and the attitude of everyone I have spoken to. I believe that I am in my rights to terminate my contract as it is unreasonable to be expected to live with this level of service. A lot of people I have spoken to say thet Orange do not usually persue people who cancel early over service issues but only over unable to pay due to finance etc issues. Does anyone have any issues on this and is able to advise what is likely to happen next?? |
Dogmann
Joined: Jan 29, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: London England
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Hi Afov,
Sorry to hear of your woes but unfortunately i think you will find trying to cancel your contact at this point will incur heavy penalties for you. You need to do a Google search for Orange executive office as this is where even your letters to directors go.
I after having been with Orange from launch of the Network a couple of years ago experienced similar problems and was met by the same response from all including supervisors and line managers who all insisted Orange were right and i was wrong. The first problem was billing and was only resolved by the executive office when i requested a conflict resolution number, the second was a bigger problem as even the executive office were claiming i was wrong and that i was not entitled to use the update service with my P900 on that occasion only a letter to their Legal Department informing them if the matter was not settled within 7 days i would be issuing a County Court Summons resolved the issue and the cancellation of my one month old contract and refund for my phone.
Don't give up as a consumer you do have a right to receive an acceptable level of service especially as you are paying for it. But unfortunately Orange IMO have an attitude of they are always in the right and don't seem to care about their customers. Orange are no longer the great company they once were and now remind me of Mercury 121.This is why after recommending and connecting 1000's of phones to Orange i wouldn't have an Orange phone now even if they were paying me.
Resist the temptation to take out a new contract as i very much doubt you will be able to cancel your current Orange one and am not even sure if you can reduce your monthly tariff as you took their free Broadband offer which i believe well and truly ties you to them.
Marc |
afov
Joined: Dec 05, 2004
Posts: 192
PM |
Thanks.
I can downgrade the contract after a period of time (6 months I think), however this would mean that my Broadband would become billable.
Spose I am stuck between a rock and a hardplace. Am unsure how to procced to be honest. If I cancel they can chase me for the money and I can refuse to pay all day long but it will come to a head at some point. I would have thought if Orange took me to court for breach of contrct they would need to be sure that they have kept their part of the deal and I honestly believe they could not do this.
Am going to give it a thought for a day or 2 and not make a snap decision. It is bad enough dealing with Orange but if they transfer a debt to a collection agency it could turn even worse....so bloody annoying!! |
Dogmann
Joined: Jan 29, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: London England
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Hi afov,
They will most certainly transfer the debt to a collection agency which will also increase the cost to you so really would not advise not paying. They have a contract with you how would you prove they have breached it? If i were you i would write to Orange Executive Office and phone them also if you can't find the details on Google OFCOM will give them to you. You may get lucky and actually speak to some one who both cares and can actually help.
Marc
[ This Message was edited by: Dogmann on 2006-09-09 14:48 ] |
afov
Joined: Dec 05, 2004
Posts: 192
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Would the fact that they have misbilled me and that they have cut off my broadband without reason prove that they have broken their terms of the contract? |
fatreg
Joined: Jul 26, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Quote:
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On 2006-09-09 02:48:09, tmag2005 wrote:
Where is Fatreg when you need him.....
If its any consolation, i had the same with O2 for 5 weeks.....
It did eventually get resolved....
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im here.. but im staying way out of this..
i start work art 9am on monday if you want help....
fatreg
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afov
Joined: Dec 05, 2004
Posts: 192
PM |
Quote:
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On 2006-09-09 22:46:55, fatreg wrote:
Quote:
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On 2006-09-09 02:48:09, tmag2005 wrote:
Where is Fatreg when you need him.....
If its any consolation, i had the same with O2 for 5 weeks.....
It did eventually get resolved....
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im here.. but im staying way out of this..
i start work art 9am on monday if you want help....
fatreg
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So, this is the mythical fatreg. Come Monday will you be able to help me in my hour of need.....?
help me Obi Wan you are my only hope....and all that. |
fatreg
Joined: Jul 26, 2003
Posts: > 500
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aye..
if your in my shop at 9am on monday i can help in some way...
as for mythical.. im all real..
jsut dont be looking for fatreg on my name badge!!
fatreg
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Berry
Joined: Dec 09, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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Just yer cufflinks....
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fatreg
Joined: Jul 26, 2003
Posts: > 500
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HELL yeah...
you canny beat hand make cufflinks..
fatreg
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afov
Joined: Dec 05, 2004
Posts: 192
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Slighty confused, do you actually work for Orange then? |
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Posted: 2006-09-08 23:51
