Orange to start charging for calls to 0500/0800/0808 Freephone Numbers.

Stabilo

meheraltaf wrote:

Excuse my ignorance, what is the access number 0200 as 2ax repeatedly mentions?

I just saw these threads that orange would charge 0800 from December, do the cahnges and charges apply to 0845 and 0870 also? I am on everyday 50. I tried to call orange to check with them, seems like there is a long wait, anyone got any information on this?

1899, 18866 & 18185 etc all have 020 access numbers to use from none BT landlines i.e. ntl etc. They can also be used from mobiles and may be part of your inclusive minutes therefore no (extra) cost. Orange users would CURRENTLY tend to use the 0800 numbers rather than the 020 numbers as they are not part of your inclusive minutes and are totally free (until December).

The 020 numbers are shown on the relevant websites.

I am on ED50 and I think 0845 & 0870 costs are unaffected.

fitchesg

Hi,

I have just got my bill for my Orange ED50 account and they say that from Dec 01 they will charge calls to 0800 and 0500 at 10ppm - ie: no longer free.

I called customer disservices and they said this will also apply to 0808 freephones too. I asked the rep if there was any changes to calls to 0844 and 0870 (such as whether they were still in inclusive minutes) and she didn't know, but thought that they wouldn't be. I have emailed them to find out.

This makes 3 changes to the tariff in 3 months:
1. £1 itemised billing - cancel it and register on the web, you still get itemised for free online
2. International texts are now 19p rather than 15p
3. Now no free calls to 0800/0500/0808

Anyone have any thoughts as to whether I can cancel my contract (resign for a new phone in June) as they have fundamentally changed the product?

Thanks

Garry

thefirs

fitchesg wrote:

Anyone have any thoughts as to whether I can cancel my contract (resign for a new phone in June) as they have fundamentally changed the product?

I think that's rather what they're hoping you will do. The ED50 account was designed in rather more gentlemanly times when secondary-access numbers were just the realm of geeks such as us, and those awfully-nice folk at Orange led by that nice Mr Snook (yes really) thought that Freefone 0800 and whatever meant free, even if it cost the shareholders a penny or two every now and then.

Times have moved on, the world is a harder place and M. Chirac (aka France Telecom) has worked out that those malins à l'outre-manche should not deprive the French taxpayer of those ever-so-small-but-don't-they-soon-mount-up-when-a-million people spend them €cents come in handy when giving subsidies to Peugeot, Citroen etc. There'll be a larger overtime bill for the CRS come the end of this month too, come to think of it.

You'll have to work out for yourself whether the line rental you give FT/Orange each month is worth going on paying if you can't make really cheap calls during the day. It may well be that if you go for a rental-free cashback contract ('3' have been churning them out like nobody's business again lately) will actually save you money in the end, and you'll get a fairly shiny new phone into the bargain.

Shayman_2

Hi

Received my bill (ED50) today which confirmed what I had expected in that 0800 calls are no longer free. My wife recently started an Orange contract and received her bill which stated the same, so these charges apply to Orange contracts across the board.

Ive been on their website and looked at their T&C's and 4.3 covers this. She will be contacting them to discuss terminating her contract and will let you know..

Canucklehead

Good morning: We have also received an Orange bill in the post this a.m....are on Orange Everytime 200 (make that Someofthetime now ) but will now be charged 10 pence per minute for all 0800 and 0500 calls. Will be calling Orange today and have a go ( well, will do after partner drives a few miles to get a signal!!!) Shall keep you posted.

Canucklehead

Stabilo

This has been discussed at length for just over a month, where have you been ?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=101715

If you read through the now lengthy thread the summary is ask Orange to give you the freephone bundle (FOC) for 12 months.

Canucklehead

Stabilo et al: I have been following the thread since the first posting in Oct.....Someone started a new thread last night, same topic and I added my comments as we had just received our 'official' notice from Orange with the bill this morning... the 2 threads seemed to have been merged. We are not interested in a freephone bundle at this point ( our 'Orange blues' are well documented on another thread). If this latest wheeze from Orange truly represents our get out clause then we will grab it!

Canucklehead

Stabilo

Canucklehead wrote:

Stabilo et al: I have been following the thread since the first posting in Oct.....Someone started a new thread last night, same topic and I added my comments as we had just received our 'official' notice from Orange with the bill this morning... the 2 threads seemed to have been merged. We are not interested in a freephone bundle at this point ( our 'Orange blues' are well documented on another thread). If this latest wheeze from Orange truly represents our get out clause then we will grab it!

Canucklehead

This is NOT a get out clause, it goes like this...

Customer - 'I would like to terminate my contract please because you are in breach of contract by increasing the freephone costs by an infinite percentage.'

Orange - 'Ok have the calls for free then.'

Good technique by Orange as they know most people will just accept the new charges and those that don't can be offered the freephone bundle to prevent breach of contract.

iceburn

Stabilo, do not know what tariff Chunklehead is on, but one of them is on everyday 50, hence Orange might use this time to "LET THEM GO" :-)

Stabilo

iceburn wrote:

Stabilo, do not know what tariff Chunklehead is on, but one of them is on everyday 50, hence Orange might use this time to "LET THEM GO" :-)

I know Orange don't like ED50 but they offered my the freephone bundle and I'm on that tariff.