Orange - Can I Get Out Of My Contract

Eydon

Ha - this is very reminiscent of the T-Mobile fiasco when they introduced a £1 monthly charge for itemised billing. They had a similar clause in their contracts about being able to terminate if they increased prices by more than the RPI. When it was pointed out on a discussion forum (not sure if it was MSE or another one) that an increase from £0 to £1 is actually an infinite percentage increase they lost loads of customers (me included - got out of an 18 month contract 12 months early).

Keep pestering, because if Orange are anything like T-Mobile were, they’ll try and fob you off with all sorts of rubbish. At the end of the day they have increased a charge by 20%, and if your T&Cs say that you can terminate then they ain’t got a leg to stand on.

karie

this is very interesting - my 18 month contract ends next april but i would love to cancel it early as i have a work mobile as well and am basically paying £30+ a month to orange for nothing.

however, 2 questions - firstly, i havent received a text or any other correspondence informing me of change in t&c - is that important?

secondly, i cant find any sort of written t&c's in my piles of bills and correspondence! are all the terms standard? im on a dolphin 30 contract.

oh actually one more thing! when my contract ends i was planning on converting my number to pay as you go so as to keep it... would orange allow this or would i have burned all of my bridges?! any ideas?

thanks! karie

emptycup

Hi Kate,

The photo messaging increase can be found here:

Photo info

and the terms can be found:
http://www2.orange.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=OUKPersonal&c=OUKService&cid=1092743825939&mid=1137070319217&t=Service&tab=2

Hope that helps!

Hudge

emptycup wrote: »

I have finally got into speaking with a CS script monkey and he gave me this address:

Disconnections

Orange PLC
Senhouse Road
Lingfield Way
Darlington
County Durham DL1 4YB

Is this the same as where you sent yours Hudge?

Interesting, the address they gave me is;

Orange Correspondence Department
PO BOX 10
Patch Way
Bristol
BS32 4BQ

Tom1301

Has anybody had any luck with this???

As I'd like to go back to O2 and possibly go for the iPhone.

Update: Just posted a letter to Disconnections in County Durham. Lets see if I get anywhere.

emptycup

Think I will send the dame letter to that address also. Cheers Hudge.

I got an email from their CS online service saying they cannot discuss anything account related via email. What is the point of having an email service then? I know o2 can sort things out via email

Human_Writes

I've had a reply from Orange and spoke to them on the phone about this...

They took some advice from their legal team and referred me back to the terms and conditions of the contract:

4.3 terminating your Contract because Orange has changed its terms
You may also terminate your Contract if we vary its terms, resulting in an excessive increase in the Charges or changes that alter your rights under this Contract to your detriment. In such cases you would need to give us at least 14 days written notice prior to your Billing Date (and within one month of us telling you about the changes). However this option does not apply if: 4.3.1 we have increased the Charges by an amount equal to or less than the percentage increase in the All Items Index of Retail Prices published by the Central Statistical Office in the Monthly Digest of Statistics in any 12 month period; or 4.3.2 the variations we have made have been imposed on us as a direct result of new legislation, statutory instrument, government regulation or licence; or 4.3.3 the variation relates solely to an Orange Additional Service, in which case you may cancel that Orange Additional Service in accordance with Condition 15.1.

15 CHANGES TO YOUR CONTRACT 15.1 we reserve the right to make changes to your Contract
When you Register you are asked to choose a Service Plan and to indicate which Orange Additional Services you require. You may switch to a higher Service Plan at any time. You may switch to a lower Service Plan as often as you like after 6 months following your Connection to the Network, unless otherwise stated. In the event you do switch Service Plan and add to or cancel Orange Additional Services you must give us not less than 10 days notice before your Billing Date (subject to the terms of any promotional offers you have accepted). We do, however, reserve the right to vary the terms of this Contract from time to time and to make changes to your Service Plan. We acknowledge that if we do increase the Charges, withdraw Orange Additional Services or introduce new mandatory Charges - or if your contractual rights are affected to your detriment - you may terminate your Contract in accordance with Condition 4.3. If you do not give notice within one month of our notifying you of any change(s), you will be taken to have accepted the change(s).

I was told that photo messaging was an additional service provided to me by Orange and that I could not cancel my contract, but they would cancel the photo messaging service for me if I wanted to.

Looks like the contract backs Orange on this one...

Tom1301

I wouldn't have thought that the photo messaging was an additional service. I know that you can get photo messaging bundles but seriously I don't have a bundle and these prices would effect me and my bill.

emptycup

+1 on this. I have not received anything back yet. Out of interest Human Writes...where did you send your letter? Was it to either of the addresses listed in the thread here?

karie

thats a shame.
i also got an email back from online customer services saying they couldnt discuss over email. was going to put it in a letter but maybe little point now.