Orange VAT adjustment

JRB72

Have been in contact with Orange about this myself as I am not happy with it either.

Submitted a question/complaint about it via the 'contact us' section of their website. This triggered a standard form letter from them about it saying how they appreciated my frustration... blah ..blah .blah... but that I could opt-out of the Phone Fund by calling 450 and speaking to a rep.

Did this (they refunded the 25p charge) the other evening and was told that the opt-out mechanism is not yet in place, despite what they say in their email response to customers who complain about it. Apparently they are working on getting the opt-out in place for the scheme going live.

Seems like the whole of their customer service dept has been caught out on a limb by this. Whichever bright spark in Orange Marketing thought this was a good idea clearly didn't appreciate it wouldn't go down well with customers who can do simple maths and as a result saw no reason to put in place an opt-out or even give their email team the correct information to send out. Idiots.

I will do a top-up before the 11 Feb and see what develops as the PhoneFund kicks in.

Anyone already been in touch with Watchdog, Working Lunch or such-like over this? Seems like VAT-adjustment skimming/pocketing by Orange might make a good story.

oxters

I have just sent the following to Orange:

I think you are acting illegally.
Please refer my protest to your legal department.
You are NOT listening to your customers as you say below - you are clearly ignoring us.
I insist on receiving my vat refund as a cash adjustment on my top up, failing which I shall take further action through my member of parliament. It's maybe only 25p but as you say below, "in these difficult times, every penny helps" - well I'd like 25 of them added to my credit please. I will be topping up shortly. (£10) and expect £10.25 to appear in my credit.


Thank you

See http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1494239 for full response from orange (con artists)

MRC_2

oxters wrote: »

I have just sent the following to Orange:

I think you are acting illegally.
Please refer my protest to your legal department.
You are NOT listening to your customers as you say below - you are clearly ignoring us.
I insist on receiving my vat refund as a cash adjustment on my top up, failing which I shall take further action through my member of parliament. It's maybe only 25p but as you say below, "in these difficult times, every penny helps" - well I'd like 25 of them added to my credit please. I will be topping up shortly. (£10) and expect £10.25 to appear in my credit.


Thank you

See http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1494239 for full response from orange (con artists)

I'm sorry, but with an attitude like that, it's very unlikely that you will get far.

As said previously, it's hardly illegal what they're doing.

oxters

MRC wrote: »

I'm sorry, but with an attitude like that, it's very unlikely that you will get far.

As said previously, it's hardly illegal what they're doing.

Sorry but I don't have an attitude. I think they are having a larf. It's Orange who are trying it on IMHO. It's a matter of principle (and 25p) and with respect to your statement about it hardly being illegal, it's certainly not ethical. They know full well that tens of thousands of their payg customers will never buy a phone from them and they can simply pocket a load of 25p's after 12 months - that's what is getting my back up. If they refunded the 2.5% difference if you don't buy a phone, that would be fair, but they are simply exploiting the vat reduction to their own benefit.
And if you read the posts above, you'll see that I am not alone in my "attitude"

agsnu

oxters wrote: »

Sorry but I don't have an attitude. I think they are having a larf. It's Orange who are trying it on IMHO. It's a matter of principle (and 25p) and with respect to your statement about it hardly being illegal, it's certainly not ethical. They know full well that tens of thousands of their payg customers will never buy a phone from them and they can simply pocket a load of 25p's after 12 months - that's what is getting my back up. If they refunded the 2.5% difference if you don't buy a phone, that would be fair, but they are simply exploiting the vat reduction to their own benefit.
And if you read the posts above, you'll see that I am not alone in my "attitude"

So vote with your feet and switch to another provider.

oxters

agsnu wrote: »

So vote with your feet and switch to another provider.

You know, I might just do that but I have about £40 of credit so I'd have to use that first. I am also quite happy up till now but I am hopeful that there may be an opt out facility as someone states above. We'll wait and see.

oxters

MRC wrote: »

I'm sorry, but with an attitude like that, it's very unlikely that you will get far.

As said previously, it's hardly illegal what they're doing.

Ah but my "attitude" has got a result. So I have got further than you thought MRC. It took 5 e-mail replies but it worked.

It will cost me a one off 25p to speak to customer service but I'll wait till I have built up a bit in the phone fund first. 11 months from now I'll get what I was after. It pays to stick to your guns - now anyone else want to give it a go?

Dear xxxxx
Thank you for your mail regarding phone fund.

I am sorry that you are unhappy with this service and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Please be reassured that I can appreciate your comments regarding an opt out option. May I advise you that regrettably there is not an opt out option, however it is possible to have accrued phone phone credit converted back tot he 25p per £10 top up. Please be reassured that I have passed this as a query to the appropriate department within Orange.

Each time you top up with £10 £1 is added to your phone fund credit. This is added on a rolling 12 month basis. When you have made a series of top ups you can then request to have the 25p per £10 converted back to airtime credit on your phone through our customer services team. This can be completed at any time.

When you have accrued several top ups please contact Orange customer services on 450 from any Orange pay as you go phone, or 07973100450 from a landline, selecting option 2, then option 2 again and our helpdesk will assist you. This line is open from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week.

May I apologise for any disappointment caused by these changes and I trust that this information is of some assistance to you.

Kind regards

MRC_2

oxters wrote: »

Ah but my "attitude" has got a result. So I have got further than you thought MRC. It took 5 e-mail replies but it worked.

It will cost me a one off 25p to speak to customer service but I'll wait till I have built up a bit in the phone fund first. 11 months from now I'll get what I was after. It pays to stick to your guns - now anyone else want to give it a go?

Dear xxxxx
Thank you for your mail regarding phone fund.

I am sorry that you are unhappy with this service and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Please be reassured that I can appreciate your comments regarding an opt out option. May I advise you that regrettably there is not an opt out option, however it is possible to have accrued phone phone credit converted back tot he 25p per £10 top up. Please be reassured that I have passed this as a query to the appropriate department within Orange.

Each time you top up with £10 £1 is added to your phone fund credit. This is added on a rolling 12 month basis. When you have made a series of top ups you can then request to have the 25p per £10 converted back to airtime credit on your phone through our customer services team. This can be completed at any time.

When you have accrued several top ups please contact Orange customer services on 450 from any Orange pay as you go phone, or 07973100450 from a landline, selecting option 2, then option 2 again and our helpdesk will assist you. This line is open from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week.

May I apologise for any disappointment caused by these changes and I trust that this information is of some assistance to you.

Kind regards

Congratulations.. :rotfl:

I like how they've put "several" topups though, basically.. we'll tell him to wait a few months hoping that he either forgets about it or we'll deal with it again in a few months.. :rolleyes:

robt_2

oxters wrote: »

You know, I might just do that but I have about £40 of credit so I'd have to use that first. I am also quite happy up till now but I am hopeful that there may be an opt out facility as someone states above. We'll wait and see.

I will be topping up shortly. (£10) and expect £10.25 to appear in my credit.

Surely you would be a lot better off on a contract if you already have £40 credit and are topping up with another £10 soon. Or do you just keep £40 credit doing naff all?

oxters

robt wrote: »

Surely you would be a lot better off on a contract if you already have £40 credit and are topping up with another £10 soon. Or do you just keep £40 credit doing naff all?

Nope I top up a tenner a month which is a lot more than I use day to day but that gives me free texts all the time, and when I am abroad I use up most of the slack. I like to have a good amount in reserve in case of emergencies so it works well for me - where could I get a £10 per month contract that would give me all the use I need here and abroad several times per year?
Oh and I already have a note in the diary to claim my 25p's back before the 12 months run out!

Details of £10 pm contract awaited, now, as they say, put up or........ :shhh: