end your orange contract now!! URGENT!!!

Fire_Fox

The Torygraph, April 2009

"Mobile phone companies have been told by the regulator to lower the price that they charge customers for calling 0870 numbers.

Ofcom has told all telecom companies they need to cut the price they charge customers from August this year. If they fail to do so they need to clearly explain to their customers the prices for calling these numbers. The vast majority of household service providers, including energy suppliers, telecoms and internet companies, as well as most banks and building societies and government helplines, use numbers beginning with the prefix 0845 or 0870 as their customer service contact numbers. These numbers, known as "non-geographic" because the charge for making the call doesn't relate to the distance, often cost more than twice as much as normal calls and can be big revenue-generators for the companies involved.

BT made 0870 calls free for 14 million of its customers earlier this year, and Ofcom hopes others will follow suit. Those that will benefit most from Ofcom's move are mobile phone customers, because mobile phone companies charge the most for calls to 0870 numbers. Last year Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 all increased their call prices. T-Mobile charges 40p a minute, Vodafone 35p, Orange 20p, while O2 charges 20p, and both 3 and Virgin charge 15p.

Ofcom said in a statement: “These measures may significantly reduce the cost of calling 0870 numbers whilst increasing consumers’ awareness about the costs of calling them.” Ernest Doku of mobile phone comparison site !!!!!!!!!, said: "The move to force mobile phone providers to cut call rates to 0870 numbers will be welcomed by consumers and is certainly a significant step in the right direction."

The price comparison site Moneysupermarket.com, estimates that nearly half the adult population has called an 08 number from their mobile phone, racking up a massive £88 million in additional call charges. "Worryingly, two-thirds of people who call 08 numbers from their mobile have no idea how much they are being charged," said James Parker at the website."

LISSILEIGH

so sorry to sound really silly but i have just moved from payg to a contract with orange. i got a new phone 1000 mins and 600 txts free landline calls and free calls to my hubby for £19.96 a month. should i just keep what ive got???

4810510

LISSILEIGH wrote: »

so sorry to sound really silly but i have just moved from payg to a contract with orange. i got a new phone 1000 mins and 600 txts for £19.96 a month. should i just keep what ive got???

The big deal here is that the minimum call charge is increasing from 5p to 15p. If you are happy with your contract then you should see little effect unless you make very short calls to 08 numbers or unless you use all of your inclusive minutes on a regular basis.

The interesting thing is that the 300% increase in that charge allows people to terminate their contract with Orange because the T&Cs allow users to do that. For anyone stuck in an O contract they want out of this may be useful. For example, if you signed up to a £45 per month contract in January and have now been unfortunate enough to be made redundant then this change could allow you to terminate the contract without penalty.

Mobiles.co.uk have been posting on the mobiles section of the forum explaining their position on this.

pluto1985

Hi jus wanting 2 let everyone know that following this thread i too have got out of my 18month contract. :rotfl:

quids_in_2

just wondering....
have all these text messages gone out now, I might have had one, but can't remember for sure. texts like that I generally just think BORING and delete them.

omnipotentstudenttype

managed to get out the last 5 months of a £35p/m 18 month contract.

It was a bit extreme seeing as I only really use enough to justify a £10 p/m sim only contract!

Cheers Hayhay!

eyespy

This is brilliant I managed to get out of my contract with 5 months to go the disconnections department are pretty rude but I was very firm with them I cannot thank previous posters enough

nikki182204

I have been trying to cancel my contract with Orange, I have been refused this right as I do not go over my minutes, I have called an 0870 number but not in the last 3 months. They also told me that because I dropped my price plan to a lower one as recommended by them, that my terms and conditions don't allow me to terminate, I changed to the other call plan at the beginning of the year. I am told by Orange that this doesn't matter as they can put the price of these up as they wish without notifying me. I have now called 4 times and my account has been flagged as being not allowed to cancel. They keep telling me that their legal team and Ofcom have told them it's ok to not allow people in my position to cancel their contracts. What can I do now as after the way Orange staff have treated me I want out now more than ever. Please help.

skintandsad

On the plus side I have just rang orange, as I have just finished my last 18 month contract and dont want/need to leave them.

I have been offered a dolphin 25 plan (£19.57 p/month for 200 minutes and unlimited texts), but with a bonus 200 minutes p/month for the life of the plan and a free Sony Ericsson W995 phone - so I'm staying :rotfl:

Roger_Rampant

CLLC wrote: »

Ok Guys and girls tell me exactly how to do it??

Ring up Orange and say..........

Thanks

CLLC

naz17 wrote: »

I have personally just cancelled 2 contracts today -- Including 4 months into an 18 month contract with a LG Renoir. Orange haven't got a leg to stand on legally (price increase is well above RPI ) - theres a massive discussion on HOTUKDEALS. search for "cancel orange"

Had one cancelled with no problem and another with nearly 2 hours on the phone and a callback. I just wanted to post what i think is useful to bear in mind and that it is vital for

a) the operators always to believe that you know what your talking about (even if you don't) - e.g. - ask them for and operator code / extension or unique identifier

b) you to make them aware that your recording the call

c) you to say that want to know about the formal complaints procedure - that orange are required to inform you about by Ofcom

d) to remember they don't have a leg to stand on legally as the contract has changed to your detriment and anything they say about a legal team is nonsense - their own T+C's on orange.co.uk stipulate that. - I didn't but i would ask who their legal team are - you could even ask for them to formally explain in a letter why they wont disconnect when they are clearly in breach of their own terms. (very last resort)


BE VERY FORMAL AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOUR NOT STANDING FOR ANY NONSENSE
*****PLEASE DO NOT********* :

- ACCEPT A CALLBACK (say you will wait on hold for 15 minutes at a time )

- ACCEPT AN UPGRADED CONTRACT (if the deal is impossibly good - then say you need time to think and to continue with the disconnection) - you can always accept later after scouring the market first

- GIVE UP - if one operator says no and seems really tough ring again and again and again until you get one who disconnects you

FORGET - Alot of contracts are worth in excess of £1000 during their lifespan (including handset) - treat the phone call accordingly and devote a bit of time reading about first - so you don't get stuck when your in conversation with the CSR.

GOOD LUCK - YOU CAN GET YOUR CONTRACT CANCELLED

oh yeah almost forgot - never got any texts, so that's definitely not necessary.

READ THE ADVICE - CANCEL YOUR CONTRACT IF YOU WANT - DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER - YOU MAY HAVE TO RING A FEW TIMES BUT COULD POTENTIALLY GET YOURSELF OUT OF AN EXPENSIVE CONTRACT

If you want to thank somebody, please make sure that you click the thanks button on post 7 of this thread, as all I have done is copy and paste it. :rotfl: