advice regarding a phone debt

orange_juice_3

Hi folks,

I've got a bit of a problem with the terminally inept service with Orange.

My orange account is around 14 months into an 18 month contract, and back in June I wrote to orange requesting my tarrif be reduced to a minimum one as I don't use it anymore, and requested recent copies of my bill which had failed to arrive previously.
This was sent via recorded delivery on my behalf as I was offshore at the time. Having heard nothing back in 2 weeks I emailed them and recieved no response, and had another letter sent recorded delivery which again was followed up with an email. I've just switched my bank account over and took the opportunity to suspend the direct debit when I saw the payment to be taken was unchanged, and have wrote to orange yet again. The reason I didn't phone them is I work offshore, and satellite phone calls aren't cheap!

Fast forward to last week or the week before and I'm enjoying a quick week back in the UK. Much, or rather not at all to my surprise given their performance thus far, and the good people at Orange have handed over my account to a debt collection agency. I was previously on the highest tarrif at 75 quid a month and they want me to pay somewhere in the region of 200 pounds. obviously I'd far rather pay what I believe I ACTUALLY owe which would be somewhere in the region of 40-50 pounds.

I'm curious as to where I stand, as I resent the fact my credit history will be affected by what boils to a lack of communication on their part. I've no problem paying the bill should I really need to, but it's something I'll only do as a last resort as I asked to be moved to a reduced tarrif months ago and was ignored.

Do I deal with orange or the debt collectors? In my mind the account is in dispute so they shouldn't have handed it over, but if they suggest there has been no communication nor dispute I don't really see how I can suggest there is short of my photocopy of the letter sent and proof of sending it.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

OneADay

What you mean "you" resent?
You defaulted on your payments - so now deal with the debit collectors and courts. As for credit history - thats up the wotsit.

Guys_Dad

orange_juice wrote: »

Hi folks,

I've got a bit of a problem with the terminally inept service with Orange.


I was previously on the highest tarrif at 75 quid a month and they want me to pay somewhere in the region of 200 pounds. obviously I'd far rather pay what I believe I ACTUALLY owe which would be somewhere in the region of 40-50 pounds.

I'm curious as to where I stand, as I resent the fact my credit history will be affected by what boils to a lack of communication on their part. I've no problem paying the bill should I really need to, but it's something I'll only do as a last resort as I asked to be moved to a reduced tarrif months ago and was ignored.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Here is the fact. You agreed an 18 month contract with Orange. They supplied you with a mobile phone and you agreed to pay a fixed amount for that 18 month period. That's it. You have no rights to reduce the monthly payments or to cancel them.

Now, they may be lax in not responding to you, but they have no obligation to do so nor have they any obligation to change their income (your monthly payments) because of your changing circumstances.

Regrettably, when payments are withheld - and I bet they wrote to you about that - you will always lose and your credit record is affected.

Best pay up or the consequences could be far reaching.

This may not be what you want to hear, but read countless other posts on the forum and you will see that this is where you are.

orange_juice_3

Thanks for the useful response. I mean exactly what I wrote, yes I do resent being asked to pay 200+ pounds worth of debt which would be significantly less had my request for a reduction in my tarrif as per my contractual rights been executed when I asked for it.

fatgit

you work offshore, £200 is loose change to you. just pay up.

orange_juice_3

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Here is the fact. You agreed an 18 month contract with Orange. They supplied you with a mobile phone and you agreed to pay a fixed amount for that 18 month period. That's it. You have no rights to reduce the monthly payments or to cancel them.

Now, they may be lax in not responding to you, but they have no obligation to do so nor have they any obligation to change their income (your monthly payments) because of your changing circumstances.

Regrettably, when payments are withheld - and I bet they wrote to you about that - you will always lose and your credit record is affected.

Best pay up or the consequences could be far reaching.

This may not be what you want to hear, but read countless other posts on the forum and you will see that this is where you are.

Yes I signed an 18 month contract, or rather commited to it over the phone. However, it is very clearly outlined in the terms and conditions of that contract that:

contract_T&C's wrote:

you may switch to a lower service plan as often as you like after 6 months following your connection to the network. In the event you do wish to change service plan or additional service you must give us not less than 10 days before your billing date.

I accept I'll probably have to suck it up and chalk it down to bad experience, but I'm not intending to lie over and take it when I've satisfied every condition of their contract. As for the consequences, they're fairly insignificant in my case, as I'm in the process of emmigrating, have no other debts, and hitherto a sterling credit rating.

Guys_Dad

Yes I signed an 18 month contract, or rather commited to it over the phone. However, it is very clearly outlined in the terms and conditions of that contract that:

Quote:
Originally Posted by contract T&C's
you may switch to a lower service plan as often as you like after 6 months following your connection to the network. In the event you do wish to change service plan or additional service you must give us not less than 10 days before your billing date.


If you actually have that in your t&c, then apologies. Although you made a mistake in letting your Direct Debit slip, then you should go on the offensive, and get Orange to do just what it says in the t&c, as well as pursuing a refund from the time you contacted them.

But make sure that you have quoted all the relevant words from the t&c and not cherry picked. For example, what it now says as from 4/9/2009

You may switch once only to the next lowest Service Plan after one half of your Minimum Term has expired, unless otherwise stated. You must read the rules of your chosen Service Plan as they may restrict your right to change Service Plans during your Minimum Term.

I don't know if you are offshore at present, but iff not, then get on to them straight away.

orange_juice_3

Whilst the snippet I previously quoted was somewhat 'cherry picked' there's nothing else in there to trip-up on - I do indeed have it in my T&Cs which are sat infront of me as I type this (though I found the mention of 6 months quite surprising, was under the impression it was normally 9 before a tarrif change was permitted).

Anyway, I'm on the phone to orange after being stone-walled by the debt collection co.

Guys_Dad

You will need to establish if Orange have "sold" the debt to the debt collectors (at a discount) in which case it isn't Orange's any more, or hired the agency to chase payment.

There is a difference.

orange_juice_3

Done and dusted. Cost me 60 quid.

Took a bit of repeating myself and being bounced around the call centres, but worth it I guess as I'm not paying 4 times that.

Cheers.

Guys_Dad

Good result. And it shows the wisdom of keeping the t&c applicable at the time.