Orange contracts not consistent across websites

pcdj

I've been looking into buying a clearange 8800 from OSPS, which currently are offering it for free with 9 months half price line rental on Dolphin 35.

As their sales line is now closed, perhaps someone can shed some light on the following...

On their website the Dolphin 35 contract (18 months) is stated as having 500 mins and 500 texts, whereas the orange websites states the Dolphin 35 has unlimited texts. Ideally i'd like to go for the Dolphin 25 (12 months) - orange has it down as 75 mins/600 texts, OSPS have it down as 75 mins/200 texts. Anyone know why this is?

If i were to go for the Dolphin 35 contract (18 months) with OSPS to get the free phone and the required 500 text minimum that i'm after, do you think they'd have any issue with me downgrading tarrifs after my 9 months half price line rental are up? I'm thinking i could live with the £17.50 a month for 9 months, and then transfer to the Dolphin 25 tarrif (if i can get the full 600 texts) in month 10.

Has anyone had any experience with them to know whether this can be done?

Doobdonk

From my recent experience of OSPS you'll find that the 9 months half price line rental will be paid by redemption, in three installments at the end of months 4,8 and 12. So you'd at least be stuck with it until into the 13th month. On top of that, their t&cs seem to state that they could (at least for gifts, not sure if cashback is a 'gift') charge for gifts if you downgrade your tariff.

pcdj

Well i've noticed other online stores allow customers to downgrade their tarrifs after 6 months. So another alternative would be to sacrifice the half price line rental completely and just downgrade in month 7. Unfortunately i can't find anything in OSPS' t&cs referring to this so i'm not sure what the score is, however the problem of whether i'm dealing with orange direct or through OSPS (and the ensuing differences in their definition of each contract type) remains.

Doobdonk

Regarding the downgrade, we have the option to do it on our orange account on orange's website, seems to be completely seperate to OSPS, so unless you were to send in a bill for a cashback claim after you'd downgraded, would they ever be able to find out?

pcdj

In answer to my own question, as i've now had a long chat with one of their sales people... the reason the number of mins/texts dont tally on both websites are apparently because the higher number of texts are only available as a special offer through orange direct. Fair enough.

Downgrading with the cashbacks is possible, and one would think that given the fact i've only got 9 months half price line rental i would only have to provide months 3/6/9's invoices, however in the contract i've been provided with i have to hand over 4/8/12's invoices which is a bit of a shame. I'll see how it goes though, might just get the first two cashbacks, leave the final one and just downgrade to the cheapest tarrif after month 8 which would probably save me just as much cash if not more.

On a side note, anyone thinking of getting a clearance 8800 through OSPS - they're currently out of stock of the silver ones completely and are getting rid of the "more expensive/more desirable" black versions as a substitute at no extra charge, and in my opinion they look a helluva lot better than the silver ones. Mine arrived this morning, so grab em while you can!

blinky

Orange offer slightly different tarrifs through their own website. The tarrifs are usually better value but no cashback.

MrGreen

pcdj wrote:

In answer to my own question, as i've now had a long chat with one of their sales people... the reason the number of mins/texts dont tally on both websites are apparently because the higher number of texts are only available as a special offer through orange direct. Fair enough.

Downgrading with the cashbacks is possible, and one would think that given the fact i've only got 9 months half price line rental i would only have to provide months 3/6/9's invoices, however in the contract i've been provided with i have to hand over 4/8/12's invoices which is a bit of a shame. I'll see how it goes though, might just get the first two cashbacks, leave the final one and just downgrade to the cheapest tarrif after month 8 which would probably save me just as much cash if not more.

When downgrading with Orange AFAIK you can only go down one tarrif at a time so it may take you a few months to change down to the cheapest tarrif possible. Just something to bear in mind.