Leaving orange early

Christina1982

Hi
Can anyone help?
Brief problem is I want out of contract that is due to end in December.
I have been with Orange since 2002 contract and 2 years pay as you go before that. I have never had any problems with service/coverage etc until a year ago when I last upgraded to Sony W995 reported the faults continually until september until I gave up (had about 4 handsets in the first 2 months of contract)
Phoned up today to enquire about leaving early and its going to cost £85.20 I think this is appalling especially after the length I have been with Orange, I few years ago I didn't upgrade for 6 months which if it counted would make it square but I was advised today that it doesn't.
Is there anything that I can do? I have no faults with the customer service that orange provides (until today the guy was dull, unfriendly very unlike orange)
Have since found out that I can sell my phone to a mobile recycle place for £75 so that would help

330d

Unfortunately loyalty means nothing these days with many network providers. If there charging you £85.20 to cancel, then you would have to pay that amount. Orange are not really bothered that you have been with them for that long.

Christina1982

imr4n wrote: »

Unfortunately loyalty means nothing these days with many network providers. If there charging you £85.20 to cancel, then you would have to pay that amount. Orange are not really bothered that you have been with them for that long.

Its shocking isn't it (well I think it is!)
Thanks anyway, going to try and source a deal and then go as I've had enough! whats the point in having a phone you can't use!

Just need to find mobile insurance now!

330d

Agree, it is shocking.

As you mentioned, one option is to trade your current phone to raise some funds.

gjchester

Christina1982 wrote: »

Hi
Can anyone help?
Brief problem is I want out of contract that is due to end in December.
I have been with Orange since 2002 contract and 2 years pay as you go before that. I have never had any problems with service/coverage etc until a year ago when I last upgraded to Sony W995 reported the faults continually until september until I gave up (had about 4 handsets in the first 2 months of contract)

Whislt it may not be much help SE phones usually have a 2 year warranty. You shpould be able to return it to them for repair at no cost to yourself.

Not idea but at least you could use your minutes up that you'll have to pay for anyway.

Most recycling places pay a lot less for non working phone, you may as well return it for repair then sell the one you get back as working if you really want to go down that route.

Christina1982

gjchester wrote: »

Whislt it may not be much help SE phones usually have a 2 year warranty. You shpould be able to return it to them for repair at no cost to yourself.

Not idea but at least you could use your minutes up that you'll have to pay for anyway.

Most recycling places pay a lot less for non working phone, you may as well return it for repair then sell the one you get back as working if you really want to go down that route.

Thanks but I'm on my 4th handset had 4 in the first 2 months, the problems keep happening had to send an old handset back and it didn't do much good - thanks anyway.
I can't use it at home can only make calls at work which isn't ideal! even if i stand outside the reception goes from 3 bars to none without moving! I want away from orange lol

gjchester

Christina1982 wrote: »

Thanks but I'm on my 4th handset had 4 in the first 2 months, the problems keep happening had to send an old handset back and it didn't do much good - thanks anyway.
I can't use it at home can only make calls at work which isn't ideal! even if i stand outside the reception goes from 3 bars to none without moving! I want away from orange lol

I understand that but if you really want to sell it get it fixed then sell it, you'll get more as it's fully working than faulty

BigLee_24

Have you tried going into Carphone Warehouse/Phones for you etc they normally pay of the remainder of a contract for you if you take out a new contract with them instore.... So if you're looking for a new phone and just want to leave Orange pop into the store and ask them...

Guys_Dad

imr4n wrote: »

Unfortunately loyalty means nothing these days with many network providers. If there charging you £85.20 to cancel, then you would have to pay that amount. Orange are not really bothered that you have been with them for that long.

Loyalty? Sorry, it's about business. Would you stay with Orange or any other network if you could get a better deal on another network at renewal time? If your current network had provided a good service for 18 months would that outweigh outweigh a £10 per month saving or lots more minutes/texts/internet with another provider? I doubt it, otherwise you wouldn't be a MSE member.

OP says that there was no problem till upgrade and the new handset doesn't work. If any of the previous handsets have been retained and are ok and if other people in the immediate area on Orange have good reception, then it is the handset clearly that is at fault.

Now we all know that handsets can have design faults - read up on the new Iphone and how it drops signal if yo hold it in a certain way and Apple are in real trouble over this. It is probable, therefore, that the handset would perform badly on any other network as well.

If you really like that handset, you could get the phone unlocked for £10 - £15 on your local market stall. Then you could put in a PAYG sim or borrow someone else's to see. If that worked, then go sim-only with that phone when your Orange contract ends, but, until then, don't waste the contract if you have workable old handsets.

Please don't cut your nose off to spite your face, though. It looks like you have decent Orange reception at home - or did till you got current handset. Now unless they have somehow degraded the signal, you have, at least, a suitable network which a lot of folks don't have. All you need, then, is a decent handset. To avoid this in future, get a sim-only contract that doesn't tie you in for 2 years and buy a handset after researching users' reviews on reception, clarity etc.

drbesty

The SE W995 is well known for being poor at picking up signal, the antenna is small and placed in the bottom of the handset, the body of the handset is made of metal, poorly designed really

Guys_Dad

BigLee_24 wrote: »

Have you tried going into Carphone Warehouse/Phones for you etc they normally pay of the remainder of a contract for you if you take out a new contract with them instore.... So if you're looking for a new phone and just want to leave Orange pop into the store and ask them...

CPW are part of a big chain including OXFAM, British Heart Foundation, Age Concern. They are all charity shops. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

They are just sitting there waiting to pay off 6 months of your contract and then give you the same deal as you would get if you walked in off the street without any baggage. :j:j:j:j:j

I believe that Phones4U may buy you out if you have only a month or two to go, but your cheapest way out is to use a cheap Nokia until your contract ends.