Why should PAYG Orange customers pay to call customer services?

almahadeus

andy88 wrote:

1. top up the credit with a voucher as student 100 suggested
2. call customer services and ask to change your card details; point out that the menu did not have an option to change card details and ask them to refund the call charge
3. if these initiative and negotiating skills are beyond you, cut the card up and migrate to a network with free CS calls for payg

1. Was in the middle of nowhere and yes there was nowhere to buy a voucher (I live in the middle of the countryside)
2. I did point out that to customer services- already told you that in my last post-and they did not refund the £2. I even told them they should have an option to change card details through the free automated system.
3. Why should I have the hassle of moving to another network and changing my phone number when the fault it obviously with Orange.

You still haven't told me what I should do about the situation where I had to pay to rectify a network problem when my phone wasn't receiving calls. The problem was at Orange's end, it lasted 5 days where my phone wasn't receiving calls but was able to make them so I called them on 450 and paid 25p/min. In total I called them 5 times each time having to hold for ages, on one call I was holding for 15 mins. In the end they fixed the problem by re-setting the phone from their end (don't know the technical jargon). Now why shouldn't there be a freephone customer services?

Don't say move to another company because I've already answered that one.

PS Try not to include insults this time- it doesn't make anyone look clever.

derrick

I have just used the freephone number 0800 0791050,from a landline to enquire about texts, I am on PAYG and had no problems talking to someone for about 10 minutes

andy88_2

....... it sounds like your previous problem was you had unwittingly diverted incoming calls; unless the network somehow did this spontaneously, it was probably not their fault. It could be cancelled on the phone menu "Cancel all diverts"

Neither can they be liable for your planning of your top-up arrangements, or your propensity to spend 25p a min on calls to them you could make more cheaply

Most other mobile networks charge for calls to CS

edit- automatic services are usually free, but if you speak to someone after the initial set-up ...

student100

mayhadi wrote:

3. Why should I have the hassle of moving to another network and changing my phone number when the fault it obviously with Orange.

You can quite easily keep your number and move to a different network.

You can also top up your PAYG account online, even from the middle of nowhere.

DonnyDave

This thread seems to have turned into a slanging match.

The answer to the question "Why should PAYG Orange customers pay to call customer services?" is because they can get away with it in Rip-off Britain. All phone providers customer service numbers should be free. Ofcourse, as Orange provide the 07973 number in the first place, they must make a tiny packet on it, probably more than with 0871!

The only thing I can suggest is that you register for 1899.com. It is a prefix service which you can dial from a BT landline. Calls to UK mobiles are 10p/min in the daytime and evening, and 2p/min at the weekend. All calls have a 3p connection charge. You may also be interested in their sister company Call18866.

andy88_2

Large company labour rates are in the order of £40-£200 an hour; assume £50 in this case. 25p for 10 minutes is therefore unlikely to merit the description of Rip-Off. Presumably the modest fee is to disincentivise those who can make most calls via the automatic services.

Slanging match? Helpful advice has been offered, especially by derrick and student100, and ignored.

I had some problems last year with Orange. My contract account is paid by standing order off credit card. I updated the card details. 2 months later no charge was made. I received a snotty letter that the phone would be disconnected if I did not pay within 5 days. The credit card firm confirmed that the payment was not a failure, had not been attempted. A certain department would not reinstate the payment method (this method was never allowed though I've been doing it for 6 years), said I must pay by direct debit instead, and despatched 2 new direct debit mandates which never arrived. We later discovered they were sent to my old address. I was charged a £3 supplement for non-direct debit payment. When it was eventually sorted out by someone in the Executive Office, the credit card method was reinstated, 3 £3 charges refunded, a goodwill credit made, I have a letter to confirm that future £3 charges will not be made; the only inexplicable thing is that certain departments wrote to my correct address, confirmed it on the phone 3 times, then wrote to my old address. I am entirely happy with the outcome, and it seems rather unfair now to detail it here.

So the hints that our colleague is the only one suffering at the hands of Orange are not merited. But otoh, neither are his rants at the difficulties he is experiencing, when many solutions are in his own hands

andy88_2

DonnyDave wrote:

This thread seems to have turned into a slanging match.

By way of apology, I offer to send - either
£10 Orange top-up voucher, or
free sim card on T-mobile or Vodafone immediately, or
free sim card on O2 when it arrives (allow 28 days, they said)

Edinburghlass_2

If further posts to this thread continue to Vent against Orange I will need to shift the thread to the Vent Board. It appears that the OP came on to vent but has now been offered several suggestions as to getting round the problems.

If there are other suggestions, fair enough the thread can remain on the Mobile board, if not I will shift to the Vent Board

andy88_2

I hope my comments about Orange were not seen as a Vent against, but an example of a problem mutually solved.

almahadeus

andy88 wrote:

....... it sounds like your previous problem was you had unwittingly diverted incoming calls; unless the network somehow did this spontaneously, it was probably not their fault. It could be cancelled on the phone menu "Cancel all diverts"

Neither can they be liable for your planning of your top-up arrangements, or your propensity to spend 25p a min on calls to them you could make more cheaply

Most other mobile networks charge for calls to CS

edit- automatic services are usually free, but if you speak to someone after the initial set-up ...

1. IT WAS their fault and they admitted it and solved it (after 5 days). I had not diverted my calls and had not changed a single phone setting and contrary to your belief I know what divert is and it was not on. I repeat it was Orange's fault, so you still haven't said why I should pay for something which was Orange's fault?

2. You say 'Neither can they be liable for your propensity to spend 25p a min on calls to them you could make more cheaply' How could I make the 25p calls to CS more cheaply? This is the whole point of this discussion- you CAN'T MAKE THE CALLS MORE CHEAPLY- THEY CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Yes most networks do charge to call CS- so seeing as the CS charges is my problem why did you tell me to move to another network?