"Sharp practice" by Orange

swimboy1

I thought you might like to know about a change to the Orange contract that caught me out today - I'm really mad about it, especially as I wasn't told about it.

I upgraded my handset late December, and then tried to change my talk plan yesterday via their www site and account self servicing. I had a text message about 3 hours later saying I had to ring 150 as this could not be done. I called them today and have been told as I upgraded I have a new contract (I knew this already) but the new contract states I cannot change to a lower priced talk plan for 6 months! I was not told this when I upgraded in the Orange shop. I'm furious about it - I'm trapped for 6 months on a plan I don't need!

Grrrr!

Any ideas? Not much point going back to the shop as they'll just deny they didn't tell me it.

Help!

Swimboy1

PS I've been with Orange a long time, maybe 8 years and feel very unhappy that they are treating me like this.

andy88_2

If you've been with them for 8 years you should have known this by now. Why are you on this plan if you don't need it? Because the phone was cheaper on that tariff? Why do you think that might be?

puno

I'm sure they gave you a copy of the contract, did you read it?

You could try complaining but unless someone else has made the same complaint about the same shop then really you havent got a hope.

If you have been with Orange a while you could try the "I've been with you 8 years and will move at the end of contract unless they do something" line, if you are a high spend customer they might do something otherwise you are stuffed till the end of the 6 month period!!!

To be fair to my Local Orange shop they did tell me this when I signed up, so they are not all bad!!!

swimboy1

andy88 wrote:

If you've been with them for 8 years you should have known this by now. Why are you on this plan if you don't need it? Because the phone was cheaper on that tariff? Why do you think that might be?

Ooo, that's a bit harsh!

This condition to the contract is new and was introduced last year (they told me this when I called them afterwards). I was not made aware of it in the shop. If I'd known then I would have changed plan first (just hadn't got around to it) and then if I'd have to have paid for the upgrade then fair enough.

swimboy1

puno wrote:

I'm sure they gave you a copy of the contract, did you read it?

You could try complaining but unless someone else has made the same complaint about the same shop then really you havent got a hope.

If you have been with Orange a while you could try the "I've been with you 8 years and will move at the end of contract unless they do something" line, if you are a high spend customer they might do something otherwise you are stuffed till the end of the 6 month period!!!

To be fair to my Local Orange shop they did tell me this when I signed up, so they are not all bad!!!

It was an upgrade. I tried to "8 years" but to no avail.

DonnyDave

I believe the reason for this is so that you can't take out a higher tariff just to get a more expensive phone and then move down after a month.

andy88_2

That was my point, albeit rhetorically or harshly. It seems unlikely that such conditions have not existed for years.

andy88_2

swimboy1 wrote:

If I'd known then I would have changed plan first (just hadn't got around to it) and then if I'd have to have paid for the upgrade then fair enough.

So you've been on what you now describe as the wrong plan for some time, and you went and bought the same because the phone was cheaper?

The shop would have listened to what you told them and given what they perceived to be best advice; and you're on the same tariff plan you had before. Sharp practice?

Malestrom

Its not just Orange either, all the networks have a tie-in period for the original tariff. Think yourself lucky its not a T-Mobile contract, their tie-in is eleven months! And no, they don't always tell you about this in the shop. I got a T-mobile phone for my daughter from our local T-Mobile shop and was given incorrect information on this point but you can't argue it when its all verbal, its just not worth the hassle.

Steve_xx

Let's hope you're on a normal Orange monthly tariff. At least with that you can route your calls via 18866.com, using their 08 access number, after your bundled minutes are used up.

andy88_2

Steve_xx wrote:

... route your calls via 18866.com, using their 08 access number, after your bundled minutes are used up.

Use it earlier and save bundled minutes for mobiles