Problems with Orange iPhone

Exemplar

can we roll this back a bit? what has the OP done to activate the phone? can the OP talk us through EXACTLY what they have done?

simax

Oh my God, I've read some really wrong info here, and I know as I work for Orange's iPhone Support team.

Basically Orange provide the airtime, and we have an agreement with Apple that they (and they ONLY) deal with any faulty phones under 12 months old. We are physically unable to replace a faulty iPhone within the warranty period.

This sounds like a clear case of the phone not being activated via iTunes, however. So should be easy to resolve.

14.1 in the T+C's basically states the phone and airtime is seperate, which is true. If you trash the phone, you are still liable for your airtime (in other words).

I've just finished a 12 hour shift, so I am not going to rabble on any more than that, however to the OP, activate via iTunes and you're good to go.

robt_2

simax wrote: »

Oh my God, I've read some really wrong info here, and I know as I work for Orange's iPhone Support team.

Basically Orange provide the airtime, and we have an agreement with Apple that they (and they ONLY) deal with any faulty phones under 12 months old. We are physically unable to replace a faulty iPhone within the warranty period.

Orange supply the phone. Orange fix it, or have it fixed for the customer. "Arrangements" do not alter UK law. It is down for Orange to either replace the phone, or have it fixed (by Apple). It is 100% NOT down to the consumer to go to Apple.

If you have been told otherwise, I suggest you get Orange to read up on UK laws.

I agree with the rest of the post - it sounds like the phone isn't activated.

OP - have you connected it to your computer yet?

simax

robt wrote: »

Orange supply the phone. Orange fix it, or have it fixed for the customer.

Correct. We fix it by getting Apple to do it. Apple WILL NOT let us replace it ourselves under warranty. End of.

drbesty

Apple insist that they deal with replacements, it was a condition of Orange (and any other network) being allowed to sell the iPhone, end of

robt_2

There is some confusion here.

It is down to Orange to have the phone replaced or repaired (by Apple). That is the retailers obligation.

It is of course quicker to go to an Apple shop yourself though.

Guys_Dad

simax wrote: »

Oh my God, I've read some really wrong info here, and I know as I work for Orange's iPhone Support team.

Basically Orange provide the airtime, and we have an agreement with Apple that they (and they ONLY) deal with any faulty phones under 12 months old. We are physically unable to replace a faulty iPhone within the warranty period.

This sounds like a clear case of the phone not being activated via iTunes, however. So should be easy to resolve.

14.1 in the T+C's basically states the phone and airtime is seperate, which is true. If you trash the phone, you are still liable for your airtime (in other words).

I've just finished a 12 hour shift, so I am not going to rabble on any more than that, however to the OP, activate via iTunes and you're good to go.

In this country, European and National laws take precedence over any commercial arrangements between Steve Jobs and Orange. That is unarguable.

At this stage, it could either be a faulty phone or, as you say, a configuration problem.

If that is the case, then the shop that sold the goods should have the technical ability to determine where the fault lay OP writes "When I got the phone home I couldn't get it to work ("Emergency calls only") because the SIM card wasn't recognised so I called Orange. They couldn't help me so I took it into my local Orange shop today. They had a quick look and couldn't see what the problem was, so told me that I had to find an Apple shop and take it there".

Now I am reading that as being that OP got phone from the Orange shop. ( If not, then it is the store that provided it that has the onus to prove that the "goods" work and the next paragraph is aiming at the wrong target).

Now Sale of Goods Act was amended to put the onus on the vendor to prove that the goods were of merchandisable quality. The goods in this case are an Apple Iphone and an Orange sim to provide the airtime. It is up to Orange to prove that the "goods" work or to exchange or offer a refund. For heaven's sake, the Orange shop must have a working Iphone that they could take the sim from and try in in the handset or vice versa.

This arrangement between Apple and Orange may appear fruitful to these parties, but is not permitted to trample on customers' rights under SOGA.

simax

Hotspur wrote: »

If the phone is found to be not of satisfactory quality and is rejected soon after purchase then the legal remedy for the consumer is a full refund of the price paid AND cancellation of the airtime contract.

If the phone is faulty within 28 days you can return to the shop for a refund. However, under 14.1 in the T+C's Orange could make you keep the airtime contract and choose another phone, however they don't exercise that right and allow you to cancel the airtime.

Guys_Dad

simax wrote: »

If the phone is faulty within 28 days you can return to the shop for a refund. However, under 14.1 in the T+C's Orange could make you keep the airtime contract and choose another phone, however they don't exercise that right and allow you to cancel the airtime.

That would apply to Orange shops???? - I accept your inside knowledge on this as being correct.

But I would be grateful if OP confirmed that they did, in fact, buy from an Orange shop. I read again the original post and, I am backtracking again as the wording was a little ambiguous. Look for yourself

"Yesterday I signed a 2 year contract with Orange for an iPhone.........When I got the phone home I couldn't get it to work ("Emergency calls only") because the SIM card wasn't recognised so I called Orange. They couldn't help me so I took it into my local Orange shop today. They had a quick look and couldn't see what the problem was, so told me that I had to find an Apple shop and take it there"

OP doesn't write "so I took it back to the Orange shop today"

Obviously if OP bought from CPW, for instance, they may not have the same refund scheme, but they are bound by SOGA.

Honey_B

Thanks again, everyone. Just to clarify: I bought the phone in an Orange shop. I connected the phone to two separate computers with iTunes and in both cases, I got this message:

There is no SIM card installed in the iPhone you are attempting to activate.

There is. It's been taken out, re-inserted (by me and by an Orange employee) and U still get the same message.

It looks obvious to me that I will get better service at an Apple shop, however if the problem is a faulty SIM card then changing the phone at Apple won't get the phone working.

It's incredible that Orange think their T&Cs can somehow override the law...

If I could, I would cancel the entire contract.