How do i /can i keep my number?

brians_daughter

Just called orange, i have 90 days left on my contract but can upgrade from today.

I wanted an iphone 4 and they want a handset fee of £169. They said even if i waited til the contract was over they would still want the £169 handset fee as they calculate this from bill charges over the term of the contract.

New customers can get the tariff i want with a handset cost of £29.. but the advisor said this cost would still be £169 if i saw my contract out... SO if i paid my current contract off (£75 as i can downgrade to a £25pcm contract) i could get the tariff i want and the handset for £29 -which i am willing to do but hes said i cant keep the number?

This is on a business contract (if it matters) but i can easily change to a normal domestic user tarrif - it doesnt matter.

Any advice on if i can keep my number and stay with orange?
Or can i keep it and move provider?

It is quite important i keep the number i have as the children know it off by heart if they should need me in an emergency

Usually i would hang on and see what they offer at the end of the contract (if anything) but my phone is really on its last legs (not ecomonical to fix) so i need a new handset asap.

Exhortation

Ignore them. They are just trying to push you into committing to a new contract early. Wait until the last thirty days of your contract (ring on the actual day that you have 30 days left and ask for your PAC code) and then ask to be put through to retentions and tell them you are considering leaving. It's all a game and the networks are every bit as good at playing at as us customers are so you have to be cute about it. The closer you get to the end of your contract the more they'll try and keep you and the better deal you'll be able to negotiate.

As for your current phone, if it really is in bad shape then I would suggest buying a cheap payg one until you are in a position to negotiate a better deal.

brians_daughter

Thanks for that. It is very important i can get emails on the go hence wanting a decent phone now.

I have been looking on ebay etc but even for a cheap blackberry I'm looking at £60... for an extra £15 i could buy myself out my contract so dont know whats the best to do? If i bought myself out then surely i would be in a good position

Worst case could i move my number to payg then back to orange contract?

Rusty!

Yes you can do that, port out to a new carrier's PAYG, then port back into Orange on the deal you want.

brians_daughter

Hum interesting thanks! That may well be what i end up doing.

Rusty!

Have you checked other networks for a better deal on the phone you want? Might be worth sacking them off completely (and threats of this is usually what gets you the best deal from retentions).

brians_daughter

Rusty! wrote: »

Have you checked other networks for a better deal on the phone you want? Might be worth sacking them off completely (and threats of this is usually what gets you the best deal from retentions).

I am just having a look around now, but our house is like a cave..my hubbie has been on several networks now and hasnt been able to get a great signal in our kitchen (where we spend most of our time) so i am kind of stuck i fear. Plus my son, hubbie and mother have me as 'magic numbers' on orange and we do spend a lot of time talking on the phone so i would need to factor these costs in (we pay our sons mobile bill, so in effect would pay for his calls to me)

Rusty!

That's OK, just find a comparable one that's cheaper and use it as a stick to poke Orange with

brians_daughter

Rusty! wrote: »

That's OK, just find a comparable one that's cheaper and use it as a stick to poke Orange with

well thanks guys! Just rang to pay up my contract to go to voda via quidco with cashback. Orange have offered free phone 16gb on a much better deal than i originally saw on 18 month contract so not bad at all IMO!

OO7

Orange should be rewarding customer loyalty not offering a worse deal. If you want to keep your number when switching from Orange to Vodafone there are some instructions here:

> Keep your mobile phone number from Orange to Vodafone

Exhortation

brians_daughter wrote: »

well thanks guys! Just rang to pay up my contract to go to voda via quidco with cashback. Orange have offered free phone 16gb on a much better deal than i originally saw on 18 month contract so not bad at all IMO!

Result! :T