Overseas orange data rip off £1000.00 bill!

Guys_Dad

chattyuk wrote: »

We are missing the point here.
The OP does not know much about data and how long 10mb would last him (and why should he?)
The OP was promised that the data package would be suitable for his usage despite the advisor knowing he was using a smartphone which could potentially use a lot of data.
The OP was also promised that he would reeive a text telling him that he went over his data bundle, this did not happen. Therefore the OP not knowing much about data limits believed that he was under his data limits(and why shouldn't he?)
This clearly points towards orange as the culprit in this situation!

OK OK. I give up. I am clearly in a minority here. People who use mobile data have no need to know what facilities (Browsing/emails/downloading videos& pictures/streaming) use how much data.

They need not check their bills to see how much they use.
They don't need to know what overseas rates per mb are either.
They don't need to know about how to switch off roaming either.

I will go further:-

• They don't need to put any real time checks such as data monitor apps on their handsets.
• They don't need to know about pin locks to protect thieves running up bills if they steal their phones.
• Similar with pin locks and phone locks.

In fact, everything is someone else's fault.

Everybody happy now??

oopsadaisydoddle

Re last post - my phone won't quote properly! Don't give up!! I'm with you.

I did say earlier I can see both sides but I do believe that whenever we use anything that could potentially spend our money, we should make sure we know EVERYTHING about how that money could potentially be used and also how to safeguard whatever we don't want spending.

We can't all be experts in every field but in cases like this, I don't believe we need to be experts. We always have places like this forum to give us experience and know how..even googling things can give us some insight into how things work and so I really do believe we should take responsibility for protecting our own interests.

Transformer

d.ross wrote: »

I had a similar problem with Orange. But in my case I had a direct comparrison. A business partner actually used his laptop via an internet dongle. He was in Spain one month, and was aware that data use was expensive, so used the dongle as little as possible. Instead he used internet cafes as much as possible. The data part of the bill for this week came to about £300.

The following month he was in the same hotel in spain, and used the internet about the same. But for this week the bill was over £1500. However during the same week I was in the Canaries. Now I actually have to use the internet far more than my business partner, but my part of the bill came to about £250.

Obviously I had a huge dispute with orange over this which went up to the executive office, who then agreed to credit me for the £1500. But they never did, so I changed provider, and the dispute is still going on.

I would advise you to contact offcom or offtel, or whatever the ombudsman is called these days.

With orange it is CICAS, but no harm in telling ofcom your story in letter due to the more they are informed, the more thay can do for others.

Orange ceo office, what did you think of their attitude towards you as a customer?

I dont rate them very high;)

Huggy_Bear

Guys_Dad wrote: »

OK OK. I give up. I am clearly in a minority here. People who use mobile data have no need to know what facilities (Browsing/emails/downloading videos& pictures/streaming) use how much data.

They need not check their bills to see how much they use.
They don't need to know what overseas rates per mb are either.
They don't need to know about how to switch off roaming either.

I will go further:-

• They don't need to put any real time checks such as data monitor apps on their handsets.
• They don't need to know about pin locks to protect thieves running up bills if they steal their phones.
• Similar with pin locks and phone locks.

In fact, everything is someone else's fault.

Everybody happy now??

I'm with you too

Transformer

Huggy_Bear wrote: »

I'm with you too

If that was totally true. Why do orange offer a service that they mention only when suits them, that is they have facility to send you a message when your data usage has reached 90% of available. This service is free, they mention it when you either want to leave after a scare with them or if you are not happy, so why not roll it out over the network and then if anyone exceeded their data with a warning sent, then I would agree tough.

But if they have this facility that they proudly boasted and are happy to them say to people you should have this or that, especially if a large bill has been raised and queried over the very issue and they dont offer the service, then they are just as responsible for any errors, wether that customer or sales agents not being clear.

I know op was abroad but they dont even in cases of this country admit to having this service till queried and then store manager boasts it is routinely in place when trying to encourage a customer not to leave !!!!

I am still with op, in that we are human and the difference is if you have done all you can to make sure you believe you are covered then you should not be held responsible for unclear info given at point of sale if rep has judged this will cover you. If on the recording rep is heard clearly saying please still monitor your usage or be careful due to additional cost if exceed then fair enough But i doubt that will be the case;) Happy to be proved wrong, you never know orange might have got it right for ONCE;)

gjchester

Transformer wrote: »

Why do orange offer a service that they mention only when suits them, that is they have facility to send you a message when your data usage has reached 90% of available.

As I and Oopsadaisy said text messaging is not a time critical or guaranteed service. You don't know for sure that Orange UK had sent the text and it was not passed on by the network partner.

Yes the text should have arrived but it may not have been Oranges fault that it didn't.

neas

Im in agreeement that not understanding how much data you normally use is a loose argument.. perhaps if you have more money than sense (does seem for original op as they got stung not once but twice by same problem).. then you wouldn't care too much.

i.e.. if you need a 500mb per month orange tariff in the UK... then if you spend a month abroad would it be unreasonable to expect you'd use somewhere between 250 to 500mb at least?

GeoThermal

There are a lot of Orange fanboys on this thread. The amount of data is not the point. The point is the product was sold to the OP on the assurance it would be sufficient for their needs when it clearly wasn't. "You" know it wasn't sufficient, I know it wasn't sufficient. The OP didn't know but was sold it as being sufficient. Saying the OP should have known is not the issue.

Guys_Dad

GeoThermal wrote: »

There are a lot of Orange fanboys on this thread. The amount of data is not the point. The point is the product was sold to the OP on the assurance it would be sufficient for their needs when it clearly wasn't. "You" know it wasn't sufficient, I know it wasn't sufficient. The OP didn't know but was sold it as being sufficient. Saying the OP should have known is not the issue.

Since I have probably been one of the most vociferous on this thread, then I assume that this comment may have been aimed in my direction - as well as others.

If you read my posts, you will see that I am no "Fanboy" of Orange's data roaming bundles and costs at all. To take issue with OP using the defence of not taking any of his "precious time" (sic) to acquaint himself with the technology he has invested in does not mean that I am an Orange fan.

My point of issue is that people should take time to R T F M when it comes to technology and to make use of the information that they already have to triangulate any other advice they have been given.

But, as I wrote before, there seems to be a majority of you on this thread who support the nanny state, abdicate any personal responsibility and always need a big ogre to blame.

GeoThermal

Basically I do feel you are puttng too much emphasis on the OP's need to know such things "in this instance." Forget that it would have been great if he had researched it. Forget even that it is data on a phone. To me this is a straight case of a product or service not being fit for purpose. If you or I buy something having explained the use to which it will be put then that becomes part of the contract. If the item fails to meet those requirements then it is not fit for purpose and you would be entitled to a refund.

I understand you have a different view and I accept that however if it was me I would persue a full refund on this occasion.