Massive orange phone bill

grumbler

Is the roaming not switched off at Orange by default?
It was not activated on my new contract and I had to call them from abroad to have it activated.

chanz4

when going abroad why not by the local sim card, way cheaper.

Guys_Dad

chanz4 wrote: »

when going abroad why not by the local sim card, way cheaper.

Indeed. But useless for anyone in the UK trying to get in touch with you who doesn't know the local number.

Techhead_2

mroller wrote: »

I very much doubt this.

they do manage to have billing information in real time for PAYG phones, why should contract phones be different?

as for the charges, I think the home network is more to blame than the overseas network. they set the charges and not the overseas network.

I'd like to know what basis you have for those opinions. For example, your second assertion that home networks are 'more to blame'. As a percentage of the final charge, how much goes to the roaming network, how much goes to the interconnect/intercept companies and how much is charged by the home network? How do these relate to actual costs ?

Techhead_2

indigofire wrote: »

Does anyone read the website or booklet they get with there sim card when they first get it? My friend is going to Malta and Tuesday and after reading 3 website yesterday I told him not to check his facebook at all whilst he was away as he would use all of his payg balance in one go. So maybe people should read there networks website once in a while!

I agree, all the information is there. Some networks (like Orange) do have poor websites, but you can always call for advice.

This might be controversial, but here goes, people do seem to need a lot of nannying nowadays. They have to be warned of this and advised of that and helped with whatever. Whatever happened to standing on your own two feet, being informed, being prepared and taking responsibility?

Guys_Dad

Techhead wrote: »

I'd like to know what basis you have for those opinions. For example, your second assertion that home networks are 'more to blame'. As a percentage of the final charge, how much goes to the roaming network, how much goes to the interconnect/intercept companies and how much is charged by the home network? How do these relate to actual costs ?

If you check, Techhead, you will see that I generally agree with your views and have often thanked you.

In this case, there is a huge discrepancy between Orange roaming data charges and the other networks. And I mean huge.

That can only be down to the local charges imposed by Orange and not the overseas network, surely?

Just check out the difference between Orange and Vodafone, for example. I pick on these two because I use both networks.

luci

I am abroad in the EU at the moment with 2 Orange mobiles. One is an ancient Nokia phone on Pay Monthly Equivalent Virgin tariff and the other is a new Pay Monthly smartphone.

On the Nokia I got a text telling me how much it would cost to make and receive calls and send texts. I also got a text stating I could browse the web in the EU for £3/day for 30MB. It specifically says that "this bundle opts you out of the EU regulation cap of 16MB.

On the OSF....................... absolutley ziltch. Nothing whatsoever to say how much calls, texts or data costs.

grumbler

Is roaming activated on your OSF plan? As I said above, it wasn't on my less than 1-year old Dolphin 25 plan.

grumbler

Techhead wrote: »

I agree, all the information is there. Some networks (like Orange) do have poor websites, but you can always call for advice.

It's been proven many times that relying on what Orange CS say regarding roaming is the worst mistake you can make. Everything they say has to be double-checked by finding the information published on the website.

luci

grumbler wrote: »

Is roaming activated on your OSF plan? As I said above, it wasn't on my less than 1-year old Dolphin 25 plan.

Yes roaming is activated on it, but data roaming has never been switched on.

Just realised that it was the same in the US earlier this year, nothing on the OSF to advise on the cost of calls, etc. It's on the Dolphin 15 plan.

Funny how I get texts to the other phone which has a plan that is now obsolete.