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MSE News: Orange to raise monthly mobile costs

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  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    wijit wrote: »
    Also going to be leaving. This isn't really the done thing, regardless of whether they are right or wrong or legally doing this (which, incidently is no excuse for some of the downright condescending replies from people on this thread. Have you all forgotten why we all joined? TO SAVE MONEY!), it is a very bad buisness option in this climate more than any other time. The costs could easily be absorbed with little impact, and could in fact, have been used to attract customers.
    Since joining t-mobile the service has gone very poor, I live close to the centre of Manchester and now have noticably worse reception.
    Don't complain, you will get nowhere, if you can pay your contract up, or are close to the end as I am, just leave. Make sure you tell them your reasons and stand by the decision to leave.

    It is also condecending to encourage people to leave, I don't beleive everybody who joined orange did so to save money, at the time I joined they were covering areas I would like to use my handset and were the only network to offfer per second billing and inclusive airtime, and offered services that other networks did not (SMS email) wwhen time the other caught up they were no different, the 18 month contracts encouraged me to go elsewhere, thankfully there are sim only deals now. You may think it's a bad business move , but perhaps aiming for a different sector of customer.
  • gjchester
    gjchester Posts: 5,741 Forumite
    wijit wrote: »
    it is a very bad buisness option in this climate more than any other time. The costs could easily be absorbed with little impact, and could in fact, have been used to attract customers.

    The think is most people have accepted it, so it';s a good business option as they have more in come., There certainly are some people who have been very vocally but as the options are clear. Live with it, pay to leave ot take orange to court and as far as I can see from this thread, no-one has taken Orange to court to prove this.

    wijit wrote: »
    Make sure you tell them your reasons and stand by the decision to leave.

    Best way, but many people will be swayed by a new handset at renewal time into staying.

    Network churn is a matter of fact and all the networks have a simialr clause and could just as easily put prices up, so it's not as is there is a better place to go..
  • Guys_Dad
    Guys_Dad Posts: 11,025 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sorry to drag this thread on, but I have just had a reply from OFCOM refusing to tell me how many complaints they had received re this increase.

    I will quote relevant sections.

    I asked them at the beginning of December
    “How many complaints have OFCOM received from members of the public about the proposed increase in Orange monthly plan charges due to come into force from January 2012?

    This is their reply :-
    "We can neither confirm nor deny whether we hold the information you requested, as to provide such information would fall under the exemption in Section 44 of the Act. Disclosure of whether we hold such information is prohibited under Section 393(1) of the Communications Act 2003. Section 44 of the Act prevents organisations releasing information if another act has said that it shouldn’t, such as act is the Communications Act 2003. So that Ofcom can operate effectively it needs to be able to handle and share confidential correspondence with the businesses it regulates. If Ofcom was to make all these correspondence public it would undermine the confidence that regulated industries have that they can be frank and candid without the fear that these views will be published. Section 393 of the Communications Act anticipated this and prevents Ofcom releasing information if the information is about a particular business, unless it helps Ofcom to carry out its duties.

    For further information on Section 44 of the Act, please see: http://www.legislation.gov.
    "

    I looked up the link and also the relevant section 393(1) of the Communications Act 2003.

    It is my belief that OFCOM are not entitled to withhold this information as I have not asked for the content of any correspondence and, crucially, no request for any information passed between OFCOM and Orange.

    I have replied to that effect to them stating that the sections referred to do not apply, but.................
    I'd be grateful if anyone who has the time and a bit of legal background could check it out and see if they agree.

    To remind you, I don't have a problem with the increases but I have a real problem with OFCOM not doing their job and, in particular, holding back information if it should be available under FOI
  • such a mistake going with orange, hope there is a way to cancel the contract altogether
  • CSX
    CSX Posts: 17 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    UPDATE (05/01/2012) : Success! The first cases of Orange offering big discounts if you complain and mention the Clause 4.3.1 issue are coming in. Jamie's now paying £10/month for a £25/month plan, see the letter from Orange here. Of course, Orange are calling this a "goodwill gesture" and denying any link to their massive Clause 4.3.1 mistake. I'd recommended taking their "goodwill gesture" and continuing your fight. Keep going everyone!

    Taken from http://www.tomforth.co.uk/orange/ ...
  • That's a letter from Orange showing how much he pays for his phone each month and the model of his phone, it doesn't mention the price increase at all, nor does it say how much he was paying before, or how much of a goodwill gesture Orange have offered him, if in fact they've offered him anything at all.

    It seems a little premature to claim "success!" to me or to state that Orange are offering large discounts to anyone.
  • Good afternoon,

    Some advice if you would be so kind folks.

    Like everyone else in here, I'm an Orange mobile user. Unlike most others though, I didn't get the text in November to say I was getting the price increases. As I'd just changed my tariff to a higher one, I assumed I was covered!

    On the 31st of December I left the house and travelled to Edinburgh for Hogmannay. The postman had been that day already and we only get one delivery a day.

    On the 4th of Jan 2012 I returned from Edinburgh and found a letter had been delivered from Orange. I opened it to find - yep you guessed - "we're increasing your contract price from the 1st of February!"

    That letter had a date on the letter of 'December 2011', there was no actualy date it was sent and no postmark to say it had been posted by them on such and such a day!

    My question is - what's my legal (as in ofcom regs etc) standpoint on this?

    I didn't get the letter 30 days before the terms are due to change so have they broken the law? Is the 30 days before the terms change from the time they sent the letter, or from the time I received it? Could they have a record that it was posted out on say the 28th Dec and even though it didn't reach me until the 3rd or 4th of January, claim I was notified 30 days in advance?

    Like others, I'm a bit miffed that a company can just increase their charges on something I've agreed a price on and signed for. And I also think that if they are allowed to do this or get away with it, that more companies will follow and start putting unfair terms and conditions in thir contracts.

    Many thanks in advance

    Dave
  • Guys_Dad
    Guys_Dad Posts: 11,025 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    hi_robb wrote: »
    Good afternoon,

    Some advice if you would be so kind folks.


    That letter had a date on the letter of 'December 2011', there was no actualy date it was sent and no postmark to say it had been posted by them on such and such a day!

    My question is - what's my legal (as in ofcom regs etc) standpoint on this?

    I didn't get the letter 30 days before the terms are due to change so have they broken the law? Is the 30 days before the terms change from the time they sent the letter, or from the time I received it? Could they have a record that it was posted out on say the 28th Dec and even though it didn't reach me until the 3rd or 4th of January, claim I was notified 30 days in advance?


    Many thanks in advance

    Dave

    I am sure that if you ring them or send them an email/letter, they will refund your increase for 1 month.
  • CSX
    CSX Posts: 17 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    That's a letter from Orange showing how much he pays for his phone each month and the model of his phone, it doesn't mention the price increase at all, nor does it say how much he was paying before, or how much of a goodwill gesture Orange have offered him, if in fact they've offered him anything at all.

    It seems a little premature to claim "success!" to me or to state that Orange are offering large discounts to anyone.

    True.

    Noticed one of these comments:
    Jay
    I have three a/c's with orange and all have had an increase of 2 or 3 pounds. I have sent the letter kindly placed by Tom and Orange haven't given a discount, they've given me my PAC Code for all a/c's and said I've got 28 days. Surprisingly my renewal isn't due until August 2012 at the earliest, then November and January. Very odd, however I shall move as I dislike being robbed. Some £90 a month for 5 years makes for a PAC code issue 28 days. Very odd, perhaps they're trying this in the hope people don't want to change. I'll go SIM Monthly and save, 45 pounds a month. Thank you Orange for making, in my view the worst financial decision I've seen in years. How to "win customers and retain them by Orange/T-Mobile?

    As a thank you Tom, I'll donate 3 months saving to a local charity, at least some good will come of it. Many thanks, without people taking the time to cover this item.

    http://www.tomforth.co.uk/orange/ Just giving a heads up really, not sure if any of this is true...
  • gjchester
    gjchester Posts: 5,741 Forumite
    Not what people will want to hear but Ofcom are not investigating.

    http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/13634/Ofcom_dismisses_probe_into_Orange_contract_price_rise.aspx
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