MSE News: Orange to raise monthly mobile costs

grumbler

Nice first post...

borojonesy wrote: »

You can take action in a number of ways, next time you're in an Orange shop, spend two hours reading the fine print and see how irritated the advisors get.

After wasting two hours vote with your feet and go to Vodafone. They reserve the right to increase the price by 10% and (IIRC) more frequently than once a year.

Alternatively, we should coordinate a mass cancelling of Direct Debits, no money = no Orange, it would really cause them a huge problem if enough people did it.

Even a huger problem you will cause to your credit histories.

shandoli

grumbler wrote: »

Nice first post...After wasting two hours vote with your feet and go to Vodafone. They reserve the right to increase the price by 10% and (IIRC) more frequently than once a year.

Quite a big claim. You got any sources?

borojonesy

Thanks grumbler, it wouldn't affect anyone's credit rating to miss one payment if they paid it within 30 days some other way, but the cashflow problem it would cause Orange would be enormous, they'd need short term loans to pay their staff.

These telecoms/call centres think they're a law unto themselves and they can make up the rules as they go along. Customer service? do me a favour! All they're interested in is getting rid of you as soon as they can to make their call reports look good.

Trust me, if enough people chose not to pay their December bill, they'd take a huge hit

Mrs_Ryan

Wouldnt touch Vodafone with a fifty foot barge pole. Still disputing a wrong bill with them. Also Orange were the only network that would give me a chance given my credit history. I have paid them faithfully and without fail for three months and in return they have given me the phone I really wanted. I am seriously annoyed about the increase but will be forced to allow them to continue to take my DD regardless.

borojonesy

.....I can see the mis-selling claims coming now, if people who got PPI on bank loans can be mis-sold because they didn't realise what they were signing up to, how many people who signed a mobile phone contract can honestly say they were made 100% aware the price could go up mid-contract? Probably none, I was never told this. Then again it wouldn't be a great sales pitch would it?

grumbler

shandoli wrote: »

Quite a big claim. You got any sources?

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/about-this-site/terms-and-conditions/products-and-services/pay-monthly-airtime-conditions/index.htm

You may end this agreement by writing to us if:...
• we increase your charges in the UK which has the effect of increasing your total charges (based on your usage in any of the previous three months) by more than 10%

Vodafone to Change Prices from 11 Oct 2011

borojonesy

grumbler, that clause is preceded by

we tell you that there will be an increase in the line-rental charge (unless we increase line rental because of a rise in VAT) by more than the increase in the retail price index (worked out as a percentage) since the last line-rental increase and you write to us before the increase applies;

so they're no different, what's your point?

simax

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

Oh hellfire I am NOT amused!!! I've just taken out a second contract on a BlackBerry (the phone i might add I wanted in the first place not the bloody Galaxy S2 the bloke in Carphone Warehouse was hell bent on selling me) Orange are now going to be getting over £100 a month outta me and now a bleeding price rise!!! If I had have known that I would have stuck with my original plan of buying a slightly older model on PAYG. CHEERS ORANGE!!!!!!!

If you are on a new plan taken out AFTER September 2011, your package will not increase.

simax

So, with all the analogies above, if my bank decides to up my mortgage payments during my 25 year loan agreement, do I get to cancel and keep the house?

No, their T+C's cover that eventuality. Just like any legally binding contract people enter into "willy-nilly" without reading the fine print these days.

If you don't like uncertainty, go PAYG. Then the can do what they like to your call charges etc...

grumbler

borojonesy wrote: »

...it wouldn't affect anyone's credit rating to miss one payment if they paid it within 30 days some other way...

http://www1.orange.co.uk/terms.html/pdfs/PAYM-terms-and-conditions-for-the-supply-of-Orange-Network-Services-20110215.pdf

6.1 ...Payment is due when you receive your invoice and/or it becomes available as an e-bill on Your Account.
...
penalties for overdue payments
6.2 If payment is not made within 14 days of its due date....

FYI, the DD payment is collected about 2 weeks after the bill date.
Also, be prepared to pay about £3 for the privilege of using a different method of paying.