MSE News: Orange to raise monthly mobile costs

jacbr

Orange you are joking!
will be looking for new provider

Guys_Dad

Nedster wrote: »

I've phoned today. The only way I can keep my monthly payments the same is to halve my minutes. Is this not material detriment?
Quite frankly it's a matter of principal. I've been with Orange for 12 years, a loyal and high paying customer. My contract runs out in 7 months. I will not renew with Orange. I have stayed with them for ease in the past.

I am with Orange and have been for some time. I don't like the mid-contract rise.

Having said that, READ THE CONTRACT THAT YOU SIGNED BEFORE SIGNING IT. It quite clearly allows them to make increases mid-contract - as do all the other networks.

If you are in work, you would have signed an employment contract that would have specified your starting salary. Happy to stay on the starting rate for the whole of your working life?

When 3 and T-Mobile (I think) tried to raise their charges outside the contract terms, people got out the contracts. Orange have been clever and kept within their agreement with you. You may not like it - I don't either - but it is legal.

treesandpie

Well I've just called orange and they confirmed that the price rise is of "material detriment" !!!

If this is the case (and they confirmed that calls were recorded) then surely reference the ofcom rules state: "Providers shall give subscribers adequate notice not shorter than one month of any modifications likely to be of material detriment.

"Providers must allow subscribers to withdraw from their contract without penalty upon such notice."

So why will they not allow me to leave my contract without charges ?

Anyone help ?

Its not the fact that the £1.28 is a great sum, its purely the principal ! Been with them over 10 years !

premierfella

Legal or not, Orange have shot themselves in the foot as implementing this change is a clear indicator for customers as to how the operator will treat customers past, present and future (i.e. we are the sort of business that is happy to rely on small print clauses that we have put in our contract terms and conditions but never previously used to p*** our customers off whenever we feel like doing so).

I for one hope that this thread runs and runs so that potential customers are aware of the facts when making their next purchase decision and bear in mind the following:
when dealing with us (Orange) you as a customer will need to not only consider the highlighted price of the contract and other charges (reasonable) and the contract length (also reasonable) but you may also need to take a magnifying glass with you to the phone shop because we might have dropped something in the contract terms that means that price you're looking at isn't going to last for the length of the contract.

Contract lengths are either 12, 18 or 24 months as standard - that is not long enough for a phone company to be using RPI as an excuse for increasing the cost of the contract mid-term by ANY amount. If they want to do that they should not be relying on just a clause in the terms and conditions - it should be referenced upfront in the same place as the headline contract amount and/or in the additional costs table. Alternatively, they should not be including the amount in the tariff name as doing that is misleading customers.

The amount of the increase in cost is neither here nor there - that really isn't the point.

To use an example from the banking world, a bank would not be allowed to quote a rate of x% for 18 months and change the rate mid-term without having included the word "variable" somewhere when quoting that rate.

Daft_Punk

treesandpie wrote: »

Well I've just called orange and they confirmed that the price rise is of "material detriment" !!!!

Did you speak to the CEO then?

What one advisor says on the phone doesn't mean the company are saying that.

If the company did think that, then they wouldn't have increased the prices in the first place.

treesandpie

Daft_Punk wrote: »

Haha, Did you speak to the CEO then?

What one advisor says on the phone doesn't mean the company are saying that.

If the company did think that, then they wouldn't have increased the prices in the first place.

Well are the call handlers a representative of the company ?

KentishLass

Guys_Dad wrote: »

If you are in work, you would have signed an employment contract that would have specified your starting salary. Happy to stay on the starting rate for the whole of your working life?

When 3 and T-Mobile (I think) tried to raise their charges outside the contract terms, people got out the contracts. Orange have been clever and kept within their agreement with you. You may not like it - I don't either - but it is legal.

Negotiations between employers and employees are designed to be more of a two way street, this change clearly isn't, Orange are clearly in a better bargaining position meaning their customers are in an unfair position.

IT IS NOT NECESSARILY LEGAL!!! Why do people insist on saying this?! Just because it is in a contract it does NOT mean it's legal, even if both parties signed and agreed to all of the clauses, fully aware of the implications. Please understand that contracts can always be challenged!

Guys_Dad

KentishLass wrote: »

IT IS NOT NECESSARILY LEGAL!!! Why do people insist on saying this?! Just because it is in a contract it does NOT mean it's legal, even if both parties signed and agreed to all of the clauses, fully aware of the implications. Please understand that contracts can always be challenged!

I agree that a contract can be challenged.

What would the basis of this challenge be? Unfair contract terms?

Daft_Punk

treesandpie wrote: »

Well are the call handlers a representative of the company ?

They are but it doesn't mean Orange are going to let you out of your contract because one of their advisors agreed with you.

acuwa

I rang orange to use the 'material detriment' argument because I have had my fill with orange and I have been with them around 12 years but they just have no loyalty anymore. I'm moving to Australia next year and out of courtsey rang to let them know I would no longer ned their services. They have been no help in the past month when I have been trying to end my contract and have shown no understanding.

The advisors they have on the phone currently are now just sitting there reading what must be a prepared script and if you question it, they just repeat the script.

When I mentioned I would speak to OFCOM the 'Customer Service' Advisor so that it was ok by her...