Help - at my wits end with Orange

autumnsymphony

Hi
Please could someone point me in the right direction before I go totally insane.

I took out a 24 month contract with Orange in February 2011 and choose the HTC Desire.....this turned faulty after about 10 weeks so as I'd taken out the Orange Care the phone was replaced with a Desire S (as orange didn't have the original Desire available. Can't be bad you're thinking....... I have now had 7 replacement Desire S phones as the WiFi and reception signal keep dropping (unless I am sitting within 3 feet of my router!) and the mobile internet connection is totally useless.

I have repeatedly asked for a different phone - and on Thursday (last week) I was told I could have....wait for it another Desire S or a Samsung Galaxy Ace. I had told them before (and they agreed) that the Galaxy Ace is of a lesser spec (camera and video) than the Desire and I wasn't happy with that. They then said because of all the problems I have been having - including over charging on my billing and the fact that I am in a bad reception area.... (my area was excellent apparantly when i tool the contract out!) I could suggest 3 phones which and their admin department would decide if I could have one of those as a 'gesture of goodwill'. I checked out every blinking smartphone that was released around the same date as the Desire S and when they got back to me today I was told NO - these would be classed as upgrades as they cost more when they were released!

I am at my wits end as I have been paying for a contract that includes WIFI and mobile internet and I can't use it. I can't make phone calls all the time as the reception is very poor but if I want out of the contract it's around £300!

I have bi-polar so this is not good for my stress levels and I have just looked at how I make a formal complaint and apparantly it's via CISAS but they don't deal with faulty mobile phones!

Do I just cancel my direct debit with them? where can I go to get this issue resolved as apparantly the admin dept is the equivalent of the Customer Services Manager

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Lisa
Please help

visidigi

1) do not cancel the direct debit. This only causes you more stress and issues than you have now.
2) there is a software patch on the HTC desire range that causes random drop outs of the network and wifi connectivity - bear with me here as I am doing this from memory...

Settings > Wireless and Networks > Network Type selection (I might have got this menu setup wrong, but I got rid of my desire handset over this) - when you go into that option is should have an option for changing the network type you connect to - change it from the option its set on to GSM Only.

See if this then stops your network dropping. If it does then you know its software related (HTC have admitted a problem but must still be failing to fix it).

I will say this the Desire S wifi signal is much weaker than that on the desire - after getting fed up of the HTC's I switched to a iPhone 4S, I get three bars more signal at home and I get twice the wifi strength and speed.

I would check your software version (settings > about phone > software version) and see what version they are shipping you. I actually asked o2 to ship me an older handset and declined the OTA software update - but then the handset broke again and I gave up!

In regard to Orange refusing you certain handsets, what ones have you suggested exactly? I would have said a Samsung Galaxy S is comparable (when my HTC Desire S failed o2 shipped me a Galaxy S as a comparable replacement when they were out of stock of the Desire S)
As for where you can go, you can go for the Orange Executive office executive.office@orange.co.uk

Buzby

Absolutely not. Your issues, whilst hardly ideal, are not grounds to terminate a contract. If you cancel the DD, your contract will be cancelled, the amount due sold to a debt collector, and they'll show you as defaulting on your credit file. Your phone may be what you see as the instrument of your contract, but it isn't - it is the SIM card. As long as this alone works, the network are covered. That takes care of your contract responsibilities, now to the phone - which you probably didn't pay for? If you didn't SOGA does not apply, as the handset was provided a an 'inducement' to enter into a contract. Nevertheless, it should work as advertised and if all the phones you described were faulty there would an uprising. so as the number of complaints is minimal there isn't an inherent issue with the handset.

Your tariff includes WiFi and mobile internet, but that fact your handset doesn't access it is not a reason to get out from paying, as if you (say) used an iPhone and connected to these services, it proved the network is not at fault. What you are seeking is consequential loss (it's the phone they provided, so they're responsible for it) and whilst it might seem reasonable, the networks are not responsiuble for this.

To get out of the problem, they are at least willing to provide a repacement, which shows they're willing - but I'm surprised they let you suggest models to replace it with. You should let them offer you what they can provide you with, and do remember the older a model becomes, the price drops considerably as the newer models come out to replace it.

If the models they offer are less of a specification, explain this and your reasoning and the offer may be modified - this is the best route to follow.

Anything else means your credit file trashed, and you have no opportunity to rectify the issue.

autumnsymphony

Thanks both

Buzby - I did pay £50 for my original phone which was a Desire but this has since been repeatedly replaced with Desire S. I know they seem to be offering replacements - but surely even they can see that the Desire S shouldn't be replaced yet again with the another one.

I certainly won't be cancelling my DD though - thanks for that, I didn't even think of the extra stresses and debt collectors etc - thank you for that

visidigi - THnaks for the settings, will try that out.

One of options was the Galaxy S (not the SII the older model) along with a Sony Ericsson Xperia which is also old - so I couldn't understand why they classed these as upgrades.


Executiveoffice email is going to flying off this evening....:mad:

A huge thanks to you both so much for your help and advice:)

Will keep everyone posted

Lisa

MissKeith

Give this thread a read through, it's lengthy but it worked for me.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2523297

robbies_gal

but isnt it the equivalent to the desire s-upgrade is jsut a word doesnt mean necessarily a better phone

Guys_Dad

Given that you have reception problems and a contract that you will need to see out, then you need to deal with this to your best advantage.

Orange have a system they call UMA which is a signal booster that uses your wi-fi to get better reception. I know about this as I use it and it works.

But there are only certain handsets that work with UMA and these are listed here http://help.orange.co.uk/orangeuk/support/personal/446693.

Now UMA sometimes drops out and needs rebooting, but generally I fins it ok.

As I said, you need to be pragmatic and make the best of your situation. I suggest you start with the link I supplied.

:beer:

visidigi

autumnsymphony wrote: »

One of options was the Galaxy S (not the SII the older model) along with a Sony Ericsson Xperia which is also old - so I couldn't understand why they classed these as upgrades.


Executiveoffice email is going to flying off this evening....:mad:

firstly, you need to look at what comparable phones were out when the desire came out - the Galaxy S is a comparable phone at the time of launch, this would be a fair alternative.

I can understand the want for a better phone than the desire S - but you aren't entitled to one, it all comes down to goodwill.

Now....one last bit of advice...

The executive email, keep it brief, keep it to the point and avoid ranting - you will only end up worse off I am afraid.

Keep it simple, keep it to the point and you're more likely to get a better and quicker resolution.

visidigi

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Given that you have reception problems and a contract that you will need to see out, then you need to deal with this to your best advantage.

Orange have a system they call UMA which is a signal booster that uses your wi-fi to get better reception. I know about this as I use it and it works.

But there are only certain handsets that work with UMA and these are listed here http://help.orange.co.uk/orangeuk/support/personal/446693.

Now UMA sometimes drops out and needs rebooting, but generally I fins it ok.

As I said, you need to be pragmatic and make the best of your situation. I suggest you start with the link I supplied.

:beer:

problem is, it uses wifi and the desire S has an issue with wifi drop out too.

Its a software bug, a quite well known one which they have yet to fix (HTC don't tend to fix, they just launch a new handset which fixes a problem).

wifi tools and boosters won't help here as its an inherent fault with a particular software build on the handset itself.

Buzby

Hi Lisa,

Good - if you paid £50 for the handset you do have an element of SOGA (Sale of Goods Act) protection, so your target handset will be one which is retailing for this amount for contract customers. Do be wary, that by accepting this they might just try to reimpose the minimum term period from the date of supply. This is both sneaky and underhand - so do NOT agree to this, as the extended lock-in and the cost of the handset id being paid by you again (in the extension to your minimum term).

As for software, many networks have their own bespoke code (like the network's own 'front end') so there can be many variants, but if there are issues of wifi not working as it should, as long as it does at some time covers them - it's just a carp handset, and we all make bad choices from time to time!

NFH

Buzby wrote: »

Good - if you paid £50 for the handset you do have an element of SOGA (Sale of Goods Act) protection

It's not the Sale of Goods Act. The goods were supplied (as opposed to sold) for use with a service and the supply is governed by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, under which the supplier must replace or repair the phone in accordance with Section 11N.