The Joke company Orange...

MrLizard_2

Whilst enjoying a lovely holiday with my family last week, my wife gets a call from a company called Morecroft stating that she owes money.. A whole total of £25.54 and wanted payment asap..

Well this was news to us, as my wife moved over to vodaphone in July last year as they had a better offer and she also took her phone number with her. She also made sure that the final bill was paid before cancelling the direct debit and also calling orange to confirm nothing was owed.

Initially we thought this must be a scam, as the debt company gave my wifes maiden name and an address that we lived at 2 and half years ago. But after an experian check we were amazed to find my wife was in default for 8 months for £24 to orange....
She has had no bill, no phone call from Orange, no email, all details that they hold......

So a phone call today to orange has left us livid... the first operator states that she owes, £24.34 so my wife asks what was this for and the response was "we don’t know because we can’t open your account" so reply was how do you expect me to pay for something when I don’t know what I’m paying for?

Response was ermmmm and put through to another operator, who wanted the whole story again and said she owed £33.20, again more confusion, so again asked what is this for? reply again too difficult, and transferred through to operator number 3 after stating that she now wants to complain.

Number 3 did have access to the account and said the amount owed was £23.20, so 4 different amounts owed 3 in one phone call, you can imagine the frustration this end.

Orange have been able to contact the wife since the contract ended, have never called or sent a bill but have managed to show her in default for 8 months and send the debt to debt collection, but still not tell her what the debt is for.

The money is not the principle here, it’s the 8 month’s worth of defaults and that fact that they still won’t tell her what the debt is for.

After 45 minutes of talking on the phone operator number 3 couldn’t even give the address to complain to as he stated he was dealing with it.. Well clearly in our eyes he wasn’t.

I’m just gutted I have a year left on my orange contract as i will not be using them again.

simax

..... and the moral of the story is -> Don't cancel your Direct Debit until the final bill is paid - DO NOT clear by card and always wait a few clear months before cancelling the DD. Sounds like you paid the last full bill but didn't pay the residual bill.

This would have happened with any mobile network, so a little harsh to blame Orange for this. It is your error.

grumbler

simax wrote: »

..... and the moral of the story is -> Don't cancel your Direct Debit until the final bill is paid

MrLizard wrote: »

...She also made sure that the final bill was paid before cancelling the direct debit and also calling orange to confirm nothing was owed....

simax wrote: »

...so a little harsh to blame Orange for this. It is your error.

Really? I don't see any facts proving this statement.

Buzby

The actual 'moral' of the story is not to tie yourself down to something as fickle as a mobile phone contract which provides the network with ample opportunity to wreck your credit file, whilst you run around to correct what probably will be their error.

Previously, you cvould look forward to you 'day in court' if they wanted to prove there was a debt owing. Now, trhey don't take folk to court as it is much easier to make money selling on the debt to Moorcroft, and letting your credit file be fried.

I suggest you avoid all mobile contracts in future - stick eith PAYG, stay in control, but never - ever - trust them to do the 'right' thing.

Techhead_2

grumbler wrote: »

Really? I don't see any facts proving this statement.

I think the point is that, a lot of people think that the last full bill they pay ( showing the final month in advance) is the time to cancel the DD. When there is actually at least one bill remaining ( for things which are billed in arrears - any un billed usage or adjustments )

In a case where the provider doesn't have an up to date address then you get this sort of problem. The MSE advice has always been to leave the direct debit in place for a month or so ( several if you have been roaming )

prowla

Surely the company should send a bill to the customer so that they know they owe the debt, rather than just leave it sat there for ages festering until it triggers some sort of remedial action.

It seems to me that the customer has not been given the opportunity to pay it.

Regardless of whether there was previously a direct debit, that should not be the only means of the company requesting and the customer making a payment.

(That said, I've been with Orange for 20 years, from before the 2nd "7" digit was added to the mobile area code.)

MrLizard_2

Thanks for the helpful reply Simax.....

So a phonecall to orange transfering the number over to the new network provider and confirming that there was nothing else left to pay wasnt enough.....

My point is clear that the money isnt the issue, if we owed it then we will pay it, however we confirmed the final dd amount and waited until it come out before cancelling.

As you can see the issues on the phonecall with orange giving 3 different amounts as well, give me great faith in the company.

They have out address, email and phone number but have never contacted us or sent a bill and apparently this debt is from june 2011....

So i stand by my comments about orange and their service.

simax

They would have sent you a final invoice afterwards. It's up to you to either pay it or not.... So I stand by my comments also.

MrLizard_2

well as i have said now and twice earlier. We recived no correspondance from Orange at all, no bill no letter, no phonecall, no email... So this final invoice didnt appear..... if you dont have any advice or anything positive to add Simax then please dont bother posting... As you are becoming anoying as the orange customer services at the moment....

drbesty

The irony being that he works for Orange

Bingolingo

simax wrote: »

..... and the moral of the story is -> Don't cancel your Direct Debit until the final bill is paid - DO NOT clear by card and always wait a few clear months before cancelling the DD. Sounds like you paid the last full bill but didn't pay the residual bill.

This would have happened with any mobile network, so a little harsh to blame Orange for this. It is your error.

And this smug "advice" is meant to help the O.P. how?

What. A. Penis.