My Phone & Work Saga

dilemma10

Hi,
Me again, what's new.
Worked in org for 2 years and leaving soon.
Been with mobile operator since uni and upgraded numerous times, the last two times I have upgraded as work wanted me to have a phone on contract for which they pay the bill (or a flat rate of £44) anything on top of that is deemed my personal expenditure to pay back.
However, now that I am leaving they want this phone back (!) and have basically blackmailed me into registering them as the account holders.
While all of this has happened I went on holiday and used the phone abroad which has drummed up a large bill, for which work have warned me via e-mail that if I was not resigning I would be issued with a warning/disciplinary over the matter.
I have never heard anything quite so daft...as the phone is in my name, in my address and credit checked against me.
Either way, I transferred my account over to the company but this will take until end of August to do - but I leave tomorrow - so I have to give my phone to another employee to use while it is still in my name and yet they are unhappy at the charges on it in MY NAME for which I have struck a deal with Orange to pay all back by next Tuesday?
I just don't know where to start?

MX5huggy

I just don't know where to start?

Neither do I.

What do you want as an outcome? Them to keep the phone and number?
You keep the number but not the phone? ect. An Apology for implying that you were going to make them pay for the big bill?

getmore4less

How can they have blackmailed you?

options some or all of

Report them to the police for blackmail

Cancel your contract completely.


Ignore them they can get as anoyed as they like as long as the bills are paid up at point of transfer there is nothing thye can do.

How did they find out about the charges?

Then there is the chance you have missed out some critical information.

dilemma10

I was not going to make them pay the bill - as all amounts owed before an account transfer rest with the original account holder anyway. The amount has not even been billed yet it cropped up in discussion with Orange.
This is why it is so complicated...!

dilemma10

getmore4less wrote: »

How can they have blackmailed you?

options some or all of

Report them to the police for blackmail

Cancel your contract completely.


Ignore them they can get as anoyed as they like as long as the bills are paid up at point of transfer there is nothing thye can do.

How did they find out about the charges?

Then there is the chance you have missed out some critical information.

Said I had up to a date in time to transfer my account over or they would take disciplinary action.

Not missed out critical info as it's not even been billed yet. Found out about it because work failed to pay their 'portion' of the bill so the phone number was barred temporarily and I had to sort it.

maninthestreet

So when you used the phone abroad, who was the account holder - you or your employer??

dilemma10

maninthestreet wrote: »

So when you used the phone abroad, who was the account holder - you or your employer??

Me. I have always been the account holder since I have been with Orange from 2006! Obviously I used my phone abroad knowing it would incur charges but the bill was not liked to any work credit cards and so I knew on my return I would be paying for the personal part of the transactions.
It's all so bizarre?

Gimp0r

Call up and get it registered back to you, Its your phone in your name.

I am guessing that many of their clients have the number and they wont want you risking their future business.

If you really want to let them have the phone (if they have you over a barrel are they threatening to deduct wages?) then call the network and get outgoing calls blocked, Tell them they can get them unblocked after they have taken over the contract or get them to give you some guaranteed indemnity against any unpaid bills after the date the phones handed over.

dilemma10

Gimp0r wrote: »

Call up and get it registered back to you, Its your phone in your name.

I am guessing that many of their clients have the number and they wont want you risking their future business.

If you really want to let them have the phone (if they have you over a barrel are they threatening to deduct wages?) then call the network and get outgoing calls blocked, Tell them they can get them unblocked after they have taken over the contract or get them to give you some guaranteed indemnity against any unpaid bills after the date the phones handed over.

That's exactly the point.
However, although legally I could do all of the above, it's a small team and I cannot bare the constant abuse over such things (which is why I signed over, not that bothered). I just do not appreciate abuse when it is in my name and obviously I have to pay the bills and understand that. What right do they have to persuade me to pay certain things at xyz point in time when it's in my name.
They seem unable to see it this way though.

getmore4less

Ignore them, you are leaving the new job accept the mess(can't understand why).

Do not give them the sim/phone till the transfer is complete, it's yours.

check with oreange when your lasd day of liability will be and how long to close your fianl account

You might even be able to stop the transfer and keep/or cancell the contract.

Slinky

Deep breath, another 24 hours and it will soon be over (hopefully).