Orange Customer Service Issues and Bank Charges! :(

Sammyjade92

Hi,

Im just wondering if someone can shine some light on my situation because i'm at my wits end!

I currently hold a contract with Orange, which I did pay by monthly Direct Debit. However, I also bank with Natwest.

During the time when Natwest went down was the week my Direct Debit should have gone out to Orange to pay my bill and it didn't, so I rang Orange c/s and they suggested to pay it on the phone and they would cancel my D/D for that month and it would be all okay from there. So I paid £51 on the phone (I'd gone over my phone bill by £20) and thought nothing else to it. Until 6 days later when they also took out my D/D! So they took £100 off me in a week!

So I rang and complained and they said I would have to wait 5 working days for a refund, which I couldn't really wait for as I am a returning college student (No student loans or student overdrafts) and I only earn £300 a month and I hold a £100 overdraft, and this had taken me to -£148 overdrawn.

Anyway so 7 working days later, I got a refund of £22 from Orange this was around the 16th of the month. I looked into my online billing and in line with my account, my bill is available on the 14th and my payment goes out on the 27th of the month. They had taken my next months bill out of my refund, without me knowing! I was told on the phone to expect a full £51 refund! So I was still overdrawn!

And sure enough, when the 27th came around, my D/D went out too!

So two months in a row Orange have overcharged me. I rang customer services up for help on whether I could claim my bank charges back and the woman played stupid on the phone saying I had no charges, so I just said i'd put it in writing.

In the beginning of my contract they also said I was a non-paying customer and have hurt my credit rating, which is a load of tosh! Compared to my Barclays Direct Debit that goes out the same time which is untarnished straight across!

I need help with:

1) Natwest have charged me £42 in charges, can I claim this back off Orange as it was their fault.

2) Does anyone have an address I can send my letter of complaint to where it will actually be resolved? Im sick of ringing customer services and getting NOWHERE!

Thanks in advance

sparky93

speak to yer bank and reverse the dd.

shepochu

I would try going into your local orange shop, as then at least you can talk to someone in person, and explain the situation. I think the C/S people on the phone dont realy understand a situation. A similar thing happened to me and orange took the bank charges off my next bill.

Hope this helps

Sammyjade92

sparky93 wrote: »

speak to yer bank and reverse the dd.

Ive already done that, that wasnt my question.
Ive been charged for going into an overdraft amount i dont have, because of orange.

Also

The orange shop where I live is ridiculous! I once went in when I had another problem and almost walked out. There were 2 sales assistants in there, who thought because im young if they swore in conversation it wouldnt matter, all they do is ring up customer services in store for you, and you talk to them! .. the sales rep I saw in my local store actually rang for me then rudely shoved their landline phone into my hand because her friend had just walked into the shop and she wanted to talk to them. Never again!

sparky93

the bank should have refunded the charge as it was the cause of rogue dd.

Guys_Dad

The fault seems to be a result of the NatWest bank fiasco, so start there. They may be prepared to write off the overdraft costs as a quid pro goodwill gesture for their fiasco. Be polite and put your case clearly.

I would also write to Orange Exec's office, with evidence, explaining that, as a result of their financial systems, they have caused you to incur costs an you want a refund of all out of pocket costs.

Make it clear that, if they do not agree to this, then you will seek these costs from the Small Claims Court.

Good luck.