Orange 'Free' Broadband

paulhereford

Good morning all.
I like many have now received two emails from Orange regarding the end of 'free' broadband.

Shortly before receiving the second email yesterday I received a call from Orange Mobile asking if I was happy with my current Orange Racoon 30 package. I raised the issue of loss of free 'Broadband' and was assured that I would not be affected and my Broadband would continue to be provided 'free' and unaffected as I had a Orange monthly contract. I was also told that if I chose to leave Orange at the end of my contract that I could keep my Orange broadband going for a monthly charge on a month by month basis without taking out Orange line rental.

I then called Orange Broadband to clarify this as I had just had the conversation with someone at Orange and had just also recieved a second email regarding loss of 'free' broadband if I didn't act quickly.

I was told by Orange Broadband that the information I was given was incorrect and that my only option was to take Orange line rental if I wanted to keep the 'free' broadband.

Shambles.

Thanks

Paul

mnbvcxz

Incidentally did anyone ever get a clear idea of what the free broadband was? Or perhaps the offer varied over time.

I think we had a 2mb line with unlimited downloads for @14.99 or something similar, then we were told it would become free and just continue as it was. Then about a year ago it suddenly became 8mb. No one ever said anything,we just suddenly noticed the speed had increased. There was never any mention of download caps, I always wondered, but no one ever seemed to have any idea. Sometimes it was quick and sometimes slow so I wondered if we were exceeding some temporary cap sometimes but equally it may just have been flakey.

David_P_4

Simple answer is Orange dont know themselves. Ive called before and been assured its 10meg, only to call back later, only to be assured its 2meg. C/b again, its 2. C/b again, no its 10. etc etc.
They are utterly incompetent. No other way to describe them.

MrMister

I've been following this thread very closely since the beginning, but this is my first time posting on it.

Im in the same boat as a lot of people here. Orange mobile customer £41/mnth, very unhappy the free broadband is being withdrawn.

I rang them last wednesday and got passed around from pillar to post for over an hour without getting anywhere. They were under the impression that what they are doing was perfectly legal as there will be no material detriment to myself (as long as I take and orange landline). I have no intention at all of moving my landline from BT to Orange after the way they have acted recently. I have also just paid my line rental to BT yearly to get a discounted rate of £129/year which is £10.75/mnth...... So I couldn't move my line to orange right now even if I wanted to.

Anyway.... I'm trying to keep this brief.

I asked for the call to be escalated to a manager. Was told someone would get back to me within 5 days as per their complaints procedure. 5 days passes so I ring back and I'm told its 5 'working' days, which is fair enough. I am now on the 7th working day of waiting, so I ring back and am told that the person I need to speak to (I wont post his name) isn't in the office yet, but he will call me later..... Needless to say I'm not holding my breath.

Do I phone Ofcom now and then the Executive Office, or shall I wait.

Eva49

Eva49 wrote: »

Tel No Orange Executive office = 0800 0790 134

BUT
I would advise you to ring Ofcom 1st Tel: 020 7981 3040

Give them an outline of your complaint, they will then issue you with an Ofcom case no...... which you can then quote to Orange Exec office and you will receive a better response once they know you have spoken to Ofcom.

Just follow above

nickbirkin

If anyone gets fed up with the interminable menus when trying to get thru to Orange, as soon a you are connected via 150 or the alternative mobile number press 1 and then # 5 times and you skip the menu's and go straaight to customer serivces where a REAL person speaks to you. YOU may be in a queue but when aren't you with Orange.

syco1

Thanks for the info Eva49 (and everyone).
Well I got my e.mail from Orange today (wrongly accusing me on not having a current mobile contract) and I rang the freephone number and spoke to the Broadband Dept, who were (as always) delightful. As I have just paid BT for my next years line rental, all that Orange Broadband could offer was £13.50 a month just for broadband, why isn't any sort of offer at all.
Next I rang Orange Mobile Customer Service, again helpful, and tried to put me through to the lady I spoke to in March/April. No one answering in the Exec Office at all, so they sent an e.mail to her to ring me back asap.
That was three hours ago.
In the meantime I have been looking at other options. I found that it is 8 days since I paid BT, but they have a 7 working day cooling off period, so after a few arguments and alot of adding up, I think I have got a refund from BT.
But that gives me all sorts of options.
ORANGE want £14 a month for Home Phone and "free broadband". Checking through Quidco there are lots of offers. The best for me seems to be switching Home Phone and Broadband to Plusnet and paying the line rental one year in advance. So for the first year it will be
£9.49 a month line rental
£0.99 caller display
£3.24 Broadband (limited to 10Gb, but that will do) Free Router.
TOTAL £13.63 a month & £28 or £38 cashback from Quidco.
The broadband element doubles after 12 months, but I am free to switch then. In six months my mobile contract ends so I can be free of EE/Orange forever.
Can anyone see any drawbacks in all this ? Anything better ?

smiffyrst

spoke to orange today about broadband, only interested in signing me up to orange line rental and bb. i asked if the line rental and bb was linked to the mobile contract i have and was assured that they are totally different, so when my mobile contract runs out i could stay with orange and pay £14 per month for landline and bb, and not be penalised because i cancel my mobile. i also asked if i changed over to them that the price of £14 would be the same during the 18months for both line rental and bb and was told it would.
not convinced though that this wouldnt change during the 18months, they will have a get out clause somewhere.

chanz4

one option they have is slow all your broadband down to 500k or 125k, they would then technically be giving free broadband

nouveau_riche_2

How right you are. I have just written a strong letter to Orange which should leave them in no doubt about my feelings and those of all their other loyal customers, who like me have been with them for many years and only taken out expensive and lengthy contracts because of the lure of free broadband. I think they should show us some loyalty and either honour exsisting contracts or else let us terminate them with no termination fee.

I am now going to go on the Ocom website to register my complaint with them.

If eveyone who is aggrieved by Orange writes to complain maybe we might appeal to their better nature (supposing that they have one).

We may be small fish on our own but together we can be sharks.