Orange 'Free' Broadband

moon777

Eva49 wrote: »

Just got off the phone to CAB who will pass this on to Trading Standards

His advice, after my quoting the page on mis-selling from their own website:

He confirmed a breach of contract, which we know already, on the basis it does not comply with what we were promised.
Also, there is a case for misrepresentation at the point of renewal of contract and inducement to renew.

Options suggested
Write another letter of complaint stating breach of contract.......giving them a deadline for a response.
Or
Wait for the outcome of the Ofcom talks!

I any event, he is of the opinion this can only be decided by a Judge via legal action.

Whilst Orange, cannot prove we were not promised 'free BB for life'...........nor can we prove we were as it was a verbal promise.

Think that has been said in a previous and came from Orange themselves

Well done!

Actually i can prove it, as i have it in writing from the manager of a branch of the carphone warehouse, who rang up and asked for me if the free for life broadband would carry on for the length of my upgrade. Also my solicitor previously informed me that a verbal contract is as good as a written one. No one is going to believe Orange's lies that their sales staff did not make these promises - to so many of us.

MissB_2

I just managed to get put through to their specialist team.
What a delight(!)
First operative was lovely but totally unable to do anything to help. So I got to speak to his surpervisor who seemed to just be there for his stamina and not his customer service.

I have a mobile contract of around 30 quid a month that I dont want, now I dont get free broadband.
I was a Freeserve, then a Wanadoo customer so ended up with Orange.
I have had an Orange mobile since 1996, I don't really know why. They're awful but better the devil and all that, I guess. I was PAYG until this free BB offer came up.

After about 30 mins of circular conversation and aggression on his part, the facts I managed to glean are:

Free Broadband for Life was a a restricted time-limited 'Offer' which only ran 2006-2009.
Yet I am still entitled as a mobile customer to free broadband for life
(yes, I was confused too)

I took out a mobile contract in 2006 and then another I think in 2008 and that ended in 2010. Next mob contract I took out was June 2010 for 3 years and on the grounds I still got my free BB for life.
I can't now cancel the mob as I have to pay the rest of the contract, apparently (LOTS of money)
I didn't really like the mob contract as it restricted me to a phone I did not want (and refuse to use) but it gave the most appropriate plan for me and, of course, free BB. I could get a better mob deal elsewhere but would pay more for BB than the difference between the other deal and the Orange contract.

On taking that 3-year mob contract I had it confirmed to me by the BB service people at the time, that BB free contract had officially lapsed, but that as I had mob it was still free and would be all the time I had the mob.

Their current argument (and official stance on this) is that line rental isn't BB so BB is still free, hence we still get our 'Free BB for life'.

I am paying line rental to someone else so all they ask is that I now pay this to Orange - and at a lower rate than I pay anyone else, they reckon.

They didn't really acknowledge that I lose my free evening and weekend calls that I had with Orange landline with this change, but when pushed them, I was told I could have it if I PAID EXTRA FOR IT! Snarl. I then don't save anything and I end up paying even more than 'free'!

I did point out that it's none of their business who I pay money to for other services, as 'free' purely indicates I don't need to give THEM any more money than I already pay with the contract.
They then reiterate that mob and BB are separate contracts so doesn't really count. Even though Orange are one company.
They then also point out that I 'knew' there was no BB contract anymore, which I pointed out I had been advised was still a 'freebie' on my contract as far as I was concerned AND was advised at renewal. So now there's no free BB I don't want the mob anymore.

I also reminded him this wasn't the first time Orange had messed customers about.
He said the complaints weren't relevant until I pointed out that those, too, were alterations to the BB contract that were made without any thought, option or, in these cases, notice.
Removing the free webspace that had been carried over from FS seemingly overnight and then waiting for us to notice, he said 'Oh we'd have emailed you'. They didn't, I was still using the FS email service at that time.
Removing the free 0845 phoneline that originally came with the livebox seemingly overnight and then waiting for us to notice: 'Oh we'd have emailed you'. They didn't, I've never found hide nor hair of such an email.
I then also pointed out I can't use the email account they 'provide' (my old FS email) because I get over 1000 spam emails a week. I have complained to Orange endlessly about that, but they've done nothing and don't care. I wouldn't mind but the Hotmail I use for most things and have had for over 15 years, is far more widely-known and used and I get nothing near the filth and crap that I get in my Orange account. He didn't really have an answer but just reiterated that they would email that address to tell me this stuff.
I pointed out that if they had, I'd be hard-pushed to find it, in amongst the p-nis enlargement emails and fake rolex offers....

The real problem for me is that the rolling BB non-contract(?!) I had up until now meant that I could leave at any time from the BB with no costs incurred.
I rent, so I may have to move at any time and cancel outright, rather than transfer, as any new property may be shared and already have a provider.
if I have to cancel my BB, with this new line-rental agremement, I would apparently now owe them 70% of any remaining term!!! 70% if I had to move out in a month's time would be 12.6 months of my 18-month contract - over £100 if I wanted any kind of calls package. Bearing in mind I'm also looking at £250 to get out of their wretched mobile contract that I now don't want/need because I don't get that free BB, I'm a very, very, VERY unhappy bunny.

But the 'specialist team' refused to acknowledge all of that, saying I'd pay more or the same to leave other companies' BB and pay more in the first instance for their BB service (not true, I was quoted much less by other providers for both BB per month AND for leaving it!) and anyway phone is a separate contact to BB and, as I know, I don't have a BB contract per se... etc... going round and round in circles.
Hmmmmm.

In then end, after having him wind me up like this in knots for half an hour, I told him that he was just bloody rude and Orange can shove off as soon as possible then hung up.
So, anyone got any ideas?
I will certainly be changing BB - plusnet seemed very helpful and gave me a good offer - and come next June I will be out of that mob contract like a thing our of another thing.

But I'd rather be out of it now and without having to pay the get-out charges...

Unimpressed MissB

Eva49

Just called Exec Office.

Keith is going to email 'secret team'................expect a call imminently!

Best not hold my breath!

God! it has been a busy day

I have all my windows open (for reference) on PC ............waiting in anticipation lol

oaky72

I have worked for a rival company to orange for 20 years. i have a fair understanding of how these company's work.

I have also been an orange customer with free broadband as part of my mobile deal since 2006.

The company i work for changed the terms of package a few years ago and as it was a "significant" change, they allowed customer's the right to cancel their contact before the end without a settlement.

In my opinion what orange is doing is a "significant change" and therefore we should be allowed to cancel the mobile part if required.

I have only just upgraded to a new 2 year deal 2 months ago and as usall when i upgrade, i stress that my free broadband is included.

Orange have clearly not thought this change through. They should have fased out free broadband to existing customers ending their contract ages ago and offered them better incentive's.

Its another example of a lot of similar company's who are more interested in new customer's than exisiting.

I actually sympathise with most of Orange staff as they are feeling the brunt of this change.

But like others i have complained to ofcom and have also been promised a call back by the team who im told are "dealing with customer's on an individual case" basis.

So does this mean if you complain they will offer you a personal deal. If so then i feel sorry for the thousands or hundreds of thousands of customer's who may go along with being pushed into paying for line rental when they done need it.

redandwhitewizard

I did ring 0800 294 4747 as suggested by Orange in the letter in one instant attempting to use this to escalate the process as was getting fed up of the lack of response to the emails and the usual lengthy on-hold on the main number.

It got me nowhere as the first option was to select whether I was calling regarding Broadband or mobile, i.e it was another way to get the main options and was not directed straight to the transfer team as suggested.

The last thing anyone should have to do when being given a number like this to 'call direct' is to have to go through all the options and then explain in detail to the 'advisor' why you are calling. Especially when the number they give is usually not 0800 and give out higher rate nunbers. In cases when that happens I always use saynoto0870 (.com) to find the best numbers to redcue the charges.

Grandma_Carol

There is much food for thought in this thread. I have had the said letter. called Orange and after a rather unsatisfactory discussion when I was told it would cost me a lot more to use them for home phone and line rental, I have decided to use BT who I have my current line rental and home phone with. I shall keep my mobile phone with Orange and once my contract is coming to an end, will shop around so I can leave Orange.

Are Orange completley bonkers!

Carol

MissB_2

Hi, Fitz2012!

I had to call the mobile billing team because the mobile general queries line couldn't understand me. Mobile billing team put me through to BB billing and it was BB billing, on being told I was unhappy with this, that put me through to the 'specialist team dealing with this' as they put it.


I tried the number on the letter but that puts you through the usual and then you get through to a sales office.

Apart from the specialist team the customer service guys have been lovely and fine and I have made it clear to them that they're nice and helpful but that it's Orange I am unhappy with, it's not personal.


The 'Specialist' lot just did my tree in. I think it's just their most stubborn operatives. Certainly no concession and no customer service. It was entertaining for a while, though, because I was nomming my lunch so wasn't in any hurry. Bugs me that he got paid during it, though.



If Orange are continuing to state that the mobile contract is separate from the BB contract (and/or in most cases there is no longer a BB contract as this ceased in 2009) then they don't have to consider the mobile contract in the end decision.

Therefore you can either take the BB offer with line rental or go somewhere else for BB but the you can't get out of the mobile. Because they're entirely different things.
Apparently.

I'm leaving as soon as I can. I agree with the above, they CAN offer 13.50 including calls, so why then offer me 15+ for the same thing?

MissB

PeteSoton

It seems strange that Orange are removing free BB before the introduction of Fibre. Get you hooked into using their landline then what?

Why don't they either wait until their Fibre packages are available so that a comparison can be made with others or remove free BB when the contract runs out?

Something tells me the Business plan is far more far reaching than just getting rid of free BB

Eva49

PeteSoton


My thoughts exactly!...............

virgin11

Orange are fobbing us off regally .The only way to beat them is in sheer numbers as a group action anybody interested. Costs would be small fry if we all chipped in.Just an idea