Orange U24 - Ageist?

lilgreenmomo

Hi All,

I'm after your thoughts. I have recently become embroiled in a bit of a twitter row with Orange because I believe their new 'U24' promotion to be ageist. The details of the promotion can be found here

They tell me that it's "like a student discount only you don't have to be a student" & "similar to the Young Person's Railcard" however I believe it to be ageist on the grounds that:

a) Student status is not defined by age; and

b) Unlike the Young Persons Railcard scheme, where the card must be purchased in order to qualify for the discounts, a person U24 may spend exactly the same (or less) money than me on contract or PAYG airtime and gain an additional benefit purely on the basis of age

To my mind they have no argument, I fail to see why should spend my hard earned cash on a contract only to find that someone on the same contract is getting more just because they happen to be younger than me.

Thoughts please.

(BTW, if you benefit from this then fair play but I'm not going to take it lying down).

buscape

Other networks are available.

keg788

i am also having a battle with orange regarding their Under 24 plan

I have 2 kids on my business plan, we all pay more than £15 per month and i took passports into the shop, they copied them and said it would all be set up in a few days.

the next bill arrived and my son had used more than his 500 mb of data ( because he thought he had 1.5gb as per U24 plan) and a charge of an extra £150

now orange are saying that business plans are not included, but all their adverts and their T&C state "any plan over £15 per mth"

perhaps Martin could get involved in this one because I am sure i am not the only one with this problem

before setting up the plan I rang orange customer service and was told the contract we have was fine for the U24 plan,

i contacted the guy in the orange shop who took the details originally and he said he would sort it , however today, i went into the shop and he got a right rollocking from the customer service guy on the orange phone helpline

nobody seems to know what they are doing.

anybody else had this problem ?????????

Martin, please help .........

diamonds

I have reported it to Ofcom that surely both EE companies should get free cross brand communications on plans & such would have been a reason they got to merge as one, but now for under 24's only ?

Also selling spectrum to their OWN networks shared owner, as much as I despise o2 & Voda for their customer care & breaches, one of them should have got the allocation.

Keg788^report it to the ASA http://www.asa.org.uk/

adamc260

Don't worry, when you call up to add it on even if your eligible most of their staff don't know anything about it... and the one's that do tell you it doesnt excist anymore.

More brilliant Orange customer service there!

diamonds

adamc260 wrote: »

Don't worry, when you call up to add it on even if your eligible most of their staff don't know anything about it... and the one's that do tell you it doesnt excist anymore.

More brilliant Orange customer service there!

Dad made me visit the local Orange shop today as he had a issue, I asked so looking forward to the rebrand ? Staff reply "I dont know anything *insert forename* you know they tell the us nothing in retail until last minute or past it" as he laughs.

When both shop staff and customers agree on this for years instore with NEW things it tells you more than you need to know, the T-Mob merger did not make one iota in network communication with personal customer face to face dealings. I taught his store about Unique/UMA/Signalboost back in the day - that store had sales stuff next to phones that used such with no mention of it ? Orange Retail all over.

The staff member has been there since before I joined Orange pay monthly, he's discreet flirtacious with me & I get good info LOL, thank the gods I get better looking as I age like wine now if only I could get him to pay my Orange bills, I'll try sexier smile practice in the mirror !

He makes my Orange experience more bareable when it always goes tits up & takes ownership beyond what retail staff are allowed too, something that no other network staff in shops have ever done & he's prob the sole reason I stay Orange even thought he has never got a commission out me. Really helpful chap.

Guys_Dad

With all the "Uumann Rites" legislation legislation around in today's PC society, I am sure you are right about it being ageist. In fact, when I saw it advertised, I thought to myself "I wonder how long it will be before some PC person complains to the Equal Opportunities Commission."

However, there are, as has been said, other networks and if that is all you have to worry about, then you are a very fortunate person. :beer:

lilgreenmomo

buscape wrote: »

Other networks are available.

Yes, so long as you're not tied into a contract, which in fairness after next month I won't be but to be honest it's the principle of the thing. When I get a bee in my bonnet about something I'm not one to walk away either. In fairness I've not really had much issue with them, aside from the fact I think their Best plan promo is A-Crock-Of-Crap because they'll only ever move your plan to the next tariff down.

But I accept that as my handset was pretty pricey at the time I took the contract out I'll pay a premium for the contract, I just don't agree it's fair that someone else gets more for the same purely on the grounds of age.

lilgreenmomo

Guys_Dad wrote: »

With all the "Uumann Rites" legislation legislation around in today's PC society, I am sure you are right about it being ageist. On fact, when I saw it advertised, I thought to myself "I wonder how long it will be before some PC person complains to the Equal Opportunities Commission.

However, there are, as has been said, other networks and if that is all you have to worry about, then you are a very fortunate person. :beer:

I'm not so PC, just after a fair deal, for everyone, and big companies treating their (loyal) customers badly really is the thin end of the wedge, I'm not sure about your personal circumstances but perhaps it might be wise for you to think that at least there are people around like me with the time and inclination to fight over an issue. no matter how trivial you think it. Maybe next time it might be something a little less trivial that affects both of us and I protect your rights.

diamonds

As I posted I'm sure when the two networks combined that both networks when they started offering calls/texts for free to each other after both backhaul was merged completely them free allowances would be all customers not under a certain age of customer, I see this as a breach of licence under the merger. Its a deliberate way to distort the market only offering it to a certain demograph of society regardless of what demograph, Ofcom gave them time to merge as one in backhaul now EE are abusing such position to gain market share from o2 £15 pay and go free calls to other o2 customers.

I can see why a early EE 4G launch was good for economy, but this U24 is not about economy, its about distorting a market and with EE 4G its trying to completely distort the market. One Orange/T-Mobile customer calls & texts FREE as Ofcom intended with the merger the other pays cash or loses allowances as EE have capped that free allowance to under 25 year olds ?

EE launched the only 4G network a year ahead of anyone being able to, that is distorted in itself....the 4G & U24 both combined are complete distortion of a market place/share. I've reported such concern on the U24 count.

buscape

lilgreenmomo wrote: »

Yes, so long as you're not tied into a contract, which in fairness after next month I won't be but to be honest it's the principle of the thing.

Leave Orange at the earliest opportunity in protest at their ageist policies then, plenty of other networks who will be more than happy to take your money.

In fairness I've not really had much issue with them, aside from the fact I think their Best plan promo is A-Crock-Of-Crap because they'll only ever move your plan to the next tariff down.

What did you expect?

But I accept that as my handset was pretty pricey at the time I took the contract out I'll pay a premium for the contract, I just don't agree it's fair that someone else gets more for the same purely on the grounds of age.

Do you have the same issues with pensioners getting things cheaper than the rest of us?