Orange - are they trying it on?

Chippie

My daughter had an Orange phone contract until she had her phone stolen last August. At that point I gave her my spare i-phone and she gave Orange a months notice as required in her T&C's. Orange gave her a PAC code to port her number and told her she must use it in 30 days or it would expire. In the end she went with O2 and got a new number, so did not use the PAC code.

Orange are now telling her that she was put onto a rolling contract when the PAC code expired and that she has a bill of £27 per month rolling up since August!! She has an email acknowledging her 1 month notice but they say failure to use the PAC code overrides this. To me, this seems madness. She has ended her contract and was surely under no obligation to use the PAC code if she no longer wanted the number.

My daughter has not lived with us for 4 years, but had her Orange contract at our address whilst she was a student, hence Orange keep calling us as it's the only way they can contact her. I have told her to tell them they have the wrong number if they call her again. If they call me I shall tell them that she no longer lives at this address and that I cannot give them any details due to data protection.

Are they trying it on or is she somehow in a legally binding default contract???

Silk

Chippie wrote: »

Are they trying it on or is she somehow in a legally binding default contract???

Sorry to say it's correct ....asking for a pac code does not cancel a contract as it's only when a code is used that the contract cancels.

Annie._2

Orange are correct. Your Daughter asked for cancellation and then asked for a PAC code, the PAC code request would override the cancellation request, you cant have both.

As you daughter did not use the PAC code and port the number, the account would have carried on as a rolling contract on a month to month basis.

Your Daughter will have to pay what is owing and get the contract cancelled. The last thing your Daughter will want will be a default for non payment placed on her credit file.

If your daughter asks Orange for a further PAC code and ports the number to PAYG on a alternative network, this will cancel out the contract as there will be no number with Orange. Your Daughter can always bin the SIM if she does not need it.

grumbler

>> PAC Codes and Oranges Way to Stop You Cancelling

To be fair, it is common practice for all networks - blessed by our beloved Ofcom.

If your daughter cancelled the DD her credit history is likely to be ruined already. If she has not cancelled the DD, it's unforgivable to fail checking bank statements for a year.

Ann_S wrote: »

Orange are correct. Your Daughter asked for cancellation and then asked for a PAC code, the PAC code request would override the cancellation request, you cant have both.

Yes, they are correct - except typically failing to warn the customer about the consequences of not using the PAC.

Chippie

grumbler wrote: »

>> PAC Codes and Oranges Way to Stop You Cancelling

To be fair, it is the common practice for all networks - blessed by our beloved Ofcom.

If your daughter cancelled the DD her credit history is likely to be ruined already. If she has not cancelled the DD, it unforgivable to fail checking bank statements for a year.
Yes, they are correct - except typically failing to warn the customer about the consequences of not using the PAC.

No, her credit history is fine as she's just been credit scored for a mortgage and was 980ish and excellent so that's fine. I don't know how she was paying previously so I'll look into that, thanks. She always checks bank statements, so it's def not being paid. Yes it was the failure to tell her the consequences that she's annoyed about. They told her she had to use it in 30 days or it would expire. The failed to tell her that it would override her contract termination!! Wrong really, but she won't fall for that again. Maybe I'll just call and pay it for her then I can ruin an Orange call centre supervisors day with some honest fatherly opinion and banter!!

Chippie

Well there's a nice surprise. After speaking to several monkeys, I finally got through to an organ grinder who has agreed to credit everything of and close the account. Email from the aforementioned supervisor is on the way. Persistence pays, clearly!! :D

Silk

Chippie wrote: »

Well there's a nice surprise. After speaking to several monkeys, I finally got through to an organ grinder who has agreed to credit everything of and close the account. Email from the aforementioned supervisor is on the way. Persistence pays, clearly!! :D

Good result, well worth the effort !

gjchester

Chippie wrote: »

No, her credit history is fine as she's just been credit scored for a mortgage and was 980ish and excellent so that's fine.

Completly off topic but credit scores numbers mean nothing outside the organisation who gives them to you.

Experian and Equifax don't give the score to others who ask for a credit check, just your credit history, the company you are seeking to get the credit from then does their own scoring, and chacnes are they won;t tell you a score or how you got it, if they did you could get around their scorings system.

They are useful to moniter if you getting a better or worse credit record as time progresses but thats all.