Need help with an argument with Orange!

bodo1

I hope someone can give me some advice.

At the start of January, I upgraded my phone and took out a new contract with Orange. I did this in an EE store. The member of staff was helpful and helped me to find a new tariff as I didn't want to spend more than £30 per month. Part of the perks of this contract included 20% loyalty discount on my line rental, and it was with this discount that my bill was reduced to about £28 per month.

I subsequently received a letter from Orange summarising my contract that stated that I was in receipt of 10% loyalty discount instead of the 20% I had been given in store.

I called Orange who said they couldn't sort it and told me to go to the branch. I did... they were extremely rude and unhelpful.

Ultimately, they said that I need to prove that I was offered a 20% discount. I presented them with the contract that I had signed, attached to which was a summary of the plan including this 20% perk. The store are saying that firstly, because this 20% discount was not mentioned in the body of the contract, I am not entitled to it. Secondly, because on the attached plan, they stated that the handset cost £240 and she had included this for free as part of my package, this incorrect statement invalidated this whole additional documentation.

Where do I stand?! Can anyone help?

Silk

Is the summary a printed out document with summary printed etc or is it a hand written note on a bit of paper ?

bodo1

It's a print out

Silk

Well in that case thats the contract you agreed to and so did they at the time you took it out.
What have they offered as a resolution ?

bodo1

So when they say that the price of the handset being wrong on this document invalidates all of the other information about my contract, am OK to stand my ground and tell them that's nonsense?

This additional print out is not part of the formal contract where my signature is, but when I questioned the lack of reference to this 20% discount in the body of the contract itself, that's when she said, 'oh, that's not a problem, all the information is listed on this additional sheet' which she subsequently stapled to the contract.

At the moment, they are not offering anything. Orange Central say the store need to sort it, and the store says Orange Central need to sort it. They've left it for me to 'prove' my case, but say that the documentary evidence I have is invalid!

Silk

bodo1 wrote: »

So when they say that the price of the handset being wrong on this document invalidates all of the other information about my contract, am OK to stand my ground and tell them that's nonsense?

Yes the price of the phone doesn't come into it realy as the phone always comes free unless a seperate purchase etc.
I've never seen an invoice for a phone that is included in a contract with a price against it.

It gets complicated but basics would be breach of contract if they refuse to honour it which of course would mean you could sue against.
In general all items mentioned in the summary are what you both agreed to.

bodo1

Thanks for your advice.

Silk

Good luck with it ...keep us posted how you go on

parking_question_chap

Good luck mate, hope you take em cleaners

oopsadaisydoddle

The paper that they attached to the real 'contract' - is that the bit where it says about the 20% discount? And is it written by the store person or yourself?

When you say it gives you details of the plan and things, does it also give you the contract dates, handset type or anything?

Also, when you went back to the store, did you speak to the person who wrote the 20% discount on?

Ultimately, they should honour it but it should be up to the store to pass on the details to CS to process. If they call up from the store phone, it's as easy as anything to put on.

If the store are refusing to entertain you, i would call CS again and escalate to a TL and then a manager.

bodo1

The attached paper with the 20% is a print out from the database system in which the member of staff inputted all of my requirements, and then selected the tariff that I ultimately chose

The printout contains a table:
Offer Cost to Customer
One off Monthly
iPhone 4G 8GB Black 24m 245 0
PERK 20% Discount 0 -7.2
Panther Extra 36 (24mth) 0 36
Contract Resign OUK 24m 0 0
Handset Price £240 -5 0
TOTAL 240 28.8

The member of staff who set up my new contract wasn't there, and the rude staff member that I saw this week said I would need to go back into the store to see her. Apparantly, the 20% discount is applied for NHS workers. I very clearly told her that I was a teacher in a state school.

I called Orange from the store on Sunday. The member of staff initially refused to speak to them on by behalf and only did so once Orange told me that this issue was not theirs to sort, but the store's.

The final come back was that I had to prove that I should get the 20% but the staff member wrote onto this sheet with the above grid "Not correct, handset was sold for £0, but here it is £240".