Is the OVP (Orange Value Promise) dead?

Roger1

For a number of years, Mrs Roger and I have been using Orange with the OVP matched to Virgin Mobile's original pricing. (Calls to Landlines and VM @ 15p/min for the first 5 mins per day, then 5p/min for the rest of the day; free voicemail). Short calls have been charged for the time used, sometimes decimals of a penny for short calls.

In today's post is a 'personal' form letter - 'personal' as it addresses me by name though I guess the info is standard. From 1 May, I will be charged 25p/min for most calls including voicemail, with an assumed minimum of one minute charged per call. The current prices they show in the letter are not the ones I pay.

Before I get on to Orange so-called customer service (I know that they won't accept e-mails online), has anybody else on OVP EQ VM had a similar letter? Can it be true that the OVP is being withdrawn?

The new rates are unacceptable so if they do apply to us, we'll be off. I know about Ovivo and others thanks to helpful posts from MSEers in other threads.

Sure, I'd like to stay but not at the new prices. I'd be grateful for others' comments. Thanks.

chanz4

if your out of a min term they can

JPR

I had the letter this morning - love the use of the word "simplify" to mean "we're about to rip you off".

It was a good run (how many years?) and I even got a free upgrade phone or maybe 2 at some stage during my contract.

I suppose nowadays a "promise" doesn't mean much - shame. I don't use the phone very much but it is quite useful to have a contract phone available for use abroad (and the EU roaming rates are not controlled by Orange so texts are cheaper than the new expensive rates quoted in the letter).

Useful for Orange Wednesdays as well.

Jeff121

I received the same letter today and was also on
plan type: pay monthly
plan: EQ Virgin , 12 months
To be honest I've seldom used it since going onto this plan I think way back in 2000 or 2001 but its been handy for Orange Wednesdays.
Orange used to be competitive especially when they started off in the UK in the mid 90's, they were the first company to give you free minutes in their price plans. Like many good companies who start off well, takeovers and mergers put profits first and the customers second.

fray-bentos-uk

I've just had my letter this morning, what a con, I thought this was a rate for as long as you stop with them! I think the biggest insult is that they say it is to simplify rates, they haven't even got the bottle to say its a price rise. Whats the best plan for us low users now, I won't be stopping with orange.

wakeupalarm

Had the same letter for 1 of my 2 sims. Quite annoying as I do use the sims regularly for the free voicemail. None of the major mobile companies seem to do free voicemail any more.

Roger1

Thanks, folks, for confirming the worst. I can see which way the wind is blowing and will jump.

Orange won't be losing much business without my phone calls, though I recently took out a 500mb plan for £5 monthly. Just 30 days to cancel that so not too bad.

I'll be looking at Ovivo http://ovivomobile.com/our-offer/ and some others mentioned in MSE threads. I'll need to get the code from Orange to retain my number. Any idea on optimum timing with these parameters:

• I want to change a.s.a.p but would prefer to use my 30 days notice for Orange data;
• I don't mind when I start a new phone service, though would need as short a period to change numbers as possible.

Thanks.

Yes, Orange was useful for Orange Wednesdays, even if the 'free' tickets cost 35p. Also useful were codes from Dial-a-Code http://www.dialacode.com/ offering international calls from 1p/minute. I have used this for calls to Switzerland and South Africa for 3p per minute total cost.

Dial-a-code works on all 02, Orange, T-Mobile and Three contract and PAYG phones. It would be nice to find a virtual operator routing through one of these.

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

*me too*

OVP Virgin was ideal for me; my wife and I are both on that plan. We are both low users and dislike the hassle of topping up a PAYG phone.

"Simplify", my foot.

Stuart_W

For low users who prefer a monthly bill the options are continuing to shrink. Vectone and TalkMobile have both offered £1/month deals in the past but don't currently.

The Phone Co-op still offer a £2/month monthly billed account, with calls 7p/min and texts 7p each and absolutely nothing inclusive. There is a minimum call charge of 1.2p and charging per the second, so good for short callers. None of this 25p/minimum and full minute charging rubbish. Whilst various PAYG offerings can beat the Co-op's offer, for those who prefer a monthly bill and no worry about topping up, it is one of the few options for low users left.

Whilst voicemail isn't free from the handset like the OVP EQ Virgin deal, you can log in to the phone co-op website and listen to voicemail for free that way.

This does mean paying £24 a month where OVP EQ Virgin was of course free.

The Phone Co-op uses Orange/T-mobile, and in my experience a phone co-op SIM will work in a locked Orange handset.

DonnyDave

Fruit_and_Nut_Case wrote: »

OVP Virgin was ideal for me; my wife and I are both on that plan. We are both low users and dislike the hassle of topping up a PAYG phone.

"Simplify", my foot.

I received my letter a few days ago, as well.

I bought it with a Nokia 3330 through Carphone Warehouse under the heading "No line rental ever", eleven years ago.

I believe that there is no minimum charge, or certainly not anything like the first minute. The 25 pence minimum charge is another rip-off. It makes the telcos money on all of those wretched voicemail services which are provided free to users. So four calls that lead to voicemail cost £1!

The downside of OVP Virgin has always been 35 pence per minute off-net calls (calls to mobiles other than those of Orange).

DonnyDave

Stuart_W wrote: »

For low users who prefer a monthly bill the options are continuing to shrink. Vectone and TalkMobile have both offered £1/month deals in the past but don't currently.

The Phone Co-op still offer a £2/month monthly billed account, with calls 7p/min and texts 7p each and absolutely nothing inclusive. There is a minimum call charge of 1.2p and charging per the second, so good for short callers. None of this 25p/minimum and full minute charging rubbish. Whilst various PAYG offerings can beat the Co-op's offer, for those who prefer a monthly bill and no worry about topping up, it is one of the few options for low users left.

This is a good option. And, as you say, the minimum charge isn't the first minute (25 pence), but 1.2 pence which equates to 10 seconds.

The operators should have to provide the ability to view itemisation of calls for pay as you go services. The principle of pre-paid may have its advantages as far as budgeting goes, but there are many that don't wish to commit, in advance, to a particular size bundle and don't wish to be potentially constrained by credit running out. People wish to have a telephone for which they are free to make calls when they need to, without limits.

What has happened is typical of private enterprise. They aren't interested in low users and want customers to commit to, at least, a particular level of spend.

The "per minute" pay as you go rates from the main networks are now penalty rates, just as those outside of pay monthly bundles are. The fact that there are many add-ons for pay as you go users shows that this is the business model to which they work.

Even the Virgin Mobile "Reducer" tariff which OVP Virgin was modelled on is now no more. Calls on Virgin Mobile Pay as you Go now cost 26 pence per minute as it prefers to offer bundles.

Stuart_W wrote: »

This does mean paying £24 a month where OVP EQ Virgin was of course free.

I presume you meant to say "£24 a year".

Whilst OVP Virgin was "free" for very very low users, even for very low use, and perhaps a bit of data, the Co-operative Mobile (The Phone Co-op) offering is good. The cost of cross-network calls is also cheaper now, and the first five minutes for other calls are no longer charged at 15 pence per minute, both of which may offset the modest standing charge of £2 per month.

I don't expect something for nothing. In effect, the extra 10 pence per minute on the first five minutes was the line rental.