Any Advice in a Desperate Situation

Chriswright96

Herongull wrote: »

You are incredibly lucky that they are offering to reduce it by 50% and would be wise to snap up this offer before they change their minds and insist you pay the full amount.

Don't pay up yet until you have explored every possible avenue ... Now that they have offered you the 50%, they can't amke you pay the full amount ...

If you are financially unable to pay this amount within a reasonable amount of time due to your income, you may be able to get help financially, try talking to the Citizens Advice Buero.

If you fully believe that you are not responsible for this amount, keep fighting your corner. Orange may well soon change their minds and let you off, and the only reason they are not going down easy, is because of the costs to them for all those international calls, and if they let every customer off so easily, they would soon be bankrupt...

Also keep an eye on your credit report, because they may be adding 'missed/late payments' on there.

Herongull

Chriswright96 wrote: »

Don't pay up yet until you have explored every possible avenue ... Now that they have offered you the 50%, they can't amke you pay the full amount ...

If you are financially unable to pay this amount within a reasonable amount of time due to your income, you may be able to get help financially, try talking to the Citizens Advice Buero.

If you fully believe that you are not responsible for this amount, keep fighting your corner. Orange may well soon change their minds and let you off, and the only reason they are not going down easy, is because of the costs to them for all those international calls, and if they let every customer off so easily, they would soon be bankrupt...

Also keep an eye on your credit report, because they may be adding 'missed/late payments' on there.

These 50% reductions are usually made on a "goodwill" basis and can be withdrawn at any time and for any reason.

If you accept then the deal is done.

If you don't accept and/or pursue other lines of argument, they can withdraw the offer and you then have to pay the full amount.

Some people who have calls made on stolen phones have to really fight for discounts of this magnitude.

Some are only offered 20% off http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jun/08/vodafone-theft-victim-mobile-bill

Some do eventually manage to get 50% off after a long fight
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2152261/Orange-let-1-700-rung-stolen-phone.html
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2178320/Stolen-phone-nightmares-My-mobile-cut-week-wife-gave-birth-thieves-ran-400-bill.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/8512448/The-8200-cost-of-a-stolen-mobile-phone.html

People are required to pay off the debt bill within a fairly short timeframe (within months).

wantmemoney

Herongull wrote:

These 50% reductions are usually made on a "goodwill" basis and can be withdrawn at any time and for any reason.

if the OP decided to dispute9 the bill what 'reductions' would a Court give?.....assuming Orange pursued it to court.

oopsadaisydoddle

wantmemoney wrote: »

if the OP decided to dispute9 the bill what 'reductions' would a Court give?.....assuming Orange pursued it to court.

Who knows what a court would give?

It's also doubtful that Orange would pursue it to court - they would just sell it to a DCA and trash OP's credit file.

ZhugeEX

Chriswright96 wrote: »

If you fully believe that you are not responsible for this amount, keep fighting your corner. Orange may well soon change their minds and let you off.

No.... That's the worst advice i've ever read. As posted above Orange are well within their rights to withdraw the 50% discount and charge full price. The OP is fully responsible for the amount payable and no amount of fighting will change orange HQ's mind.

john1

interesting reading re Orange and debt

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/aug/31/orange-squeeze-fraudulent-mobile-bill

oopsadaisydoddle

john1 wrote: »

interesting reading re Orange and debt

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/aug/31/orange-squeeze-fraudulent-mobile-bill

Very interesting but not sure it is relevant to OP's scenario.

Different circumstances.

Herongull

john1 wrote: »

interesting reading re Orange and debt

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/aug/31/orange-squeeze-fraudulent-mobile-bill

This relates to a contract that was cancelled 9 months before the fraudulent calls!

john1

The bit of particular interest relates to the quote

So I made an offer to pay a third of the charges, which is what I estimated to be the true cost to Orange of the calls made by the fraudsters. But this was rejected, with Orange insisting I was liable for the whole bill.End quote

As I understand no body can legally profit from fraud so the operator can only claim their actual loss. For this reason mobile companies will not go to court as they will then have to disclose the true cost of the calls, which they will not do.

Buzby

Your point might be relevant for a phone misappropriated in the UK, but O are in no position to barter with the roaming partner by telling them that they are arbitrarily withholding X amount because the bill payer's son took a cavalier attitude to reporting the theft. You are in no position to dictate terms, or estimate what they should be due.

The offer of 50% is not only fair, but reasonable. If OP disagrees, then that is their choice, but for amounts over £800, court action is certainly possible. Once the court is told of the offer, the delay in reporting the theft, and the lack of security in using a SIM and phone PIN, the come across as being fair and reasonable, and the OP reckless and untrustworthy.

Add to this a fried credit file, not reaching a settlement may have even greater consequences - take offer, it will be the only bargain going.