Help with ending an orange contract

Luna_3

Hi all, I'm hoping someone can advise me what to do about an orange contract I've been trying to cancel. they are starting to threaten me with debt collectors and court action.

I took out a second contract 2 months before my old one ended last January. I was promised a refund of £38 to take out a new contract, all I had to do was reduce my original contract to the minimum one of £19 pm. which I did, i never received the refund promised despite 6 months of calling the number given before it was disconnected.

My 2nd contract officially ran out in January this year, I have been trying UNSUSSEFULLY yo ring Orange via my mobile but have either not been able to get through because of coverage problems or when I have got through I have been cut off and noone ever bothered to phone me back to resolve the problems I was having.

I tried calling from my landline but could never get through (having 3 small kids I can't sit on the end of a phone line indefinately)

I eventually wrote to them in April trying to cancel my contract. I informed them I was not prepared to pay the Non Direct debt charge as I had been trying to cancel the contract since January, with no luck, I also informed them I was not paying the advance charges for april -may for the same reason ans that I was also deducting the £38 I was originally promised when I took out the 2nd contract. and sent them a cheque for the remaiding balance.

They have cashed my cheque, and have since sent me a second bill with another months rental on. I wrote accross it refering to them back to my original letter.

I have just had a phone call from them informing me that although they are sorry about the problems contacting them to cancel my contract. all charges stand and if I don't pay it will go to the debt collecting agency and then court.

They said that the advance charges stand because they require a months notice to cancel the contract (as they are not automatically cancelled at the end of the 12month period) so inspite of them cutting the contract off in April when payment wasn't made and me sending them a letter cancelling the contract in march. they are still trying to charge me for 2 more months line rental when the phone was not in use. plus the other charges I refused to pay.


What is my best course of action?

thanks in advance.

Woby_Tide

whilst Orange are at fault the brunt of the blame lies with you on the cancelling contracts front. If contacting them has been such a pain writing to cancel would have achieved what you wanted with much less hassle and they also wouldn't have been able to argue whether you had requested the cancellation or not. Likewise your interpretation of your contracts is way off. Mobile contracts aren't 12 months long. They are rolling 30 days contracts that have a minimum of 12 months(in your case). Until you give 30 days notice the contract continues after your initial 12 months is up. On the 'disconnection' point, I'd have thought it was actually an outgoing call bar for non-payment, normal practice is the phone is still capable of receiving calls for a period but all outbound calls are barred until payment is made, though maybe they did also restrict network access in thsi case.

The £38 promised is a tougher one and evidently OIrange appear to be at fault on this though without any written proof that was what they offered you it's hard to back it up in your complaints to them.