Orange charging for something that is free

thebaldwindowfitter

I know i should check my orange bill but i havent until recently and a have found that i have been charged £5 a month for sky sports news which is supposed to be free on my tarrif and something my phone isnt compatable with .On calling orange to get it credited i have been told that i have been subcribing to it since june 2011 something i havent asked for a couldnt use with my phone .I have asked foR a credit for the amount plus vat ie £138 they are ofering me £30 and said i should check my bills where do i stand im being passed from pillar to post

LondonDiva

Make a formal complaint via email and copy to Ofcom - http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/telecoms/

thebaldwindowfitter

my question to orange helpersOrange Helpers
17 hours ago ·
despite numerous promises for a call back regarding the fact that orange have been billing me for 23 months for a swappable which is not only free on my phone but unusable on my phone nad a cost to me of £138 this is what ive been offered
Orange Helpers
Hi , firstly, thanks for the information and we shall be sorry to lose you as a customer especially as you have been with us for so long!
In regard to the Sky News package and the offer of £30 refund. I think this is very fair as this would be for the last 6 months subscriptions. I think you will agree that it is not unreasonable to expect our customers to check their bills regularly and I am afraid it is your responsibility to keep an eye on what charges you have incurred.
The unlimited landline minutes is a package that has been on your number since 2010, indeed since you have had your Panther account on . Again, it is your responsibility to check what you are paying for. I am sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear. Kind regards, Deb.
Like ·

other persons response omg take this further , that letter is shocking! Ofcom
15 hours ago · Like

Orange Helpers Hi , can send a further PM, so we can look into this. Many thanks
about an hour ago · Like

my response- this was a private message from orange helpers i have tried doing it that why to no avail
9 minutes ago · Like

Orange Helpers
Hi , I am sorry you feel this way. As you stated at the start of your message, you had failed to check your bills. The charges applied were certainly not fraudulent in any way.
If you feel your outcome is not satisfactory you need to raise a complaint via the Customer Services Team. I have included the process below if required
http://www.orange.co.uk/contact/complaints.html
Kid regards
Adam

Contact us - complaints | Orange UK
https://www.orange.co.uk
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8 minutes ago · Like · Remove Preview

my response my initial post has taken 17hours for orange helpers to respond to i am getting a similiar response from customer services in there tin shacks overseas who keep you on hold for 45minutes while talking away in there own language whithout the usual on hold music .my phone bills for 3 phones with orange on average are £150 a month so im not talking about a small account here me account details have been passed to the responders above
A few seconds ago · Like

chanz4

150 a month is small fry , unless on ee they don't care about you

robbies_gal

is ther a reason u didnt check your account for 18 months though seems a bit funnyi check mine every month if not more

Anoneemoose

I have to say as and ex Orange employee, this is a standard response and one I actually agree with.

The product was applied whether correctly or not and you have had 18 months to question it and you haven't. If you had checked your bills say, 16 months ago, they would have rectified the error and reimbursed you. You do have to take some responsibility.

What if it was a recurring debit on your bank or credit card - I bet you would alert them soon enough.

Personally I check my bank regularly and bills too.

Anoneemoose

IF it was supposed to be included then maybe, yes. However it is still your own responsibility to check bills and statements. How could Orange put the problem right, if they weren't aware of the problem in the first place. Mistakes happen and if they had been made aware of it sooner, they would have put it right.

You might not like the advice and opinion of others but just because they don't agree with you, doesn't mean their points are not valid.

It always amazes me how people seem to forget that a mobile phone should be treated like cash. They have the potential to cost you money. And I still believe people should always check their bills regularly.

robbies_gal

sorry we're not strange we're wondering how you could not notice something for 18 months coming out of their account!

Buzby

I recall the promotion - it was free for 6 months, then it was chargeable. That is when you are expected to opt out - but you didn't. If you let the charge go unchallenged for (say) 3-4 months, I would expect a full rebate - but 2 Years On? That simply belies belief.

You have a responsibility to ensure only the services you want are billed for, and by giving them a DD without even checking what their taking for over 2 years is both unwise as it is reckless.

You have my sympathy - but only because you were foolish enough to let them charge you for so long, not that they did anything wrong. This begs the question, have you checked all your other DD's for spurious charges. If so, do you believe those firms are wrong too?

If you cannot control or take an interest in your DD's - stop them immediately and take control yourself, that way you know what you owe, and don't pay for unnecessary and possibly unwanted services.

gfplux

We all have responsibilities to look after ourselves. If we don't then we can expect to lose out on some things.