EE/Orange mobile unable to sign up to manage account.

joesgran

Don't know if anyone can suggest another line of action I can take. Signed up for a 12 month sim only Orange contract and transferred my old Vodaphone PAYG number.
When I try to sign up to manage my account and see my bill online, I am told to enter my phone no. as user name. I do this and it keeps coming up with 'number cannot be recognised'. There is NO live online advisor and if I call Cust Serv all I get are a load of automated options (none of which apply to my problem of course!), so I pick whichever one I think may eventually get me a conversation with a human being.
I do get one (after a lot of press button whatever), unfortunately we seem to have a lot of trouble understanding each other (possibly due to Indian accent versus Scottish accent). They ultimately pass me on to another department who tell me that it's the technical department in FRANCE who need to sort it out and they will get them to do so. I've had the same conversations two weeks in a row and am really dreading having to call again as nothing changed.
I joined late January, have had bill deducted from my bank account but cannot see what I'm being charged for. The deal I took was one where I get cashback if I send copies of my phone bills for certain months - but will I EVER be able to access those bills????
Can anyone give me a number in this country that I can call to get this nightmare ended????

wondermouse

Try using the original number that came with your sim to see if that lets you sign up.

I think the orange customer service number is 150 from your phone. Do persevere. You need to follow the prompts for billing and a problem with your bill or something like that. Eventually you should get through to a real person.

Failing that go into your local EE shop and talk to the Neanderthals in there.

mobilejunkie

This happened to me almost a year ago.

Don't waste time talking with them - it'll get you no-where. Send a formal complaint demanding free paper bills until they sort it out (they won't) to [EMAIL="complaints@everythingeverywhere.co.uk"]complaints@everythingeverywhere.co.uk[/EMAIL], wait 8 weeks (because they'll ignore it) and then make a complaint to CISAS (demanding the same thing plus a stated amount for compensation). They will then agree to your demand without a defence (I have done this twice in the last year with two separate issues, including this one).

LC88

Have also had the exact same issue - its caused when you transfer a number over to them.

Orange have told me this is a known problem and they have no estimated timescale to fix it in. Reading between the lines, this means they don't have the time/resource to do it and its clearly not a priority for them. Which is nice to know as a paying customer.

I have complained about it and copied in Ofcom and have been promised free paper bills from the Exec Office. Whether I get them or not will no doubt be the next battle. However, to request them is your only option as their system is just broken, there is no other way of getting your billing information.

Personally, I am about 10 months into an 24 month contract and I cannot wait to leave as I am sick of their service.

mobilejunkie

LC88 wrote: »

Have also had the exact same issue - its caused when you transfer a number over to them.

Orange have told me this is a known problem and they have no estimated timescale to fix it in. Reading between the lines, this means they don't have the time/resource to do it and its clearly not a priority for them. Which is nice to know as a paying customer.

It's caused by their indifference - my number was not "transferred". No timescales because they plainly have zero intention TO "fix it". My complaint was about 8-9 months ago and nothing's changed.

joesgran

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and advice.
I did try using the original sim number to sign up but that was 'not recognised' either!
I phoned customer services on 150 (twice in 2 weeks) took 'problem/query will bill option. Got to speak to some know-it -all (who didn't) who then passed me on to another one who blamed it all on their operations in FRANCE! They would ask them to sort it and meantime send me free paper bills. None received yet and probably never will be.
May give a visit to Orange shop in nearest town. Don't hold out a lot of hope but might as well try.
Will also try customer services again and ask to speak to someone higher up the chain. Will try writing too.
I was originally going to take a Vodaphone contract but was so frustrated with their website not operating properly that I told them to cancel and went for the Orange on via mobilephonesdirect.co uk
The contract is one that gives cashback when you send them copies of the bills for months 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12. Trouble is, you need to be able to either print off or get paper bills so that they can be sent. Very hard when you can't sign up or get bills sent to you!
It seems that one provider is just as bad as the next so what do we do????
If I lived in France it would be easy to get something done. I would just barricade the ports until the Government got it sorted! lol
Maybe all us downtrodden customers should band together and stage a sit-in at EE Headquarters?

skaterboy

Same issue with my Orange account.


I am 12 months into a 24 month contract, and they still have not sorted it out.


I do get paper bills, free of charge though.


As others have said, no interest in fixing this issue.


Very poor show....

EnglishWelshie

mobilejunkie wrote: »

This happened to me almost a year ago.

Don't waste time talking with them - it'll get you no-where. Send a formal complaint demanding free paper bills until they sort it out (they won't) to [EMAIL="complaints@everythingeverywhere.co.uk"]complaints@everythingeverywhere.co.uk[/EMAIL], wait 8 weeks (because they'll ignore it) and then make a complaint to CISAS (demanding the same thing plus a stated amount for compensation). They will then agree to your demand without a defence (I have done this twice in the last year with two separate issues, including this one).

I agree do as mobilejunkie suggests. I was put on a limited account as they messed my billing up so i could never check my bills. After about 3 months of calls with them promising to sort it out and an email to them which they completely ignored I went the CISAS route and was able to leave my contract 12 months early and with £150 compensation.
If you go the CISAS route you must make sure you say how much compensation you want as they can only give what you ask for.

mobilejunkie

It's the only way you get Orange to do anything. Long may that continue; I need bills as I ONLY do cashback deals, but I WILL always get them and THEY will pay appropriate compensation, so it's worth the hassle (which is really just an 8 week wait before you can go to CISAS). If everybody did that, of course, they'd start treating their customers properly. Then I'd lose out, so please do keep phoning, waiting, phoning, waiting, phoning, waiting....

joesgran

Thanks again for advice. Will keep pestering them till get a result. Diabolical liberty that their customers have to do that though.
Is there no governing body like OFFWAT or suchlike?
Is the CISAS an ombudsman or what?
Companies are so shortsighted. Eventually they'll run out of people to p*ss off and therefore customers!
EE are talking the big talk about changing call centres and customer services but obviously just a load of hot air.
Will be off when contract ends as can't take the stress - I have more than enough problems in my life without these !!!!!!!

mobilejunkie

CISAS is the ombudsman and the only place you'll get a result. Waste of time "pestering" Orange. You have to wait 8 weeks from the date you make a formal complaint before going to CISAS. Don't expect a response to the complaint from Orange. As for how bad they (now) are; Vodafone is competing for the honour of the worst attitude to customers.