How to tether an Orange phone?

usignuolo

My OH has a Galaxy S3 on a 2 year small business contract (1 year in). He bought it from an Orange main dealership and specified that his contract should include tethering. He was assured that it did - it was simply a case of having sufficient bandwidth which he had and a compatible phone. Nothing happened for several months but then he wanted to use tethering (for a business app he was developing with a friend). He activated it on his phone and it worked for a few weeks and then stopped.

After several inconclusive conversations with Orange he was eventually told that his contract did not include tethering. When he said he had been told it did, he was referred back to the dealership. The dealership insisted that at the time it sold him the phone, it had been told by Orange that tethering was dependent on having sufficient bandwidth and a compatible phone, both of which it had sold him. However it understood that since it sold him the phone, Orange had tightened up its conditions for tethering and only made it available on certain contracts. They referred him back to Orange.

My OH told Orange he thought he already had tethering but as he did not and did not want to get into a protracted argument, he was prepared to pay the difference between contract he was on and the contract threshold which it now appeared he would need to be eligible to tether. Sorry said Orange, you are midway through an existing contract and have to pay up in full to close it before you can start a new one, ie hand over one years rental before we start you on a new contract which includes tethering.

So now it seems he is sha--ted with neither the dealership or Orange prepared to offer him the service he thought he was signing up for in the first place . Suggestions?

ZhugeEX

Has he actually tried tethering?

Usually it just works on networks like Orange.

usignuolo

Yes he has tried and no it doesn't. As explained above he is now being told that it is not covered by his contract, despite what the dealer told him when he bought it, in good faith. And no he cannot pay extra to add tethering, according to Orange, instead he would have to "buy out" the remaining year of his contract and start again with a new contract which specifically includes it.

According to Orange it is not enough to have a tethering capable phone and enough capacity, tethering has to be specifically recorded as part of your contract for it to be activated. Otherwise it is blocked. (A change which appears to have been introduced after my OH took out his contract.)

Does anyone out there regularly tether on an Orange phone and if so what type of phone and contract do you have?

Im_just_careful

Suggest he buys a MiFi on PAYG from "3" and gets it unlocked or buys an unlocked unit from Amazon then buys PAYG data SIMs as needed.

ZhugeEX

Which phone does he have?

Is it an iPhone?

usignuolo

Samsung Galaxy S3. Just found this online re Orange Ts and Cs

6. Inclusive Mobile Internet - Mobile internet browsing applies within the UK only. ....Not to be used for Internet Tethering (e.g. using your handset as a modem - separate Tethered Data bundles are available).

11. Additional Benefits for customers on £75 plans and above
........
(2)Tethering - offer includes 3GB of data to be used whilst the mobile phone is connected to a computer for the purposes of providing an Internet connection.
The inclusive allowance is only applicable to data used within the UK. Any data use over and above the inclusive allowance will be charged at £0.0196/MB.

Tethering Bundle Terms

These terms apply to all Orange customers purchasing an Internet Tethering bundle for use on an iPhone.

The Tethering Bundle is only available when the customer connects an iPhone to an iPhone tariff, or a standard tariff in conjunction with the Data and Wifi bundle.

The Tethering bundle includes an allowance of data to be used whilst the mobile phone is connected to a computer for the purposes of providing an Internet connection.

The inclusive allowance is only applicable to data used within the UK.