Orange Broadband

madforitdiver

Hmmm!!! 4 months into the contract- took them a month to install the darn thing in the first place, it's worked for approximately 3 weeks in total over the 4 months, I've spent countless amounts of time and money on their 'no-help' 0870 number (the only one you can contact), and still not resolved. The problem has always been the same, it's a line fault, nothing to do with the configuration at my end.

The no-help people never ever call you back, every time I call I spend approximately 20 minutes on hold on their no-help line before they bother to answer, then they can't even tell me what the fault is, let alone the (lack of) progress they've made on the call.

Their customer 'service' is utterly laughable :rotfl:
So, final straw, I rung up to cancel - this alone took 25 minutes, at the end of which I was told that the only way I could terminate their rotten stinking contract would be to buy them out of it!!! :mad:

I cannot believe these people, they have provided zero service to me and now have the cheek to ask me to pay to cancel the contract. Not only that, I obviously can't get any other provider in until this mess is sorted out as I only have one phone line. Oh, and if I just cancel the direct debit then, get this, I contacted my bank - they told me that without any further authorisation from me Orange can re-establish the direct debit and continue taking the money!!!!! My only option seem sto be to take them to court for failing to provide a service for which I am paying.

I am so utterly madly angrily frustrated at these idiots, I have never ever come across a company so singularly unwilling to do anything at all to help it's customers.

NEVER NEVER AGAIN!!!!

My advice to anyone reading this is (a) don't ever touch Orange broadband (b) whatever broadband providor you go for make sure they have a geographic landline support number, and (c) make sure that if they default on providing a service that you can get out of the contract with minimal fuss & expense.

(I'm going to go home and cry now _pale_)

mrbnewc1

If it's a line fault then they need to speak to BT to get it resolved.

At the end of the day you're paying them for a service that is not being provided.

My mother had a similar problem. I ended up sorting it out for her.

You just need to stand your ground and if they don't tell you what you want to hear ask to speak to someone more senior. Might always be worth putting it in writing to their customer care team - do a google search to get the address.

Hope you get sorted.

Mrbnewc1

madforitdiver

Thanks for the reply, Mrbnewc1

I should add a couple of points based on what you've mentioned.
I did finally write them a letter yesterday....they wouldn't give me a full geographic address, only a PO Box number, but I sent to that anyway. 2 pages in all, probably the closest I've ever come to swearing in a letter without actually doing so! I know that a completely business-like letter may have been more appropriate but quite frankly after 4 months I've lost any interest in being civil. I did however state all my reasons and also told them they had a week to either fix the problem or tell me exactly what was wrong and give me a date by when it would be fixed, or that I would cancel the contract myself due to them defaulting on it, and they could chase me for payment.

I have also demanded that they refund all my call costs to the premium rate 0870 number once I produce the BT bill with them on.

Now I don't think that's unreasonable, basically I'm saying, either fix the problem or terminate the contract at no cost to me.

The broadband isn't expensive, the money isn't really the issue here, the real issue is that I desperately need a reliable broadband connection at home. Orange are basically saying that I have to live with the current situation for another 12 months unless I buy out the contract.

As much as I've asked to speak to more senior people they won't do it, I have spoken repeatedly to the escalations team and the special provisioning team which is about as senior as they will let me go, but they are both as clueless as everyone else. They won't even give you their surnames so you can never have the same point of contact twice.

I await to hear if they bother to reply to my letter, if not I'm going to cancel the direct debit anyway, and try and arrange with someone else.

ever get the feeling you're going round in circles????:mad:

viktory

You have my deepest, deepest sympathies. I have only bad news for you though. I was with Orange for a year - totally unable to get out of the contract without paying them, my service was atrocious and they came out with the same crap to me that they are telling you.

No wonder they are offering a free laptop to those that take on their service. I posted this when my year was finally up. As you will see, things didn't get any better.

If you don't leave them properly they won't take the 'tag' off the line and you won't be able to get another provider. They also refused to offer compensation.

I would suggest contacting Offcom.

Good luck (you are going to need it!)

Froglet

madforitdiver wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, Mrbnewc1

I should add a couple of points based on what you've mentioned.
I did finally write them a letter yesterday....they wouldn't give me a full geographic address, only a PO Box number, but I sent to that anyway. 2 pages in all, probably the closest I've ever come to swearing in a letter without actually doing so! I know that a completely business-like letter may have been more appropriate but quite frankly after 4 months I've lost any interest in being civil. I did however state all my reasons and also told them they had a week to either fix the problem or tell me exactly what was wrong and give me a date by when it would be fixed, or that I would cancel the contract myself due to them defaulting on it, and they could chase me for payment.

I have also demanded that they refund all my call costs to the premium rate 0870 number once I produce the BT bill with them on.

Now I don't think that's unreasonable, basically I'm saying, either fix the problem or terminate the contract at no cost to me.

The broadband isn't expensive, the money isn't really the issue here, the real issue is that I desperately need a reliable broadband connection at home. Orange are basically saying that I have to live with the current situation for another 12 months unless I buy out the contract.

As much as I've asked to speak to more senior people they won't do it, I have spoken repeatedly to the escalations team and the special provisioning team which is about as senior as they will let me go, but they are both as clueless as everyone else. They won't even give you their surnames so you can never have the same point of contact twice.

I await to hear if they bother to reply to my letter, if not I'm going to cancel the direct debit anyway, and try and arrange with someone else.

ever get the feeling you're going round in circles????:mad:

if you look under the internet section you will find a lot of compalints about Orange,mine included!! I have found a very good site that may be able to give you some good advice and helpyou solve this mess.you have my sympathy,my complaints are minor compared to yours but it still feels as if i am bnashing my head against a brick wall,and I'll bet yours is VERY sore!!

Try this though it takes some reading but at least you won't feel so alone..............................

http://www.orangeproblems.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php?sid=5cfc2b6745756cc74c96477488d1290b

madforitdiver

Have has a good troll round that website - shocking to see just how many people are also suffering with these incompetent idiots. I've now put a complaint into the ISPA which will hopefully at least force a response from Orange, instead of being completely ignored.

I'm not holding my breath though!!:D

madforitdiver

Well, some news - not sure if this is in response to the ISPA complaint but I had a call from Orange today, on an 0800 number too, no less (08004045004), firstly complaining about my cancelled direct debit, then put me through to a technical department - oh no, here we go again I thought! Then surprise suprise, they said that seing as the service has been so blasted awful that they'd be willing to terminate the contract free of charge. They also asked me to call back when by the PC for some final fault checking (I'm at work at the moment) on the 0870-premium rate number - when I refused to do this they gave me another contact option (though you have to have an orange mobile to do this). Call 150 for operator then choose the following options, 2,2,1,5,4,1 (I'm assuming this is either free or in with my monthly call allowance).

Well, will give it a go tonight and see what happens - I may finally be free of them!!!!! Will keep you all updated

madforitdiver

unsuprisingly, first they didn't want to deal with me, and went through 2 numbers before managing to get someone to talk to me. Requested a MAC code (migration authorisation) and lo and behold they didn't want to give me that either. But most suprising of all, did another reset and all of a sudden it's working..looks like my threat to the ISPA finally made them look into my problem.

I told them that the next time it fails I want a MAC straightaway. Wonder how long it'll stay up this time??

Anyway, the lesson learnt here is don't take no for an answer, and escalate as soon as possible. Looking at the orangeproblems.co.uk website it appears that I'm not the only one suffering - hopefully I;ll be Ok now for a while, but even if the link stays up I'll be leaving as soon as out of contract.

Dave_Brooker

madforitdiver wrote: »

Hmmm!!! 4 months into the contract- took them a month to install the darn thing in the first place, it's worked for approximately 3 weeks in total over the 4 months, I've spent countless amounts of time and money on their 'no-help' 0870 number (the only one you can contact), and still not resolved. The problem has always been the same, it's a line fault, nothing to do with the configuration at my end.

The no-help people never ever call you back, every time I call I spend approximately 20 minutes on hold on their no-help line before they bother to answer, then they can't even tell me what the fault is, let alone the (lack of) progress they've made on the call.

Their customer 'service' is utterly laughable :rotfl:
So, final straw, I rung up to cancel - this alone took 25 minutes, at the end of which I was told that the only way I could terminate their rotten stinking contract would be to buy them out of it!!! :mad:

I cannot believe these people, they have provided zero service to me and now have the cheek to ask me to pay to cancel the contract. Not only that, I obviously can't get any other provider in until this mess is sorted out as I only have one phone line. Oh, and if I just cancel the direct debit then, get this, I contacted my bank - they told me that without any further authorisation from me Orange can re-establish the direct debit and continue taking the money!!!!! My only option seem sto be to take them to court for failing to provide a service for which I am paying.

I am so utterly madly angrily frustrated at these idiots, I have never ever come across a company so singularly unwilling to do anything at all to help it's customers.

NEVER NEVER AGAIN!!!!

My advice to anyone reading this is (a) don't ever touch Orange broadband (b) whatever broadband providor you go for make sure they have a geographic landline support number, and (c) make sure that if they default on providing a service that you can get out of the contract with minimal fuss & expense.

(I'm going to go home and cry now _pale_)

Aparantly Waitrose broadband is the one to have.

madforitdiver

Guess what - last night it failed again - bit of a record for Orange really, as they managed to have the connection up for a whole week!!! Ok so I only used it for 5 days out of that week, but it seems that as soon as you actually want to use the d*mn thing it fails.

I knew it was too good to be true. Am on the phone at this very moment requesting a MAC - wonder if they'll give me one?????
:mad:

madforitdiver

The saga continues...
No MAC code issued, but they say they've cancelled the account and that within 10 days the line will be clear. I've already signed up to BE Broadband which seems from opinion over the internet to be pretty good - the main plus for me is a freephone tech support helpline, in the UK, staffed by people who actually know what they're talking about rather than following a script!

However, I'm not holding my breath for the line to be cleared......
Next step will be to get them to refund all the calls to the rip-off 0870 number before I give them their useless livebox back!